Servings: 12 buns
Calories: 240kcal
Ingredients
- Dried Fruit Soak First
- 1 cup 150 g raisins, currants, or mixed dried fruit
- Hot or boiling water to cover (for soaking)
- Dough
- 4 cups 500 g all‑purpose flour
- 2¼ tsp 7 g / 1 packet active dry yeast or instant yeast
- ¼ cup 50 g granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground allspice or cloves optional
- 1 cup 240 ml warm whole milk (105–110°F / 40–43°C)
- 4 tbsp 60 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tbsp orange zest optional, for bright citrus note
- 20 –24 whole cloves optional, to press into crosshatch diamonds
- Cross Paste
- ½ cup 60 g all‑purpose flour
- 5 –6 tbsp water add gradually for thick, pipeable paste
- Egg Wash
- 1 egg beaten with 1 tsp milk
- Glaze Choose One
- Option A – Apricot Jam: 3–4 tbsp apricot jam warmed and strained
- Option B – Simple Syrup: 2 tbsp sugar + 2 tbsp water simmered 1–2 minutes
- Optional: ½ tsp vanilla extract added to either glaze
Instructions
- Soak the Dried Fruit
- Place raisins or currants in a small bowl; cover with hot water.
- Soak 10–15 minutes until plumped, then drain well and pat dry. Set aside.
- Activate the Yeast
- In a small bowl, combine warm milk, 1 tsp of the sugar, and yeast.
- Stir gently; let stand 8–10 minutes until foamy and fragrant.
- If no foam forms, yeast is expired — start fresh.
- Mix the Dough
- In a large bowl (or stand mixer bowl), whisk flour, remaining sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.
- Add yeast mixture, melted butter, eggs, and orange zest (if using).
- Mix on low speed with dough hook (or by hand with a wooden spoon) until a shaggy dough forms.
- Increase to medium‑low and knead 6–8 minutes (or 10 minutes by hand on a lightly floured surface) until smooth and elastic.
- Add Dried Fruit
- Gently fold soaked, drained dried fruit into the dough until evenly distributed.
- First Rise
- Shape dough into a ball; place in a lightly oiled bowl; turn to coat.
- Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel.
- Let rise in a warm, draft‑free spot 1–1.5 hours until doubled in size.
- Shape the Buns
- Punch down dough; transfer to a lightly floured surface.
- Divide into 12 equal pieces.
- Shape each into a tight ball: gather edges to center, pinch, flip seam‑side down, and roll in a circular motion under a cupped hand.
- Arrange in a greased 9×13‑inch (23×33 cm) baking pan with a little space between each bun.
- Second Rise
- Cover pan loosely with plastic wrap.
- Let rise again 45–60 minutes until nearly doubled and buns are touching or just about to touch.
- If doing an overnight rise: refrigerate covered pan up to 12 hours; bring to room temperature 1–1.5 hours before baking.
- Make the Cross Paste
- In a small bowl, mix flour and water 1 tbsp at a time until a thick, smooth, pipeable paste forms (similar to thick pancake batter).
- Transfer to a piping bag or zip‑lock bag with a small corner snipped off.
- Apply Cross and Egg Wash
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Brush buns gently with egg wash.
- Pipe a line of paste down the center of each row, then pipe lines across to form a cross on every bun.
- If using whole cloves, press one into each diamond of the crosshatch pattern.
- Bake
- Bake 20–22 minutes until golden brown on top and baked through.
- If tops brown too quickly, tent loosely with foil after the first 15 minutes.
- Glaze While Warm
- Immediately after baking, brush warm buns generously with warmed apricot jam (strained) or simple syrup.
- This gives a beautiful, shiny finish and keeps the buns soft.
- Let cool slightly before serving.
Notes
Don't add too much flour: A slightly tacky dough is normal; excess flour makes dense, dry buns.
Warm proof spot: An oven with just the light on, or a "bread‑proof" setting, works perfectly for both rises.
Flavor variations:
Replace ½ tsp vanilla extract with almond or orange extract in the glaze.
Substitute dried cranberries, chopped apricots, or chocolate chips for raisins.
Add rum‑soaked fruit for a deeper, richer flavor.
No dried fruit option: Simply omit the fruit; the spiced dough is delicious on its own.
Gluten‑Free Version
Use a quality 1:1 gluten‑free all‑purpose flour blend with xanthan gum; texture will be slightly different but still soft. Use gluten‑free flour paste for the cross. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 20–25 minutes
Use a quality 1:1 gluten‑free all‑purpose flour blend with xanthan gum; texture will be slightly different but still soft. Use gluten‑free flour paste for the cross. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 20–25 minutes
Nutrition
Serving: 1bun | Calories: 240kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 180mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 14g
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