Lil bun absolutely adored the hot cross buns I made the other day but as much as I enjoyed making and eating them, I wanted to make something new so I came up with the brilliant idea of making hot cross bun inspired loaf! Wait what? Yup. Not hot cross buns, but hot cross bun loaf.
Lil’ bun absolutely loved how creatively ingenious the idea of hot cross loaf were and I only wish I came up with these sooner because they would of been a nice treat for lil’ bun to bring to school to share.
I never thought I’d say this but I think I like the loaf version of hot cross buns better than the original! Having them in slices made it more interesting to eat because some bites had more cinnamon while others remained more fruity. Lil’ bun liked the loaf because we were able to get more slices/servings out of it than we would if we made buns. This loaf was well liked by our entire family and it’s always nice to have a holiday treat after the holidays don’t you think?
Loaf
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons margarine
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 cups whole wheat flour (or all purpose)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup mix of raisins, dried currants, and candied orange peel
1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange zest
Filling
2 tablespoons coconut oil or margarine
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
How to:
1. Combine butter, milk and sugar in a saucepan on medium heat or in the microwave. When the butter is melted, remove the saucepan from heat. Pour the butter mixture into a bowl and let it cool down for 3 minutes before adding in the yeast. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes until it becomes foamy.
2. Mix the flour, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and salt together in a large bowl.
3. Stir in the yeast mixture, egg, dried fruit and orange zest.
4. Knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes until it comes off the sides and becomes smooth and elastic-y.
5. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until it has doubled in size. While the dough is rising, make the bread filling by combining brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
6. When the dough is done rising, pour it out on a floured surface. Roll out the dough 1 cm thick.
7. Melt the margarine/coconut oil from the filling and spread it on the dough. Then sprinkle the topping on it evenly.
8. Roll up the dough tightly making sure to pinch the end to seal it. Put the loaf in a 9 x 5″ loaf pan with the pinch seamed down and let it rise covered for an hour or two. Brush the loaf with egg wash before placing it in the oven. (We also put about 2 tablespoons of candied orange on the top)
9. Bake at 350 F for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.
I ADORE hot cross buns!