Did you know that Hot Cross Buns date back to the 14th century and does that excite you enough to add them to your Holy Week traditions? These delicious rolls come with history and can be found in bakeries outside of the Lenten Season.
Hot Cross Buns
Good Friday is the traditional day to eat Hot Cross Buns. One theory is that the buns originated from St Albans, Hertfordshire England (my friend Tina lives there now) where Brother Thomas Rocliffe, a 14th-century monk at the St. Albans Abbey, made a similar recipe called the ‘Alban Bun’ and distributed the buns to the local poor on Good Friday. This tradition started in 1361.
Hot Cross Buns have a spicy, sweet and fruity flavor. They are an Easter tradition, with the cross on top of the buns symbolizing and reminding Christians that Jesus died on a cross. There are lots of legends and lore behind Hot Cross Buns. English folklore reads that Hot Cross Buns baked on Good Friday would never spoil throughout the following year. Some bakers believed that holding on to one Hot Cross Bun and hanging it in the kitchen meant that all yeast products in the coming year would rise successfully. Some sailors took Hot Cross Buns on their voyages for safety. And friends who gift one another with Hot Cross Buns every year are said to remain friends for life. Love it!
The dough for Hot Cross Buns is dense. Milk and eggs are responsible for the beautiful texture and color of the rolls. Nutmeg is the added spice and who doesn’t love nutmeg? It’s got to be one of my favorite spices. The extra sweetness comes from raisins and apricots, and you can see them popping through the dough. The raisins are soaked in water to plump, just like in my Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.
Before the buns are baked, you have the option of giving them an egg wash if you prefer a shiny crust. Then a half-inch slash in cut into the dough making a cross. I use a new double-sided razor blade to make the cuts.
The picture above shows the buns right out of the oven and before the icing is piped on the crosses. What I love about Hot Cross Buns is their rustic look. They are very different from a classic dinner roll. The shapes aren’t perfect and no two crosses are alike. Kinda like us. We aren’t perfect and our crosses come in different shapes and sizes. Can I get an Amen? Wow – where did that come from?
Look at the color. Do you love it? All it needs is a dab of butter.
Do you make Hot Cross Buns? Maybe you have another traditional Good Friday food that you’d like to share. Consider leaving a comment for the Sock Box 10 Community. We’d love to hear from you!
Thanks so much for stopping by, Rose
- 2 packages of active dry yeast
- ¼ cup warm water
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 cup warm milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 4 tablespoons of butter, softened
- 6 to 6½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 3 whole eggs plus 1 egg yolk
- ½ cup raisins soaked in water and drained
- ⅔ cup chopped dried apricots
- Egg wash
- 1 egg white
- 1 teaspoon water
- Icing
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 to 2½ tablespoons of milk
- Combine yeast and warm water in a large bowl.
- Add 1 tablespoon of the sugar and stir until dissolved.
- Set aside for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the remaining sugar, warm milk, salt, nutmeg, and butter. Beat for about 10 minutes, gradually adding flour until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl (about 4 cups).
- Add the eggs and the egg yolk to the batter, one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition.
- Stir in the raisins and apricots.
- Add about 2 to 2½ cups of flour to make a soft dough.
- Turn out on a lightly floured surface and knead for 15 to 20 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Add additional flour to prevent stickiness.
- Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and turn to grease all sides.
- Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size (1 to 1½ hours).
- Punch down the dough cover with a towel and let it rest for about 10 minutes.
- Grease a baking sheet or cover with parchment paper.
- Divide the dough into 24 equal portions. Roll each piece into a smooth ball and place on the baking sheet.
- If you want them separated, place about 3 inches apart. If you want them attached, place them about 1½ inches apart.
- Cover with a tea towel and let rise until almost doubled in bulk- about 45 minutes to an hour depending on the room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Make the egg wash by whisking the egg white and teaspoon of water.
- Lightly brush the rolls with the egg wash.
- Make a ½ inch-deep slash in each of the rolls forming a cross (I use a new double-sided razor blade).
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Transfer to a wire rack.
- Mix the icing by combining powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk.
- Place the icing in an icing bag or ziplock bag and snip off a corner.
- Ice the cross indentations after the rolls have cooled at least 15 minutes, so the icing does not run.
- This recipe was adapted from a Wernersville recipe included in the book "The Secrets of Jesuit Breadmaking".
- ENJOY!