"Enriched" Hot Cross Buns

Today is Good Friday, when traditionally people eat hot cross buns. I haven't made them in years, but this year I decided to make a batch.

I chose  my recipe from The Farm Journal's Homemade Breads Cookbook.

When I opened up the page, I noticed that in 1987 I commented that the recipe was "Excellent!" I decided to "enrich" my bread with extra protein, hoping that it would still be as good!









Hot Cross Buns

1. Mix together

• 2 packages of yeast
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) sugar
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) cinnamon
• 2 cups (450 ml) flour: To "enrich" the buns, I replaced some of the flour with 1/2 cup (150 ml) of soy flour, 1/4 cup (75 ml) of wheat germ, a few tablespoons (30 ml) of psyllium, and 1/2 cup (150 ml) of whole wheat flour. The rest of the flour needed was unbleached white all-purpose flour.

2. In a saucepan, heat 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) of milk and 6 tablespoons (100 ml) of butter - until very warm.

3. Put all the ingredients (the dry flour/yeast and the liquid milk/butter) in a mixer and let them mix for about 6 minutes, first slowly - then sped it up a bit.

4. Gradually add 3 eggs and about 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) of flour - and beat several minutes more.

5. Add 1 1/4 cup (325 ml) of currants and enough flour to make a soft dough.

6. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.

7. Place in large greased bowl. Turn dough over so that the top is greased. Cover and let sit in a warm place until the dough doubles in size, about an hour. I usually put it in the oven with the oven light on, to add a little warmth.

8. Punch dough down. Let is sit for 10 minutes. Then cut it into 24 pieces, shaping each into a ball. Place these on greased cookie sheets and let them rise until doubled.

9. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius) for 15-25 minutes. Mine were done in 15 minutes.

10. Remove from pans immediately and cool before eating.

Delicious! Making these again made me wonder why I bother buying them. They are so easy to make, especially using a mixer with a dough hook - and they taste so much better than store-bought ones!