2 ¼teaspoonsinstant yeast, (see notes for active dry yeast)
½cup(100 g) granulated sugar, (caster sugar is better if you can find it)
2teaspoonsground cinnamon
¾teaspoonall spice
½teaspoonground nutmeg
½teaspoonsalt
1 ½cups(360 ml) warm milk (whole or low-fat), about 110° F
¼cup(56 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1large egg,, lightly beaten
2Tablespoonsfresh orange zest
1 ¼cup(175 g) raisins or dried currants
Crosses
½cup(62 g) flour, (any kind of flour works)
5Tbs(75 ml) warm water
Glaze
¼cup(60 ml) warm water
¼cup(30 g) confectioners' sugar
Instructions
Buns
In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together flour, instant yeast, sugar, cinnamon, all spice, nutmeg and salt. Whisk until combined. Add the warm milk, melted butter, egg, orange zest and raisins. Use the dough hook to knead the dough until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 5 minutes. The dough should be soft and not sticky. If necessary, add more flour one Tablespoon at a time until a soft texture is reached. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead a couple times until dough forms a soft ball.
Transfer dough to a lightly greased bowl. Cover and allow dough to rise for 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size. Punch the dough down and transfer to a floured surface.
Use a pastry cutter to split dough into quarters and then cut each quarter into thirds (for a total of 12 rolls). Shape each piece of dough into a ball by pinching the edges of the dough underneath itself and using your hands to cup the dough into a ball.
Place rolls in a 13x9 baking pan lined with parchment paper. Cover and allow rolls to rise for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350° F.
Crosses
While the rolls rise, make the flour mixture for the crosses. Whisk together flour and water until it is smooth and runny. Transfer mixture to a plastic bag and snip the corner. Pipe mixture on top of risen rolls.
Bake rolls at 350° F for 22 to 24 minutes or until golden on top. Allow buns to cool in the dish for at least 15 minutes before adding glaze.
Glaze
Whisk warm water and confectioners' sugar together. Use a pastry brush to add glaze to the hot cross buns. Garnish with orange zest and serve.
Notes
Store hot cross buns in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Buns are best when eaten the day they are baked.Yeast: Active dry yeast may be used instead of instant yeast. Combine warm milk, sugar and 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast. Let mixture sit for 5 minutes until foamy (if it doesn't become foamy it means the yeast is dead). Add mixture to the dry ingredients as directed in step 1.Flour: Bread flour works best in this recipe and yields soft buns. However, all-purpose flour may be used in its place if necessary.Kneading: A stand mixer works best to save time and the arm work. However, hot cross bun dough can also be kneaded by hand for 10 minutes.Overnight instructions: Prepare dough and follow steps 1-4. After shaping the rolls, cover the dish with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours. Bring to room temperature and allow rolls to rise (this will take around 2 hours). Add crosses and follow remaining instructions.Freezing instructions: Prepare dough and follow steps 1-4. After shaping the rolls, cover the dish with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Store in the freezer for up to 1 month. Bring to room temperature and allow rolls to rise (this will take around 4 hours). Add crosses and follow remaining instructions.High altitude instructions (Denver, CO; altitude: 5,280 ft): It's necessary to use bread flour because of the high protein content, which is preferred at high altitude. Use 4 1/4 cups flour and add more as necessary until dough is soft and pulls away from the bowl. Reduce sugar by 1 Tablespoon. The first rise will be quicker (about an hour) make sure the dough is doubled in size. Baking time remains the same.