Bread-Bakers v104.n018.5

Ihave a book called Festive Breads of Easter  by Norma Jost Voth, C 
1980   by Herald Press.

In this book is a recipe for English Hot Cross Buns

Golden brown, filled with currants and spices and marked with a cross of 
icing, these buns are traditional on Good Friday in the British Isles. 
Marie Martinez remembers a horse-drawn bakery wagon delivering hot cross 
buns to her Dublin home in time for breakfast

3 1/2 - 4 cups flour
3/4 cup lukewarm milk
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 pkg active dry yeast
1 T sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 eggs
2/3 cups currants
1/4 cup diced citron
Egg Glaze
Lemon Glaze

In a mixer bowl, combine 1 cup flour, milk, water, yeast and 1 T sugar. 
Beat well. Set in warm place until frothy. Melt butter; cool. To the yeast 
sponge, add remaining sugar, salt and melted butter and spices; beat in 
eggs, one at a time. Add 1 cup flour and beat 5 minutes with electric 
mixer. Gradually add remaining flour, currants, and citron. Turn out onto 
floured board and knead until smooth and elastic 8-10 min. Place in greased 
bowl, turning to grease top of dough. Cover with kitchen towel and set in 
warm place until doubled in bulk. punch down. Turn out onto lightly floured 
board and knead lightly for 2 minutes. Divide dough into 24 equal parts and 
shape into buns. Place well apart on greased baking sheet. Cover and let 
rise until almost doubled in size about 30 min.  Make a cross X on each bun 
with a razor blade or sharp knife. Brush with egg yolk beaten with 1 T 
water. Bake at 375 F for 15 to 20 min or until golden in color. Cool on 
wire rack.

Lemon Glaze:  Mix 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp grated lemon peel, and 1 1/2 
T milk. Drizzle over buns  in the cross design. Some English recipes add 
strips of pastry dough over the cross before baking, instead of the icing.

Hope you like this one

Arlene in Iowa