Spiced Vanilla Hot Cross Buns
These American-style hot cross buns are enriched with vanilla, butter and Greek yogurt. The dough is packed with diced dried apricots, cherries and candied orange peel, plus a warming blend of cinnamon, coriander, allspice and nutmeg. After proving, they are baked until golden, then finished with a simple vanilla cream frosting piped into a cross. This recipe makes 15 buns and takes about 4 hours and 40 minutes from start to finish.
Ingredients
- 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
- 2 1/2 ounces sugar (rounded 1/3 cup; 70g)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (6g) instant dry yeast, such as SAF; not RapidRise or active dry (more info here )
- 1 teaspoon (4g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt (for table salt, use the same weight or half as much by volume)
- 12 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 1/3 cups, spooned; 340g)
- 3 ounces unsalted butter (6 tablespoons; 85g)
- 3 ounces cold milk, any percentage fat content (1/3 cup; 85g)
- 6 ounces cold plain Greek yogurt, any percentage fat content (2/3 cup; 170g); see note
- 1 ounce store-bought or homemade candied orange peel (2 tablespoons; 30g)
- 2 ounces dried apricots or other light fruit (1/4 cup; 55g), cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 2 ounces dried cherries or other dark fruit (1/3 cup; 55g), cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 1/2 teaspoon (1g) ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons heavy cream (1/4 ounce; 7ml)
- 4 ounces powdered sugar (about 1 cup; 115g), preferably organic
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream (1/2 ounce; 15ml)
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5ml) vanilla extract
Method
- Place the vanilla seeds and sugar in a stand mixer bowl and rub them together. Whisk in the yeast, salt and flour.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan until it bubbles, then take it off the heat and mix in the milk and yogurt. Pour this into the dry ingredients and stir with a spoon until a rough, shaggy dough forms.
- Using the dough hook, knead on low speed for about 1 minute until a sticky ball forms. Continue kneading for about 6 minutes more. Increase the speed to medium-low and knead for about 10 minutes longer until the dough is elastic and stretches thinly before tearing.
- Add the candied orange peel, dried apricots, dried cherries, cinnamon, coriander, allspice and nutmeg. Mix on low speed for about 1 minute until everything is evenly distributed.
- Remove the hook, shape the dough into a ball and place it back in the bowl. Cover with plastic and leave to rise at room temperature until puffy and light, about 1 1/2 hours. The dough should hold a fingerprint when pressed gently.
- Line a 9 by 13 inch brownie pan with parchment paper. Tip the dough onto a clean surface. Without kneading, divide it into 15 roughly equal portions, about 2 ounces (55g) each.
- Cup each piece of dough under your palm and roll in quick circles to form a smooth ball. Arrange the balls in the prepared pan, cover loosely with plastic and leave to rise until puffy and light, about 1 1/2 hours. The dough should feel cushy and hold a shallow impression.
- Place an oven rack in the middle and preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Mix the egg yolk and cream in a small bowl until smooth using a pastry brush.
- Gently brush the egg wash over the surface of each bun. Bake until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches approximately 210°F (99°C), 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in the pan for about 20 minutes.
- For the frosting, stir together the powdered sugar, salt, cream and vanilla in a small bowl until smooth and creamy. Add up to 1/2 teaspoon (2.5ml) of water if it is too thick.
- Put half the frosting into a small parchment piping cone with a 1/4 inch tip. Pipe a line of frosting across each row of buns, then repeat in the opposite direction to create a cross. Serve warm.
Nutrition (per serving)
Sodium127000 mg
Recipe details
CategoryBreakfast
Cuisineamerican
AuthorStella Parks
