hot cross buns

Banana Bread

Hot Cross Buns

I love hot cross buns and look forward to making these fruity spiced buns every Easter! I like to make the dough in a bread machine, but I have included instructions at the end of this recipe for using a stand mixer.

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup warm water (110 degrees f/45 degrees c)
¼ cup white sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg, separated, divided
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon instant powdered milk
⅜ teaspoon salt
¾ cup dried currants
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons water
½ cup confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons milk
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Gather all ingredients.
Put flour, warm water, white sugar, egg, egg white, butter, yeast, milk powder, and salt in a bread maker and start on dough program.
When 5 minutes of kneading are left, add currants and cinnamon. Leave in the machine until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Punch down dough on a floured surface, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes.
Shape into 12 even-sized balls and place in a greased 9x12-inch pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, 35 to 40 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Mix egg yolk with 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl; brush on dough. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from pan immediately and cool on wire rack.
To make the piping glaze: Mix confectioners' sugar, milk, and vanilla together until smooth. Spoon glaze into a piping bag or a sandwich bag with the corner snipped off; pipe a cross onto each roll.
Serve and enjoy!