Hot Cross Buns "It's Tradition"

Hot Cross Buns is a family tradition at Easter. I'll post some pictures of the ones I make this weekend!

2 cups Whole Milk
½ cups Canola Oil
½ cups Sugar
1 package (2 1/4 Teaspoons) Active Dry Yeast
4 cups All-purpose Flour
½ cups (additional) Flour
½ teaspoons (heaping) Baking Powder
½ teaspoons (scant) Baking Soda
2 teaspoons Salt
¼ cups Sugar
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
Spices: Cardamom, Nutmeg, Allspice (optional)
½ cups Raisins

In a saucepan, combine 2 cups milk, canola oil, and 1/2 cup sugar. Stir and heat until very warmbut not boiling. Turn off the heat and allow to cool until mixture is still warm, but not hot–about 30 minutes.

Sprinkle yeast over mixture. Add 4 cups of flour and stir to combine. Mixture will be very sticky. Cover with a towel and set aside for 1 hour.

Add 1/2 cup flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir till combined.

Combine 1/4 cup sugar with cinnamon and whatever other spices you want to use.

Lightly flour surface. Press to slightly flatten dough. Sprinkle a couple tablespoons of the sugar/cinnamon mixture. Sprinkle on about a third of the raisins. Then fold the dough over on itself and flatten again so the dough is “plain” again. Repeat the sugar/raisin process, then fold the dough again. Repeat a third time until all the raisins are used. (You won’t use all the sugar/cinnamon mixture.)

Pinch off golf ball-size bunches of dough. With floured hands, quickly roll it into a ball, then turn the edges under themselves slightly. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place for at least 30 minutes…an hour-plus is better.

After the rolls have risen, you can use a very sharp knife, or scissors to cut a cross in the surface of each roll.

PREHEAT OVEN TO 400 degrees

When the rolls have risen, mix 1 egg white with a splash of milk and whisk it together with a fork. Lightly brush the mixture all over the surface of the dough.

Now just pop the rolls into a preheated 400 degree oven, on a rack just about the midpoint in the oven. The rolls will get more brown this way.

The oven I have bakes a little hot, so mine are definitely darker than I would like. ;)

Transfer to a wire rack. Allowing the rolls to cool completely on a cooling rack while you make the icing will result in a less messy approach; however, I enjoy my glaze a little melted. Glaze or Frost.