These Hot Cross Bunnies are a cute addition to Easter dinner and Easter baskets. My kids love these bunny-shaped buns and ask me to make them every year. Light and airy, these buns are delicious and help make the meal.
The recipe is easy and fun to make and doesn’t require much effort. My favorite tool to make these buns is a stand mixer. So, there’s no kneading by hand since the stand mixer does all the work for you. Start by making the bread dough and leaving it to proof until doubled in size. Once you have punched the air out, divide the dough up and shape. Let proof for 1 hour and brush with egg wash before baking until golden. Once the buns have cooled, pipe on the eyes and mouth. Simple! Make a batch of these cute bunny buns this year and share with your family and friends. Enjoy!
To make the Hot Cross Bunnies, you will need the following ingredients:
In a small bowl, add 120 grams warm water. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon active dry yeast onto the warm water and let proof.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together 250 grams bread flour, 30 grams sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt.
Measure out 1 ½ tablespoons of the whisked egg. Save the remaining egg for egg wash. Whisk 1 ½ tablespoons of the egg into the yeast mixture, then add to the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until combined.
Use a dough hook attachment to knead the dough until it pulls away cleanly from the sides, about 4-6 minutes.
Add 25 grams softened butter and continue to knead for about 10 minutes.
Transfer the dough to a clean bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave in a warm spot for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Pour the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Punch down lightly and divide into two portions, one slightly larger than the other. Divide the larger dough ball into 8 equal pieces for the faces. Divide the smaller ball into 16 equal pieces for the ears. Cover loosely with plastic wrap.
Working with one portion of dough at a time, roll out 8 pieces of dough and bring the edges towards the center, and then tuck into balls. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, spacing them enough, as they will rise and spread. Cover the faces with plastic wrap.
Shape the ears from the remaining 16 pieces. Roll each piece into slight oblong shapes and tuck underneath the faces.
Cover with plastic wrap and let proof for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
Brush the buns with egg wash and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Once baked, remove from the oven and let cool completely.
In a microwave safe bowl, melt some chocolate. Transfer the chocolate to a plastic bag and snip off a tiny corner. Pipe on the eyes and an X for a mouth.
Serve and enjoy!
These Hot Cross Bunnies are great bread rolls for your Easter basket. Soft and fluffy, they will make your dinner extra special. Make a batch of these cuties soon, and please come back to leave a comment below.
Amazing! I love it!
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