Rheinlander Bakery’s Hot Cross Buns
Kitchen Tested 
- Yield 2
- Prep 20 mins
- Cook 25 mins
Currants stud this egg- and butter-rich sweet bread.
These slightly sweet rolls are best served the day they're made.
Ingredients
- Buns:
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Pinch of mace
- 2 tablespoons dry active yeast
- 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
- 4 eggs, room temperature, divided
- 5 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/3 cups currants or raisins
- 1/2 cup water
- Glaze:
- 1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
- 3 tablespoons Water
Instructions
- To prepare buns, combine butter and sugar in a large bowl using a mixer at medium speed. Beat in salt and spice. Dissolve yeast in milk and add to creamed butter. Beat in 3 eggs one at a time. Add 5 1/3 cups flour and mix until dough pulls away from side of bowl. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead in remaining flour. Knead 4 to 5 minutes, until a small piece of dough stretches, without tearing, to form a thin windowpane. If it tears, the gluten has not developed; continue kneading.
- Stretch dough out on table and sprinkle currants on top. Fold in sides and knead until fruit is evenly dispersed.
- Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a cloth and let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
- Punch dough down and cut into 24 equal pieces. Shape into round balls and place on a cookie sheet about ½ inch apart. Allow to rise in a warm room until balls double in size, 2 to 4 hours.
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Beat remaining egg with a pinch of salt and 1/2 cup water. Brush over top and sides of buns. Bake 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350F and bake 15 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar and extracts. Drizzle in enough water, while whisking, until combined but still stiff. Transfer mixture to a plastic bag. Snip corner of bag and pipe glaze in a cross pattern over the top of each bun.
