Do you know hot cross buns, sweet rolls of English origin?

If you are looking for quick and easy recipes perfect for Easter, we recommend you try the hot cross buns, a real treat!

Among the Easter recipes there is one of English origin that you should definitely try. They are hot cross buna, literally cross buns. Their origin is very ancient: it seems that they were prepared for the first time in 1300 by the hand of Thomas Rocliffe, a friar of the Abbey of S. Albans who wanted to distribute them to the poor at the end of Lent.

It is in fact a highly symbolic dessert not only due to the presence of the cross on the surface but also due to the presence in the mixture of milk and butter, ingredients prohibited during Lent. Spices , especially cinnamon and orange peel, also symbolize Christian Easter, in particular the episode of the resurrection. But let’s find out together how to prepare these delicious sweets.

How to prepare the hot cross buns recipe

1. First , soak the raisins in hot water scented with the grated orange zest.
2. Separately, in a bowl, mix the flour, cinnamon, sugar and baking powder. Pour in the milk and start kneading first with a wooden spoon and then by hand. If you want, you can use the planetary mixer equipped with a K whisk.
3. Then stir in the egg and the butter at room temperature, one bit at a time, waiting for the previous one to be absorbed and, finally, the raisins drained in a fine mesh strainer (also keep the grated rind of the orange, to add to add flavor).
4. Finish kneading on the work surface then let it rise in the oven off with the light on until doubled. It will take approximately 3 hours.
5. Then divide the dough into sandwiches of 70 grams each and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper at a distance of 1.5 cm from each other.
6. Let them rise for another hour then brush the surface with an egg yolk.
7. Prepare the icing for the cross by mixing the flour and water until you have a smooth batter . Transfer it to a pastry bag with a small nozzle and draw the crosses on the buns.
8. Bake at 180 ° C for 20 minutes and let them cool before serving.

Also try another typical bread of the Italian tradition, the Resta Como .

storage

Hot cross buns can be kept under a cake pan for 2-3 days , as soft as freshly made. It is also possible to freeze them.