Orange Hot Cross Buns

7 Reviews
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Photo: Annabelle Breakey; Styling: Karen Shinto
Prep Time
3 Hours 30 Mins
Yield
Makes 16
April 2010
RECIPE BY Sunset

You'll need to plan ahead to find or make candied orange peel (see sources at the end of the recipe)—it's worth it.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup warm (100° to 110°) whole milk
  • 4 1/2 teaspoons (2 packages) active dry yeast
  • 1 large egg plus 2 tbsp. beaten egg
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, preferably freshly grated
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • Finely shredded zest of 1 large orange
  • About 3 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup chopped candied orange peel*
  • 1/4 cup dried currants
  • 2 teaspoons fresh orange juice
  • 2 teaspoons fresh Meyer lemon juice
  • 1 cup powdered sugar

Nutritional Information

  • Calories 195
  • Caloriesfromfat 21%
  • Protein 3.9g
  • Fat 4.5g
  • Satfat 2.6g
  • Carbohydrate 35g
  • Fiber 1.5g
  • Sodium 152mg
  • Cholesterol 31mg

How to Make It

Step 1

In a bowl of a stand mixer, combine milk and yeast; let stand until yeast softens, 5 to 10 minutes. Add whole egg, granulated sugar, butter, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and orange zest. Beat on medium speed with dough hook until blended.

Step 2

Blend in 2 3/4 cups flour. Beat on medium speed until dough is smooth and stretchy, 10 to 12 minutes. Add just enough flour (about 1/4 cup) so dough is only slightly tacky. Add orange peel and currants, pick up dough, and mix with your hands to distribute fruit. Return dough to bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 1/4 hours.

Step 3

Punch down dough. With floured hands, shape into 16 smooth rounds. Evenly space rounds in 2 buttered 8- or 9-in. square pans.

Step 4

Cover loosely and let rise in a warm place until doubled and puffy, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°. Brush buns with beaten egg. Bake until deep golden, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool in pans at least 30 minutes.

Step 5

In a small bowl, stir together juices and powdered sugar until smooth. Spoon into a small, heavy-gauge plastic bag, snip a hole in a corner, and squeeze icing onto buns to form large Xs.

Step 6

*Buy from gourmet food stores and amazon.com, get the recipe on sunset.com, or substitute orange marmalade: Heat 18 oz. thick-cut marmalade until bubbling, strain well, and substitute 1/4 cup of the syrup for the granulated sugar in step 1 and 1/2 cup orange pieces for the candied orange in step 2; add 1/4 cup extra flour in step

Step 7

Note: Nutritional analysis is per bun.

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Ratings & Reviews

Surfergirl42's Review

Jeskva
June 23, 2013
Loved these! I used all raisins because I didn't want to go through the trouble of finding the orange peel. Like another reviewer said, there is plenty of orange flavor. Only use ONE pan!

Minerva's Review

Minerva
April 23, 2011
These were so easy to make and they were so good we couldn't stop eating them! Delicious and this will be my recipe for hot cross buns from now on. YUM! I used the fast acting yeast so that the preperation was even faster.

mokyfellow's Review

mokyfellow
April 22, 2011
I have not made these. I will not make these. At least this year. Easter meals are planned a couple of weeks in advance. To receive a recipe two days before their use date makes me scratch my head and wonder about the people who put out this email. Really now, does it make sense only to me that this should have been sent out at least one week ago...or longer??

Toni0403's Review

Surfergirl42
April 05, 2010
OMG were these good. I followed the recipe exactly except,after I dissolved the yeast in the milk, I put that mixture and all the rest of the bread ingredients in the breadmaker on dough setting. I did use two pans, came out great for me. I will make these all the time.

Jeskva's Review

HMB123
April 02, 2010
Taste Wonderful, BUT DO NOT put into two pans, put all sixteen pieces into a 9 x 13 pan so they rise uniformly. Someond did not proof read directions! I used all currents or raisins instead of orange peel, there is already enough orange flavor. Rises up Beautifully!

HMB123's Review

portland
March 31, 2010
Someone needs to do a better job of proofreading and/or matching the recipe to the photo. The recipe says to make 16 buns and to place them in 2 pans, yet the photo shows all 16 buns in 1 pan. I am planning to make this tomorrow, and I'll have to figure out what works best once I see how much dough I have.

portland's Review

Toni0403
March 29, 2010
this was an easy dough to work with. taste is excellent, appearance is excellent as well.