Figure 1 Image Source: Lemon Currant Hot Cross Buns

Lemon Currant Hot Cross Buns are an easy to bake variation on the more traditional hot cross bun style. They certainly do provide a new and I must say welcome change to the standard mass produced hot cross buns themes that we are currently being bombarded with.

Yet; they do not depart from the more traditional hot cross bun theme and style to the extent that they become something other than that which is immediately recognized as hot cross buns.

Dough Ingredients

• 4½ Cups of All-Purpose Flour
• 2 Cups of Milk
• 1¼ Cups of Dried Currants
• ½ Cup of Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon of Dry Instant Yeast
• 1½ Teaspoons of Finely Grated Lemon Zest
• 1 Teaspoon each of Vanilla Extract and Freshly Ground Sea Salt
• ½ Teaspoon of Ground Nutmeg
• ¼ Teaspoon of Cinnamon Powder

Glaze Ingredients

• ½ Cup of Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons of Lemon Juice
• 1 Tablespoon of Pure Water

Icing Ingredients

• ¾ Cup of Confectioners’ Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon of Lemon Juice

Dough Method

1. Allow the milk to warm to room temperature. This is very important as the yeast will not activate properly if the milk is too cold. Room temperature (23 to 25 degrees C is ideal for the yeast to activate).
2. Using a large mixing bowl add in the room temperature milk, ½ cup of sugar, the yeast, the lemon zest and the vanilla extract and stir thoroughly. Let it sit for at least 5 minutes.
3. Now add in the all-purpose flour, the salt, the nutmeg, the cinnamon and the currents and blend thoroughly. Use your mixer’s dough hook attachment and knead until the dough becomes elastic but still retains some stickiness (elastic yet inclined to stick to the bottom of the mixing bowl). If doing this by hand then stir the ingredients until they become stiff and then turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and then knead the dough until it becomes elastic yet retains a little clingy stickiness (same as for machine mixing).
4. Select a bowl large enough to accommodate the dough with ample room for rising and lightly grease it. I prefer to use a little linseed oil for this. Transfer the dough into this bowl cover the top with plastic cling wrap and a towel and place in a warm draft-free location to prove for around 1½ hours.
5. Just before taking the dough out after proving grease a 9” by 13” cake pan
6. With the dough having proved turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface and cut into 12 roughly equal portions. Now roll each of the dough portions in turn to form nicely spherical balls. Once formed, place each dough ball into the greased cake pan. Arrange the dough balls in the pan so that they are roughly equidistant apart.
7. Once all the dough has been formed into balls and placed in the greased cake pan loosely cover the cake pan with the plastic cling wrap you used earlier and leave it in the same warm draft-free location for 45 minutes to rise
8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Once the dough has risen for 45 minutes remove the plastic cling wrap and transfer it to your preheated oven. Bake the buns until they become a rich golden brown color (around 40 to 45 minutes).

Hot Glaze Method

While the buns are baking you can prepare the hot glaze as follows:

1. Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of pure water to a small pot and give a quick stir. Place the small saucepan over a medium heat and begin to gradually stir in ½ cup of sugar.
2. Continue stirring and heating until the sugar has completely dissolved. Once the sugar is dissolved adjust heat so that the glaze mixture keeps warm. You do not want it to boil or simmer as this will reduce the volume of liquid and cause the sugar to settle/crystallize out, which is something that you do not want to happen.
3. Once the buns are done take them out of the oven and place the buns still in their baking pan on a wire rack then apply the hot glaze in the following manner:

• Firstly take a steel or bamboo skewer and lightly grease it
• Then poke several holes into the top of each bun
• Now brush the tops of each of the buns; in turn, with the warm glaze mixture. Wait a few moments after your first glaze application to give the glaze time to soak into the buns.
• Now bush each of the hot cross buns; in turn, with a second coating of the warm glaze mixture. Once again pause in between glaze applications to give the glaze time to soak into the buns.
• Repeat this procedure until there is no glaze left over. Don’t forget to pause for a few moments in between glaze applications.

1. Leave the buns still in their baking pan on the wire rack to cool

Icing Method

1. Sift the confectioners’ sugar at least 2 times as we want it to be nice and fine (sometimes a triple sift may be necessary)
2. Select a small mixing bowl and add in the ¾ cup of sifted confectioners’ sugar (icing sugar) and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Beat the icing ingredients until they take on a thick consistency.
3. Transfer the icing mixture to a piping bag and pipe an icing cross on to the top of each bun
4. Leave the buns in their baking pan until ready to consume or freeze for long term storage

Serving

These lemon currant hot cross buns are best when served on the day they were baked. You will find that when served with butter, jam and/or honey over a glass of milk, hot chocolate, iced coffee, cup of tea or a cup of espresso your lemon currant hot cross buns become nigh on irresistible.

Any lemon currant hot cross buns not consumed within a day or so can be readily freshened up by nuking them for a few seconds or my personal favorite of cutting the buns in half and then toasting them in a toaster or your oven’s grill. Once your lemon currant hot cross buns have been freshened and/or toasted serve them as before.

Storage

If you wish to store them frozen until required then make sure that you freeze them prior to icing. When ready to use simply thaw the lemon currant hot cross buns and ice immediately prior to serving. Do enjoy!!!