Hot cross buns are a traditional Easter staple at my house like Stollen at Christmas time. I add candied fruit to mine. I have tried many a recipes and to date this is my favorite.
Orange Currant Hot Cross Buns
Makes 1 (15-inch) round
Ingredients
2¼ cups (288 grams) dried currants
1¼ cups (300 grams) warm no-pulp orange juice (180°F/82°C to 185°F/85°C)
I omit the above and instead add 3 cups candied fruit--the best quality you can find especially for the orange peel
1½ cups (360 grams) warm whole milk (105°F/40°C to 110°F/43°C)
6¾ teaspoons (21 grams) active dry yeast
¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar, divided
10 cups (1,250 grams) all-purpose flour, divided
1½ teaspoons (4.5 grams) kosher salt
1½ teaspoons (3 grams) ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon (1 gram) ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon (1 gram) ground allspice
½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted
6 tablespoons (90 grams) freshly squeezed orange juice, strained
4 large eggs (200 grams), divided
1¾ teaspoons (3.5 grams) orange zest
1 tablespoon (15 grams) whole milk
½ cup (120 grams) plus 3 tablespoons (45 grams) water
Honey-Orange Glaze (recipe below)
Instructions
In a large bowl, combine currants and warm orange juice. Cover with plastic wrap, and let stand for 20 minutes. Strain, discarding excess liquid.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine warm milk, yeast, and ¼ cup (50 grams) sugar. Let stand until mixture is foamy, about 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk together 8 cups (1,000 grams) flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and remaining ½ cup (100 grams) sugar.
With mixer on low speed, add half of flour mixture to yeast mixture, beating just until combined. Beat in melted butter, freshly squeezed orange juice, and 3 eggs (150 grams). Transfer dough to a large bowl, and gradually add remaining flour mixture, stirring with a spatula or a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms. (Because this is such a large amount of dough, you will need to incorporate ingredients in a larger bowl.) Stir in drained currants and zest.
Knead until smooth, about 8 minutes, adding up to ½ cup (63 grams) more flour as needed.(Dough should not be sticky.)
Spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Place dough in bowl, turning to grease top. Loosely cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) until doubled in size, about 1½ hours.
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 15-inch round pizza pan or stone with parchment paper, and spray with cooking spray.
Lightly punch down dough, and let rest for 5 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, turn out dough. Divide dough into 18 pieces, and roll each piece into a ball. Arrange balls on prepared pan in a circular pattern, leaving little space between pieces. Cover and let stand in a warm, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) until puffed and rolls are touching, about 25 minutes. (Rolls will rise to edge of pizza stone, but will not spill over during baking.)
In a small bowl, whisk together milk and remaining 1 egg (50 grams). Brush tops of rolls with egg mixture.
In a medium bowl, add 1½ cups (188 grams) flour. Add ½ cup (120 grams) water, 2 tablespoons (30 grams) at a time, stirring gently until a thick paste forms. Using a pastry bag fitted with a Wilton #10 tip, pipe paste over top of buns to form a cross pattern.
Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Brush warm rolls with Honey-Orange Glaze.
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Honey-Orange Glaze
Makes ½ cup
Ingredients
½ cup (170 grams) clover honey
¼ cup (60 grams) freshly squeezed orange juice, strained
Instructions
In a small saucepan, bring honey and orange juice to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Let cool completely.
