Rising to the Occasion

As the sun rises earlier in the morning and green growth rises from the awakened earth, as Christians celebrate the rising of their Lord, so all over the Northwestern world, sweet breads rise to mark the grand occasion: lambropsomo, the Greek bread wreath studded with bright, red-dyed eggs; kulich , the towering Russian loaf that often comes topped with flowers; light, golden Italian panettone; the hot-cross buns without which no Anglo-Saxon Good Friday is complete.

That last phrase is no oxymoron. The pagan residents of Britain celebrated the return of Easter (or Eostre ), the goddess of light, with a sacrifice of special sweet cakes that are believed to be the ancestors of hot-cross buns. Even the crosses may well have their origins in charms to keep evil spirits away from the bread itself and, by extension, from the family that ate it.

Sweet and spice-fragrant, rich with butter and eggs, most Easter breads hold up pretty well, especially in the larger sizes. They are often baked in advance, eaten over several days slice by slice as the fancy dictates. But hot-cross buns dry out and stale quickly. They should be enjoyed straight from the oven, new as the spring morning they celebrate. This explains why they have traditionally been bakers’ bread; to get freshly baked yeast rolls at breakfast time, you have to mix the dough at about 3 a.m.

Or else have a large refrigerator. By starting the process in the evening and then chilling the partially risen rolls, home bakers can have a full night’s sleep and hot-cross buns as well.

The easy - mix part assumes machinery, either a processor or a heavy - duty mixer. The rich components are butter and eggs, not in obscene quantities but rather more than traditional buns contain. Traditional buns are studded with currants, sweet and sharp and very small. These have apricots and golden raisins for a somewhat fruitier effect. The almond crosses are delicious but they are not essential and may be omitted by those for whom the simple act of getting the bread in the oven is sacrifice enough.

EASY-MIX RICH HOT-CROSS BUNS

2 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast

1/4 cup tepid water

1/3 cup milk

3 cups bread flour

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

2 jumbo eggs

1/2 cup dried apricots, finely diced

1/2 cup golden raisins

Almond Topping, optional

Place yeast in small mixing bowl. Slowly add water, stirring and pressing until smooth paste, then creamy liquid. Stir in milk. Beat in 1 cup bread flour (dough should be soft). Cover with dampened tea towel or plastic wrap and set aside 10 to 15 minutes.

In heavy-duty mixer fitted with whisk, or strong-motored food processor fitted with metal blade, thoroughly combine remaining 2 cups flour with nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, salt and brown sugar. Cut butter into 6 or 8 pieces and whisk or process until mixture resembles meal.

If using mixer, switch to dough hook. Add yeast dough and stir at low speed or process until well mixed. (Occasionally stop processor briefly to prevent motor burnout.) Add eggs and beat or process until dough cleans bowl and forms ball around hook or blade. (Dough will be very soft but only slightly sticky.) If using processor, transfer dough to mixing bowl. Beat in apricots and raisins (dough will become smoother as fruits are mixed in), 15 or 20 strokes until satiny. Cover with damp towel or plastic wrap and set aside about 30 minutes.

Line large baking sheet with 2 layers parchment paper or lightly grease (if using greased baking sheet, place it on top of another baking sheet during baking for added insulation against overbrowned bun bottoms). Squeeze off 12 equal lumps of dough, roll into balls and place, spaced as far apart as possible, on prepared sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rise until slightly more than halfway to double in volume, about 40 to 60 minutes. Refrigerate overnight.

At baking time, remove rolls from refrigerator and use kitchen shears or thin-bladed knife to cut deep crosses into tops. If using topping, pry crosses apart slightly and insert almond strips.

Bake at 375 degrees about 25 minutes, or until well risen and dark golden. Makes 1 dozen large rolls.

Almond Topping

Heaping 1/2 cup almond paste

About 1 egg white, lightly beaten

Break up almond paste. Beat in egg white, 1 teaspoon at time, until paste is malleable but still firm, like clay. Place on piece of plastic wrap. Form into square block, about 1/2-inch thick. Wrap tightly and refrigerate until needed. Before using, cut into strips about 4x1/4x1/4 inches.

Note: Almond paste is made from ground almonds and sugar. Recipes can be found in all-purpose cookbooks. Prepared almond paste of decent quality can be found in supermarket--be sure you get almond paste and not marzipan; they’re usually sold side by side and packages are nearly identical.