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The smell of freshly baked bread on Easter Sunday. The feeling of a warm roll in your hand. And the best part: how delicious bread just out of the oven tastes. Not just an Easter treat, bread at the holiday meal symbolizes the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ for many who celebrate. Hot cross buns, for example, are marked with a cross, representing the crucifix.
To mark the day and wow your friends and family, here are five delicious bread recipes that bakers from the around the world bring to the table. To go straight to the recipes, click here: Easy Hot Cross Buns | Simple Easter Danish | Quick Croissant Pain Perdu | Cinnamon Date Pull-Apart Bread | Sugared Mouna Easter Brioche
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Easy Hot Cross Buns
Candied lemon and orange replace raisins in a twist on the original
The history of hot cross buns is a storied one said to trace its roots to ancient Egypt. The cross tradition migrated to Europe and carried on through the ages to today.
Chef Joshua Pickens of Ole & Steen, with locations in Europe and New York City, shares the artisanal Danish bakery’s recipe for a classic you can pull off without too much fuss.
DOUGH INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 5 tablespoons softened butter
- 3¾ cups bread flour
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- 4 teaspoons instant yeast
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon allspice
- ⅛ teaspoon ginger
- ¾ cup currants
- 1 cup candied lemon or orange
- Store-bought vanilla icing
EGG WASH INGREDIENTS
2 eggs
Splash of milk
Pinch of salt
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Add all the ingredients (except the currants and candied fruit) to the bowl in the order they’re listed.
2. Mix until everything is fully incorporated. If mixing by hand, mix until the dough is strong and smooth. If using a stand mixer, mix on medium speed for 5 minutes. 3. Add the currants and candied fruit, mix until evenly distributed.
4. Cover and let sit for 45 minutes.
5. Press the dough down and fold the edges on top of themselves to make a ball and release gas out of the dough. Place the smooth side up and cover again for another 45 minutes
6. Divide the dough into 18 even pieces. Round the pieces into a roll and place them in two 9-by-13 pans coated in vegetable oil spray.
7. Preheat oven to 425 F.
8. Brush with egg wash and proof, covered, until the rolls are touching and rise to close to double in size.
9. Bake for 18 minutes, turning at the 10-minute mark. After 18 minutes, check to make sure the buns are a golden brown color. You may need to bake for a few more minutes.
10. Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes before piping vanilla icing across each bun in a cross pattern.
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