Bouchon Bakery's mini hot cross buns

To tell you the truth I haven't had hot cross buns before I baked these . I've seen this kind of bread sold in some bakeries here during Easter but I don't have the urge to try it as it looks like a raisin roll or the cranberry loaf that I usually buy well , except for the cross icing on top .

Hot cross buns are traditionally eaten during Good Friday in some parts of the world . It is a spiced sweet buns made with currants or raisins and marked with a cross on top , which is made of icing .  

Unlike some hot cross buns recipes , this one doesn't have any spice in the dough only in the icing . I used blueberry-flavored cranberries ( yup , there is such a thing ! ) and some dried wild blueberries instead of currants and raisins . I only used cinnamon as I can't find ground cardamom . Nothing special about these buns except for the wonderful contrast between the buttery texture of the bun and the slight tanginess of dried fruits . The icing that I made was a bit runny that the cross looks more like an airplane lol

The procedure in making the dough below is by using a stand mixer but I made the brioche dough by hand . If you want to try making it manually , check this brioche post . It's not that hard to knead this brioche dough by hand , all you need is a room with an aircon and think that your arms seriously need a good workout , hey , it's almost summer here hee hee !

Recipe adapted from Bouchon Bakery , pages 313 and 193

Makes 12 buns or 24 ( 2-inch ) minis

For the brioche dough :

372 grams all-purpose flour
8 grams instant yeast
44 grams granulated sugar
9 grams fine sea salt
186 grams eggs
63 grams whole milk
167 grams unsalted butter , cut into 1/2-inch cubes , at room temperature

* Place the flour and yeast in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with dough hook and mix for few seconds to distribute the yeast evenly . Add all ingredients , except the butter , and mix on low speed for 4 minutes . Continue to mix on low speed for another 30 minutes , at this point there will be some dough sticking at the sides of the bowl . Add butter , few pieces at a time , incorporating each addition before adding the next . Stopping to scrape down the bowl and hook as needed . Continue to mix for 10 minutes .

For the buns :

122 grams / 3/4 cup dried currants
61 grams / 1/2 cup dried cranberries
3 grams 1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste
Brioche dough , recipe above

Egg wash : Beat 1 egg and strain through a fine-mesh strainer

Icing :

258 grams icing sugar
1 gram / 3/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 gram / 3/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
40 grams whole milk

* Combine the dried fruits in a medium bowl and pour 2 cups of boiling water , let sit for 5 minutes to plump the fruits . Drain and pat dry with paper towels , transfer to a clean bowl and  toss with vanilla paste , set aside .

* Lightly-oil / butter a large mixing bowl , set aside .

* Tip in brioche dough into a lightly-floured work surface , gently pat the dough into a rectangular shape . Pour the dried fruits mixture on top of the dough and knead together to distribute it evenly . Pat dough into rectangle again .

* Stretch the left side of the dough out and fold it over two-thirds of the dough , then stretch and fold it from the right side to the opposite side , as if you're folding a letter . Repeat the process , this time from bottom and then from top . Turn dough over and use a plastic scraper to transfer the dough , seam side down into the prepared bowl , cover with plastic wrap or a clean dish towel . Let dough sit for 45 minutes at room temperature .

* Repeat the stretching and folding process above , then return the dough to the bowl , seam side down , cover , and let sit for another 45 minutes .

* Lightly butter a quarter-sheet pan ( 13 x 9 x 1-inch ) I used a standard 13 x 9 pan . Line the bottom with parchment paper then butter the paper .

* Tip in dough into a lightly floured work surface , cut the dough into 12 equal portions at 78 grams each . My final dough is 1012 grams and each mini weighs 42 grams each ( 4 pieces are 43 grams each ) . Roll each portions into a ball until it is smooth , set balls onto the prepared pan . Brush the tops with egg wash , cover the pan and let proof for 1 to 1 1/2 hours , or until doubled in size .

* Preheat over to  325°C ( convection ) or 350°C ( standard ) . Brush tops of the buns with egg wash again .

* Bake for 17-22 minutes ( convection ) and 25 to 30 minutes ( standard ) , until tops are rich golden brown . Transfer pan on a wire rack and let cool completely .

For the icing :

* Sift sugar and the spices into the bowl , mix on low speed to distribute the spices evenly . Slowly add the milk , scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl , and beat until mixture is smooth , about 1 minute .

* Transfer icing into a piping bag , snip the tip and pipe a continuous strip of icing to create a cross of frosting in each buns . Cut into individual buns and serve .