Hot Cross Buns
Ingredients :
1 c. milk
1 tbsp. milk
1 package dry active yeast
¾ c. sugar
1 tsp. sugar
2¼ c. all-purpose flour
2 c. bread flour
½ c. black raisins
2 tbsp. candied lemon peel
2 tbsp. candied orange peel
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
.13 tsp. ground cloves
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
.67 c. confectioners' sugar
¼ tsp. vanilla
Directions :
Make the dough:
1. Coat a large bowl with oil and set aside. Combine the 1 cup milk, yeast, and the 1 teaspoon sugar in a small bowl and let stand until bubbly. Combine the flours, remaining sugar, raisins, candied peels, salt, and spices in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook (or in a large mixing bowl) and mix on low speed. Add the butter, 2 eggs, and the yeast mixture and continue to mix until a sticky dough forms -- about 3 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead by hand until smooth -- about 5 minutes. (If dough has been combined by hand, increase kneading time to 10 minutes.) Form the dough into a ball, place it in the prepared bowl, and turn to coat all sides with oil. Cover with a clean, damp kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until it doubles in volume -- about 1 hour.
Shape the buns:
2. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and set aside. Punch the dough down, transfer to a lightly floured surface, and knead for 3 minutes. Divide the dough into 12 equal-sized pieces -- about 3 1/2 ounces each. Shape each piece into a ball and place the balls about 1 inch apart in three rows of four on the prepared pan. Cover and let rise until the buns double in volume and touch one another -- about 1 1/4 hours.
Bake the buns:
3. Preheat oven to 500°F. In a small bowl, combine the egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the mixture on the top of each bun. Place buns in the lower third of the oven and reduce oven temperature to 400°F. Bake until golden brown -- about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. In a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, remaining milk, and vanilla. Stir until smooth. When buns have cooled slightly, drizzle a horizontal line across each row of buns followed by a vertical line to form a cross on the crown of each bun.