Orange Hot Cross Buns Recipes

ORANGE HOT CROSS BUNS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in 3/4 cup warm orange juice. Add the butter, sugar, eggs, orange zest, salt, cinnamon, raisins, remaining orange juice and 3 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. , Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. , Punch dough down; turn onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 22 pieces; shape each into a ball. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Using a sharp knife, cut a cross on the top of each ball. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes. , Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. , In a small heavy-duty resealable plastic bag, combine glaze ingredients until smooth. Cut a small hole in a corner of bag; pipe a cross on each bun.

CRANBERRY & ORANGE HOT CROSS BUNS

Steps:

• Put the orange zest in a bowl and set aside. Pour the juice into another bowl, add 75ml boiling water and the dried cranberries, then leave to soak.
• Meanwhile, pour the milk into a saucepan, add the butter and heat over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter has just melted. Turn off the heat and beat in the egg by hand.
• Mix together the bread flour, yeast, 1 tsp salt, and the mixed spice and sugar in a large bowl. Make a well in the flour and pour in the milk mixture.
• Drain the cranberries and add to the bowl with the orange zest, then mix into the dough with a wooden spoon until it comes together enough to handle without getting too sticky.
• Tip out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 mins until smooth and elastic - you'll need to keep poking the cranberries into the mix as you go. Grease a bowl with a little oil, then add the dough and cover with cling film. Leave somewhere warm to rise for 1 hr.
• Once risen to twice the size, turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knock it back by kneading for about 1 min - this will get all the large air holes out and give you nice even buns.
• Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces, roll into balls and lay on baking sheets lined with parchment. Put a plastic bag over the baking sheets and leave to prove for 1 hr more.
• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Mix together the plain flour and 5 tbsp water in a bowl to a sticky consistency. Spoon into a piping bag with a small opening, or use a 2mm nozzle, and pipe crosses onto each risen bun. Put the buns in the oven for 20-22 mins until brown on top.
• While the buns are baking, make the glaze. Pour the orange juice into a saucepan and mix in the jam. Bring to the boil over a low heat, then simmer for 3-5 mins - you'll need to keep an eye on this the whole time and stir it to stop it sticking. Once the buns are cooked, put them on a wire rack and immediately paint with the glaze. Leave to cool, then eat with butter. Will keep for up to 2 days in an airtight container.

HOT CROSS BUNS

Steps:

• Bring 300ml full-fat milk to the boil, then remove from the heat and add 50g butter. Leave to cool until it reaches hand temperature. Put 500g strong bread flour, 1 tsp salt, 75g caster sugar and 7g sachet fast-action or easy-blend yeast into a bowl. Make a well in the centre. Pour in the warm milk and butter mixture, then add 1 beaten egg. Using a wooden spoon, mix well, then bring everything together with your hands until you have a sticky dough.
• Tip on to a lightly floured surface and knead by holding the dough with one hand and stretching it with the heal of the other hand, then folding it back on itself. Repeat for 5 mins until smooth and elastic. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hr or until doubled in size and a finger pressed into it leaves a dent.
• With the dough still in the bowl, tip in 75g sultanas, 50g mixed peel, zest of 1 orange, 1 finely chopped apple and 1 tsp ground cinnamon. Knead into the dough, making sure everything is well distributed. Leave to rise for 1 hr more, or until doubled in size, again covered by some well-oiled cling film to stop the dough getting a crust.
• Divide the dough into 15 even pieces (about 75g per piece). Roll each piece into a smooth ball on a lightly floured work surface. Arrange the buns on one or two baking trays lined with parchment, leaving enough space for the dough to expand. Cover (but don't wrap) with more oiled cling film, or a clean tea towel, then set aside to prove for 1 hr more.
• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Mix 75g plain flour with about 5 tbsp water to make the paste for the cross - add the water 1 tbsp at a time, so you add just enough for a thick paste. Spoon into a piping bag with a small nozzle. Pipe a line along each row of buns, then repeat in the other direction to create crosses. Bake for 20 mins on the middle shelf of the oven, until golden brown.
• Gently heat 3 tbsp apricot jam to melt, then sieve to get rid of any chunks. While the jam is still warm, brush over the top of the warm buns and leave to cool.

CHOCOLATE ORANGE HOT CROSS BUNS

Steps:

• Heat the milk in a pan until steaming. Remove from the heat, add the butter and 3 tbsp marmalade, and stir until dissolved.
• Mix the bread flour, yeast, cinnamon, raisins, candied peel, chocolate and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl. Add the egg to the milk mixture, tip into the flour and stir to make a soft dough. Flour the work surface and your hands, then knead the dough for 10 mins until smooth and elastic. If any fruit or chocolate pieces escape, keep kneading them back in.
• Grease then line a large baking sheet with baking parchment. Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces. Shape them into buns by kneading each and then rolling under one hand on the work surface until smooth. Put the buns on the baking sheet, leaving room for rising, then slightly press them down to flatten a little. Cover loosely with cling film and prove in a warm place for 2 hrs or until the buns are well risen and doubled in size. Be patient, as it will make all the difference to the texture.
• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Gradualy stir 90-105ml water into the plain flour to make a smooth, thick paste. Pour the mixture into a food bag and snip off a corner to make a hole about 5mm wide, then use it to pipe the crosses onto the buns. Bake for 20-25 mins until the buns are risen and golden brown, and sound hollow when tapped underneath.
• For the glaze, melt the remaining marmalade in the microwave or a small pan and brush over the buns while they're hot, then leave to cool. Eat on the day of baking, or toast the next day.