Hot Crossed Buns With Chopped Dates & Orange

Hot Crossed Buns With Chopped Dates & Orange
Recipe + Photos by | Lizzie West

Ingredients:

FOR THE BUNS:

• 2 c.  whole milk
• 1/2 c. canola oil
• 1/2 c.  sugar
• 1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
• 4 & 1/2 c.  all-purpose flour, divided
• 1/2 heaping tsp.  baking powder
• 1/2 scant tsp. baking soda
• 2 scant tsp. salt
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• heavy pinch each of Cardamom, nutmeg, allspice (optional but recommended)
• 1/2 c. chopped dates, or more at your comfort level
• Cooking spray
• 1 egg white
• Splash of milk

FOR THE ICING:

• Powdered sugar
• 1 orange – zested and 1/2 juiced (about 1-2 tbsp. of juice)
• 1/8 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

• 1. For the buns: Combine 2 cups milk, canola oil, a pinch of orange zest, and 1/2 cup sugar in a sauce pan. Heat while constantly stirring until scalded but not boiling. Turn off the heat and transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl to cool until the mixture is still warm, but not hot – 20-30 minutes. I put mine into my stand mixer’s bowl to save on time and clean-up.
  2. Sprinkle the yeast over the warm milk mixture and allow to sit for 2-3 minutes. Add 4 cups of flour and combine. The mixture will be very sticky. Cover with a towel and set aside for 1 hour.
  3. combine the other 1/2 cup flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to the sticky mixture and gently combine. This is the perfect time to store in a secure container overnight, OR simply move on to the next step to finish making the buns.
  4. Combine 1/4 cup sugar with the cinnamon and optional pinches of spices you want to use.
  5. Lightly floured a working surface, stretch and flatten the dough to about 3/4 inch thick. Sprinkle with a couple of tablespoons of the sugar/cinnamon mixture, a pinch of orange zest, and about a third of the chopped dates.
  6. Fold the dough over on itself and re-flatten so the mix-ins can’t be easily seen. Repeat the sugar/zest/dates process, then fold and press the d
  7. ough again. Repeat until all the dates are used. (You won’t use all the sugar mixture or zest.) Fold the dough one more time to “hide” the mix-ins. Some may poke through, this is okay.
  8. Cut the dough with a large knife into 12-18 similar sizes pieces. We made larger buns, but you can make smaller ones.
  9. Flour your hands, and roll the dough pieces into balls, then pull the edges under themselves to create a smooth top. Place on a cookie sheet coated with cooking spray, evenly spaced out. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place for at least 30 minutes to an hour. The longer they rise, the fluffier they will be.
  10. Preheat the oven to 400˚. Mix 1 egg white with a splash of milk. Brush onto each bun. Bake for 20 minutes or until tops have turned deep golden brown. It could be sooner; you’ll know when you gently press on the tops and they spring back. Ours only took 12-15 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely. Then take the other un-juiced half of the orange and rub in onto the tops of the buns for a light glaze of juice.
  11. Prepare the icing: Mix 1 tbsp. orange juice and 1/8 tsp. vanilla extract with enough powdered sugar for the icing to be very thick. It should NOT be runny at all. Add a splash of juice, as needed, for consistency. When the buns are completely cooled, add the icing to a small plastic or piping bag and snip the corner. Make a thick cross on top of each bun with the icing.

Pro Tips:

• Start the dough (Steps 1&2) before heading out for dinner. Then the hour wait will go by quickly.
• Swap out the dates for basically any dried fruit (NOT freeze dried)
• You can also glaze the tops of the buns after baking, instead of rubbing them with the remaining half of the orange, with a combination of fruit jam and a splash of water slightly warmed and brushed on the top. Apricot jam is lovely. Allow the glaze to dry before adding the icing cross.