Name: Lazy-Day Bread Machine Hot Cross Buns
Prep time: 55 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Ingredients: 2 eggs; Water to reach 1 1/3 cups with the eggs; 1/2 cup butter, softened; 2 tablespoons sugar; 4 cups bread flour, spooned into a measuring cup; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast; 1 cup currants or raisins; 1/2 cup flour; 1/3 cup water; 2 tablespoons sugar; 1 tablespoon water

Description

Forget the arm workout, Lazy-Day Bread Machine Hot Cross Buns rise without a single knead. The result is soft dough with warming spice.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Buns:

2 eggs
Water to reach 1 1/3 cups with the eggs
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons sugar
4 cups bread flour, spooned into a measuring cup
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast
1 cup currants or raisins

Dough Crosses:

1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup water

Glaze:

2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon water

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Instructions

Crack 2 eggs into a 2-cup measuring cup.
Add water until the total measures 1 1/3 cups. Set aside.
Place the egg-water mixture in your bread machine pan, then add 1/2 cup softened butter, 2 tablespoons sugar, 4 cups bread flour, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, and 1 teaspoon salt.
Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast on top. Do not let it touch the liquid directly.
Set your bread machine to the Dough or Manual cycle.
About 10 minutes before the kneading ends, add 1 cup currants or raisins. (If your machine has a Raisin/Nut signal, use that; if not, just eyeball 10 minutes after starting.)
Once the dough cycle finishes, remove the dough and gently punch it down.
Grease a 9×13 pan.
Divide the dough into 3 pieces, then each piece into 5 smaller pieces.
Shape each piece into a ball and place it in the pan.
Cover lightly and let rise in a warm spot for about 40 minutes, until puffy.
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Mix 1/2 cup of flour with 1/3 cup of water for the dough crosses.
The consistency should be soft but not runny. Transfer to a pastry bag.
Pipe cross shapes across each row of buns.
Bake for 22–25 minutes until tops are golden brown. Remove and cool slightly in the pan.
For the glaze, stir 2 tablespoons of sugar with 1 tablespoon of water and brush it on warm buns.
Enjoy the slightly sticky, sweet top!

Notes

Created, prepared, tried, and tested by Christl Honiball