Easy Orange Hot Cross Buns
User Reviews
5
Easy Orange Hot Cross Buns
Description
These Orange Hot Cross Buns start with a yeast-leavened dough enriched with butter, honey, eggs, and warm milk. The dough incorporates spices such as cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg, and allspice for classic hot cross bun flavor, complemented by orange zest and hydrated raisins for fruity notes. After kneading, the dough rises until doubled, developing a tender and elastic texture.
The buns are shaped and topped with a cross paste made of flour, sugar, orange juice, butter, and vanilla, which bakes into a distinct feature. After baking, a glaze of orange marmalade thinned with water is brushed on, giving a shiny, sweet finish. The baking process produces soft, slightly spiced buns with a delicate orange aroma, paired with sweet and chewy raisin bits.
Orange Hot Cross Buns can be eaten warm or at room temperature, suitable for breakfast or teatime. They store well at room temperature for a couple of days and can be reheated gently. The dough can be prepared ahead and refrigerated before shaping, allowing for fresh baking later. They also freeze well when wrapped properly to maintain freshness.
Reheating can be done briefly in an oven or microwave to refresh the buns. Freezing and thawing instructions help keep these buns ready for future enjoyment without loss of texture or flavor.
Ingredients
For the Buns:
- 500g (4 cups) bread flour leveled & sifted, or all-purpose flour, spooned
- ¾ teaspoons ground cinnamon Saigon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated
- A pinch allspice
- 80g granulated sugar
- 20g honey
- 10g (2-½ teaspoons) kosher salt
- 80g unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 225 ml milk or as needed, whole, warmed 100-115 F
- 11g instant dry yeast
- 1 egg room temperature, large
- 1 egg room temperature, large, yolk
- 60g raisins hydrated
- 15 ml vanilla extract pure
- Zest orange from 2 oranges
For the Cross paste:
- 50g sugar
- 100g flour
- ½ teaspoons vanilla extract pure
- 40ml orange juice or as needed to make a pipeable paste, or milk or water, fresh
- 50g butter softened at room temperature, unsalted
- zest orange from half an orange
For the Apricot glaze:
- 165g (½ cup) orange marmalade or apricot preserves, such as Bonne Maman
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Combine the sifted flour, sugar, spices, and salt in the center of a clean work surface or a 30 qt. standard-weight mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add the yeast and the warm milk to the well and mix well until the yeast dissolves.
- Add the beaten eggs to the wet mixture, followed by the softened butter, vanilla extract, and honey. Begin to incorporate the flour, starting with the inner rim of the well.
- The dough will start to come together in a shaggy mass when about half of the flour is incorporated. Continue kneading until smooth and elastic, about 15 minutes. Add the raisins and orange zest to the dough and knead them until evenly distributed. Form the dough into a ball.
- Generously butter a large clean bowl and transfer the dough ball to it. Turn the ball to coat with the butter, then cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 to 1-½ hours.
- Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and divide it into 12 even pieces (about 90 to 100 grams each) with a bench scraper or sharp knife.
- Form each piece into a ball and place it in the prepared pan. Cover the pan tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for up to 1 day, or cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise until doubled again, about 1 to 1-½ hours (longer if the dough has been chilled). Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
- Prepare the topping: In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, softened butter, and vanilla. Slowly add milk to form a smooth paste. Transfer the paste to a pastry bag or zip-top bag and snip a ⅓-inch hole in one corner. Pipe lines across the centers of the balls in one direction and then again in the opposite direction so that each ball has a cross.
- Bake the orange hot cross buns until risen and browned, 25 to 30 minutes. The internal temperature of a center bun should register 190 degrees. While the buns are baking, cook the orange marmalade or apricot preserves and water in a medium pot over medium heat. Stir with a fork as it cooks until the mixture is a thin, shiny liquid, about 3 minutes.
- Remove from the heat. As soon as the buns come out of the oven, brush the syrup evenly over them. Serve the Orange Hot Cross Buns hot, warm, or at room temperature.
Notes
- Store cooled buns at room temperature in airtight containers for up to 2 days to maintain softness.
- Reheat buns in a 300°F oven for 5-10 minutes or briefly in the microwave to warm through.
- Prepare buns ahead by refrigerating the shaped dough overnight after the first rise, then bake the next day for fresh buns.
- For freezing, wrap buns individually in plastic wrap and store in freezer bags for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
You'll Also Love
