4ozwhole milk or half and half113 grams or 1/2 cup, brought to a simmer on the stove
4ozcold water113 grams or 1/2 cup
2teaspoonsdry yeast6 grams, instant or active dry
2teaspoonsof maple syrup(don't measure. Just a wee splash) OMIT if using instant yeast, because there's no need to proof.
For the Dough
5.6ozdried cranberries160 grams or 1 cup
12ozwater or juice340 grams or 1 1/2 cups, for hydrating the cranberries. I used white grape juice.
2.75oz real maple syrup (Grade B if you can find it)78 grams or 1/4 cup
1.75ozgranulated sugar50 grams or 1/4 cup, you may reduce the amount by half for a slightly less-sweet bread
1whole egg
1teaspoonvanilla
zest of 1 orange
½teaspoonfreshly grated nutmeg
2teaspoonskosher salt12 grams by weight. Volume will vary based on type of salt used, so it's always better to weigh it
18.5ozbread flour524 grams or about 4 1/2 cups
4ozcream cheese113 grams or half a block, softened and cut into small pieces
For Eggwash and finishing
1whole egg
Demerara or Turbinado Sugarfor sprinkling
For the Glaze
1/2-1ozbutter1-2 Tablespoons or 15-30 grams, melted
1 ½Tablespoonsorange juiceabout 42 grams or 3 tablespoons
pinchfine sea salt
enough powdered sugar to make a fairly stiff glaze that holds its shapeSee Notes
Instructions
Place the cranberries and water or juice in a small saucepan and bring just to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Drain the berries, and spread them on several layers of paper towel. Blot them as dry as you can, and leave them to cool to room temperature while you make the dough.
In your mixer bowl, mix together the hot milk and cold water. Mixture should be warm but not hot.
Stir in the yeast and the two teaspoons of maple syrup.
Let sit until small bubbles form on top, about ten to fifteen minutes. NOTE: If using instant yeast, you can skip the proofing step and add the dry yeast right along with the rest of the ingredients.
Add the rest of the dough ingredients except for the dried fruit and cream cheese. Start with the smaller amount of bread flour, and only add a little at a time if the dough needs it. (See Step 7)
Attach the dough hook and mix on low speed until the dough comes together.
Increase speed to medium and knead for 10 minutes. The dough should be slightly tacky, soft, smooth, and extensible. Little if any will stick in the bottom of your mixer bowl.
Once the dough is lovely, with the mixer on low speed, add the softened cream cheese, just a bit at a time, until it is well incorporated. This should take about 5-7 minutes. The finished dough will be somewhat sticky but also shiny and smooth.
Form the dough into a nice ball in the bottom of the mixer bowl, spray thoroughly with pan spray, and let rise in a warm place for about an hour. Dough will just about double in size.
Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 400F.
Press any gases out of the dough, turn out onto a clean surface, and press into a rectangle about 12" long and maybe 8" wide. Sprinkle half the cranberries evenly over the dough, and dimple them in with your fingertips as if you're making dimples in focaccia. Do this until most of the berries are pushed into and sticking to the dough.
Fold the berry-topped dough into thirds, like a letter. then press it out into another rectangle. Sprinkle on the remaining cranberries, dimple them in, fold in thirds one way, press out a bit, and fold in thirds the opposite way so all the berries are encased in the dough.
Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. The most precise way to do this is to weigh the dough and divide by 12. My pieces were about 3.6-3.7 oz each.
Find the smoothest section of each piece of dough and make that the top of your bun. You don't want a whole bunch of berries sticking out. Press each piece out into a disc and then pull the ends underneath, using your fingers to push any berries not cooperating into the underside of the ball you're making. Round each ball on a clean, dry counter to introduce some tension across the dough.
Space evenly on a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper, in a 3 x 4 pattern. Spray the buns lightly with pan spray, cover, and let rise in a cozy place until nice and puffy, about 45 minutes to an hour.
Once the buns are well-risen, slice an X in the top of each bun with a sharp knife.
Brush the buns thoroughly with egg wash and sprinkle on about 1 teaspoon of demerara or other coarse sugar.
Bake the buns for 12 minutes.
Turn the oven temperature down to 350F, rotate the pan 180 degrees, and continue baking until the buns are a deep golden brown and they reach an internal temperature of 195F, about another 10 minutes. NOTE: The center rolls may take a bit longer to bake, so take the temp in the side of a few different buns.
Remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool.
After about ten minutes, pipe a cross onto each bun. Use any decorating tip you like. You can also use a spoon to make the cross, allowing the thick glaze to run off the spoon slowly as you "draw" a cross with the icing.
Cool completely and then rewarm to serve. These are best eaten the same day, but do try to eat them all within three days. You can also freeze them and then reheat for a treat whenever you want.
For the Glaze
Whisk together all ingredients until you have a smooth, shiny glaze that is thick enough to pipe. I never measure for glaze, honestly. Just go for it.
Notes
To Make Smaller Buns
If you want smaller buns, you can weigh the dough then divide by whatever number you want to get the weight you need. If you want slightly smaller buns that I made, divide by 15. If you want buns about half the size of the ones I made, divide by 24.
Glaze Consistency
If piping the glaze, you will want a fairly stiff glaze. If using a spoon, you'll want the glaze to slowly run off the spoon, so adjust the consistency by adding orange juice, a tiny bit at a time, until it's the consistency you need.