National Hot Cross Bun Day | The King’s Hot Cross Buns

When you say or even *think* the complete term “hot cross bun”, is it to the tune of Three Blind Mice? Because it is in my head and I can’t really understand why. Plus, isn’t there a different song feature the hot cross buns that does not go to the tune of Three Blind Mice?

Not important.

So it’s National Hot Cross Bun Day, except not because while this is posted on September 11, it’s actually December 20 as I write this. I have to say that this food holiday is the one that took me the longest to make. Not that it’s a complicated recipe, but I just delayed making it for the longest time because I was intimidated by the active yeast and then I made other breads and doughnuts and whatnot with active yeast and realized that I overestimated the difficulty of yeast but by that time I was just on a roll with making other things that these hot cross buns got shoved aside.

Well not anymore, HCB, not anymore.

I went from being (honestly?) not too excited to make hot cross buns to anxiously awaiting their arrival from the oven. The dough smells delicious and being that you have to let the dough rise for a full hour, twice, there’s plenty of time to smell the combination of warm spices like cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg. And I can’t forget about the raisins!

Don’t be like me and wait too long to make this recipe!

By the way, I named this recipe The King’s Hot Cross Buns because I used King Arthur Flour and I adapted their recipe slightly to make this one. King Arthur Flour is the best flour around, FYI.

Print Recipe

The King's Hot Cross Buns

Yield: 12

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup rum
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 1/4 cups milk, room temperature
• 3 large eggs, 1 separated
• 6 Tbsp butter, room temperature
• 2 tsp instant yeast
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 4 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

Topping

• 1 large egg white, reserved from above
• 1 Tbsp milk

Icing

• 1 cup + 2 Tbsp confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 4 tsp milk

Directions:

1. Grease a 9x13 pan; set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the rum, cranberries, and raisins over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine, milk, eggs (except for the whites of one egg), butter, instant yeast, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, salt, baking powder, and flour. Knead using the mixer until the dough is soft and elastic. Mix in the fruit and any liquid that wasn't absorbed.
4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to sit out for an hour as it rises. It won't rise too much, but instead, become a little puffy.
5. Divide the dough into billiard ball-sized pieces and shape into balls. Arrange them, an even distance apart, in the prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit for another hour to rise. Preheat oven to 375*F.
6. In a small bowl, whisk together the reserved egg white and milk, and brush the mixture over the buns. Bake the buns for 20 minutes, or until they're golden brown. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
7. In a small bowl, mix together the icing ingredients. Once the buns have cooled completely, pipe the icing into a cross shape on top of each bun.

Prior: National TV Dinner Day (Salisbury Steak with Garlic Mashed Potatoes)  

Tomorrow: National Chocolate Milkshake Day (Triple Chocolate Milkshake)