Apricot & Poppyseed Hot-Cross Buns

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Hi!

How is everyone? I hope everyone's well, staying home and finding fun baking projects to pass the time during these uncertain times because I know I am! I've recently partnered with Eagle Brand®  to bring you these incredible Apricot and Poppyseed Hot-Cross Bun! I incorporated Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk into the sweet bun dough, as well as the spiced icing. 

This sweet bun recipe is an adaptation from a recipe I found scribbled on that back of a recipe in my Nana's recipe box, which already used sweetened condensed milk, so I know this was a perfect recipe to develop with  Eagle Brand®! It took a few tries but I am so happy with the outcome of this dough. What I love about using Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk in the dough is that it adds both the tendered of milk and the sweetness of sugar from one ingredient that is shelf-stable and one on my pantry must-haves. 

This tender, buttery sweet dough complements the apricot and poppyseeds so well. Like hot-cross buns, the fruit and icing is the star of the show, but I really wanted the sweet buns to stand on there own with using the Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk, and I do feel I accomplished this while adding my own twist for this seasonal classic. I hope you enjoy these as much as I am right now. I may or may have eaten two while writing today. If you'd like to learn more about the history and origins of hot-cross buns, click here!

If you do bake these apricot and poppyseed hot-cross buns, and I hope you do, I'd love to share in the moment with you. Tag me on instagram @foxandcrane and use my hashtag #foxandcrane so I may see your baking adventures! 

xo -Jase

…Good to Knows…

• Proofing: I love the overnight, cool proofing for this recipe. I feel the time in the refrigerator allows for better flavor development. However, this recipe can be done all in one day if you are pressed for time. Allow the dough to fully double in the first rise, then proceed to de-gassing and shaping. For the second rise, after shaping, you may need to cut the proofing time by half. Then continue with the baking instructions below.

• This dough was based off a recipe I discovered from my Nana’s collection of recipes which used sweetened condensed milk! Treat this dough in the same manor as you would a brioche.

• Fruit: I don’t hand knead the fruit and nuts into my dough as most do. I am sorta lazy HA! and use my mixer for that step as well. If you are more comfortable folding in the final bits by hand, by all means please do so, or if your mixer is getting too hot and may need to rest and you don’t want to place anymore strain on the motor. For this, simply place dough onto a slightly floured work surface, flatting it out and pour the fruit and nuts onto it. fold in the corners and begin to kneed. This is a soft dough, but it will again come together with kneading, approx 3-5 mins. 

• If you do bake these, I’d love to share in the moment with you. Tag me on instagram @foxandcrane and use my hashtag #foxandcrane so I may see your baking adventures. 

• Paid Partnership: I’d like to give a huge thank you to Eagle Brand® for sponsoring this post! All my thoughts/opinions in this post are my own.

…Provisions…

Surface: My Home
Dish-ware and little Bowls: East Fork Pottery
Sheet Pan: USA Pan
Butter Warmer: Vintage Dansk
Linen: Fog Linen

For a full list of recipes, check out the Recipe Index

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Apricot & Poppyseed Hot-Cross Buns

…makes 12 buns…

Apricot Poppy Hot-Cross Bun Dough
520g bread flour
15g kosher salt
6g ground all-spice
220ml Eagle Brand® sweetened condensed milk
180ml whole milk
15g granulated white sugar
14g active yeast (2 packets) 
2 large brown eggs
85g (6 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
150g dried apricots, finely chopped
18g poppy seeds

Egg Wash
1 large brown egg
15ml Eagle Brand® sweetened condensed milk

Spiced Icing
130ml Eagle Brand® sweetened condensed milk
6g ground all-spice
71g (5 tbsp) unsalted butter, chilled
pinch of kosher salt

…METHOD…

Apricot Poppyseed Hot-Cross Bun Dough
As always, weigh out, gather, and prepare all ingredients prior to mixing. In a small pan, pour in whole milk and place on low heat until milk just starts to bubble. Be careful not to scald or burn the milk. Remove pan from heat.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, pour in Eagle Brand® sweetened condensed milk, white sugar, and the warmed whole milk. Stir together until sugar has dissolved. You are aiming for the milk mixture to be 110-115 degrees F. At this point, sprinkle active yeast over milk mixture, lightly stir and set aside for 10 minutes until it has blossomed.

Sift the flour, spice, and salt into the mixing bowl, set aside. In a separate small bowl, add boiling water to the apricots, set aside.

After 10 minutes, the yeast should have bubbled up and doubled in size. Place the bowl on the mixer, fitted with the dough hook, add your whisked eggs and sifted dry ingredients. On low speed, mix dough for 2-3 minutes until all flour has been incorporated, turn mixer up to medium speed and mix for another 10 minutes.

At the 10 minute mark, you will know the dough is ready by noticing that the dough has become a smooth ball around the dough hook and has removed from the sides of the bowl. Another test is to do the windowpane test. To learn more about that technique, click here.

Now at low speed, begin to add the butter, a few tablespoons at a time, ensuring that the butter has been incorporated before adding more. This should take about 3-5 minutes. Once the butter has been fully incorporated, turn mixer up to medium speed and mix for another 10-15 minutes. Note: the dough will look separated and very sticky after the butter, this is expected. As the dough continues to mix, it will come back together.

Once the dough has become smooth and silky to the touch, perform another window pain test to ensure the gluten has fully developed. Now is the time to add the apricots and poppy seeds. Using a medium sieve, strain the apricots, pressing them firmly to ensure all the water has been dispelled and add them to the mixing bowl along with the poppy seeds. Turn mixer to medium-low speed and mix until everything is evening disputed, and the dough has come back to a smooth and silky texture. 

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface, and hand knead for a few turns and form into a ball. Now spray your mixing bowl with non-stick cooking spray or lightly oil the bowl with cooking oil. Place dough back into the mixing bowl, cover with cling wrap, and proof in a very warm place for 1-2 hours. After it has proofed for an hour or so, place the dough into the refrigerator to finish proofing overnight. I like the slow, overnight cool proofing to allow all the flavors to truly have time too mingle with each other before shaping into buns and baking.

…ASSEMBLY and SERVE…

Line a baking dish or baking tray with parchment paper. Remove dough from refrigerator and turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. De-gas the dough by punching it several times, and shape it into a rectangle. Now weigh the dough on a digital scale, dividing the weight of the dough by 12, and that will give you the size of each bun. This recipe should bake you 12 (100g) buns; however, you may opt to have larger or smaller buns, so use this method to find the bun quantity and size of your choice.

Now cut the dough with a bench scraper or knife into 12 (100g) portions. Shape each portion by rolling it tightly into a ball and arrange them evenly, 3 across/4 down, in your prepared baking dish or on your baking tray. Be sure to leave some space between them, but not too much as hot-cross buns should “kiss” while baking.

Lightly cover the buns with cling wrap and place them in a very warm spot of your home for about 1.5 - 2 hours or until the dough looks bouncy and springs back when lightly pressed.

At this time, preheat oven to 350°f / 180°c, with the oven rack in the center position.

Remove cling wrap, brush buns with egg wash mixture and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the buns are a rich golden brown and they read approx 200°f / 90°c on a digital thermometer. Then brush buns with apricot jam and allow to cool before icing crosses on them. If the buns are still warm, the icing will not hold and melt, leaving you with glazed (but still delicious) buns but not the appearance of “hot-cross” buns. 

Spiced Icing
In a large bowl, add Eagle Brand® sweetened condensed milk, spice, butter, and salt. Using a handheld mixer, whip everything until combined and you have a thick, lump-free consistency. Transfer icing to a piping bag fitted with a small round ateco #805 tip. Ice the tops of cooled buns with a cross. Allow 10 mins for icing set before enjoying them!

These Apricot Poppy Seed Hot-Cross buns made with Eagle Brand® sweetened condensed milk are best served day of but may be stored in an airtight container for 1-2 additional days.

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