Happy Easter!!
Guys, the in-laws are gone, we are back to our routine, and I finally had 2 nights of very much needed good sleep! I have had this post sitting in my drafts for a couple of weeks and I can finally find the mental energy to publish this post.
I must admit that the last couple of months have been long and somewhat tiring and simply didn’t go at all like I planned or assumed that they would. I feel like things are slowly getting back to ‘normal’, and that means I can back to more posting and overall business as usual.
So in my usual late for everything style, I’m sharing a very last minute recipe with you. This hot cross bun loaf is a nice little spin on the usual hot cross buns which many people partake in at Easter. Growing up, I remember my Grandpa always making them in his bakery along with the Portuguese Easter bread, but I must admit that I don’t ever recall eating one! Pretty much anything with dehydrated fruit is out for me, especially raisins so it’s not something I tended to gravitate towards! This bread changed that for me! Traditionally hot cross buns are made with currants, but I couldn’t find any nearby so I substituted sultanas and I have to admit I loved this bread, raisins and all! It was a breakthrough!
The thing I love about this bread is that it has a cinnamon-sugar swirl similar to a cinnamon bun which basically makes it irresistible! Two loaves pretty much disappeared instantly! It was great eaten warm, toasted with a little butter, but insanely delicious as french toast. I made this recipe a couple of times because when I made it the first time the filling came out a bit into the bottom of the pan, and the second time I rolled the dough thinner and longer but that resulted in the bread having a bit of open space at the top (like above). I have written the recipe to reflect the way I did it the first time but in such a way that the filling will stay inside and therefore look prettier than what you see in these photos.
I hope you all have a wonderful and happy Easter weekend!
Hot Cross Bun Loaf
Ingredients
For the Bread
- 4 tablespoons 2oz unsalted butter
- 1 cup milk preferably whole
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1 1/2 cups dried currants or raisins, or sultans
- 1 heaping tablespoon finely grated orange zest
For the filling
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 whole egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water for egg wash
For the glaze
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon milk
Instructions
For the Bread
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add in the milk and sugar and continue to warm until the mixture reaches 110F (43C), about 3 minutes. Pour into the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and salt. Add it to the bowl with the yeast, and add the eggs, currants, and orange zest. Attach the dough hook, and knead on low speed for about 10 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball, and cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
- While the dough is rising make the filling.
- In a small bowl, stir together the softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
- Butter two 9×5-inch loaf pans. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and divide the dough in half. Roll each half into an 8 1/2-inch square. Spread half of the filling onto the dough leaving a 1 1/2 inch border on one end of the dough (which will seal the log). Tightly roll up the dough, pinch the seam to seal, and place the the dough seam side down into the prepared pan. Repeat with other square. Let rise until puffy, about 1 1/2 hours.
- Position the rack in the middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Brush the loaves with the egg wash. Bake until the loaves are golden brown and pull away frown the sides of the pan, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool in the pans for about 10 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
For the glaze
- In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar vanilla, and milk. Drizzle over the cooled bread.
Notes
Adapted from Home Baked Comfort (Williams-Sonoma)
