Perfect Hot Cross Buns
Deliciously sweet and sticky, my easy Hot Cross Buns recipe is perfect for baking this Easter. Serve generously slathered with salted butter.
It’s not long now until Easter! Every day there is more green on my daily walk and the sun shines a little brighter and hotter. Among the patches of wild garlic, bright yellow daffodils are bobbing about and the supermarkets are piled high with as many tulips as Easter eggs.
It must be time for some deliciously sticky and Hot Cross Buns! My recipe for Hot Cross Buns is easy enough for even beginner bakers, so read on for all the details.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
▼
Ingredients
To make homemade Hot Cross Buns, you’ll need the following main ingredients:
- Flour: You can use plain, all-purpose or bread flour for making hot cross buns. Using bread flour will give the best texture in the final bake.
- Milk: Mixing the yeast into warm milk (not hot!) will give the yeast a head start in rising and help you to get an extra light and fluffy result.
- Dried Fruit: Raisins and sultanas are traditional, but I also like to add dried apricots and candied orange peel. You could add cranberries, dried cherries or chopped dried apples.
- Yeast: Instant, active dry, or fresh yeast are all suitable for this recipe.
- Spices: Loading these buns with spices gives them their warming, aromatic flavour. Cinnamon, allspice, mixed spice (that’s pumpkin spice to all of you in the U.S.), cloves or nutmeg are all traditional. Experiment and see what you like, but be bold and use plenty!
- Butter and Eggs: To bind and soften the dough.
Instructions
Bread making can seem like a challenge, but the only thing that it really requires is a little bit of patience waiting for the dough to rise. If your kitchen or house is particularly cold, you may need to wait a bit longer for the dough to double in size, but it is worth it for the softest, fluffiest hot cross buns.
- First, stir the yeast into luke-warm milk until dissolved. Then, in the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook fitted, mix the milk mixture with the flour, sugar, spices, salt, and egg. Knead for 3–5 minutes on medium speed.
- Add the soft butter in pieces and knead until smooth and elastic. This will take around 5 minutes more, then cover the dough and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled in size – around 1 hour.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, flatten it gently, sprinkle over the dried fruit, fold it in half, and knead just until the fruit is evenly distributed through the dough.
- Divide into 8 pieces (weigh them for best results!) shape into balls and place in a lined dish with the seam side facing down. Let rise again for 30 minutes in a warm place. Meanwhile, mix the flour paste for the crosses.
- When the dough has risen for a second time, heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F and pipe the crosses on the top of the buns. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes until deep golden brown.
- Brush with the sugar glaze while hot, and let them cool slightly before serving with salted butter.
The complete ingredient list and method are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Hot Cross Bun Variations
If you’re looking to put a twist on the traditional hot cross bun recipe, try experimenting with different fillings.
I like loading my hot cross bun dough with fruit like dried apricots, raisins, or sultanas. I also add candied orange peel, then serve them hot, smothered with salty butter. Delicious.
If you’re a chocolate lover, add chocolate chips to the dough to create a chocolate-filled hot cross bun. Add some cocoa powder to the dough for a more intense chocolate flavour.
While it might seem a bit wild, while I was visiting Australia I spotted savoury hot cross buns, filled with cheese and herbs (and Vegemite, but that’s another story!)
Are hot cross buns hard to make?
Not at all! This is an easy Hot Cross Bun recipe. These buns are relatively forgiving, and with all their lumps and bumps from the fruit and raisins, they don’t need to be perfect to be tasty.
They are also great for making with kids, so they are a great way of filling in time during the Easter holiday. Give them a try and see!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
I don’t have a kitchen machine to knead the dough! Can I still make hot cross buns?
Of course! As usual, the machine is just a way to make things easier, but if you are prepared to use a little muscle, you can make hot cross buns by hand. Rather than kneading with a machine, stir with a wooden spoon until a smooth dough forms.
Turn out onto a floured surface, dust the dough with a tablespoon of flour and knead by hand for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Add extra flour as necessary, so the dough isn’t too sticky. Knead the fruit and sultanas through at the end.
I hate raisins!! Is there an alternative?
Yes! Replace with dried cranberries, chopped apple, or, to be super indulgent, chocolate buttons or chocolate chips. Feel free to experiment with spices, but it is worth being heavy-handed with the cinnamon and mixed spice; the aroma alone is worth it.
Can you freeze Hot Cross Buns?
Of course! Wait until the buns are completely cold, then wrap them individually and freeze them.
What can I do with leftover Hot Cross Buns?
They are great toasted the next day. After that, why not try Bread and Butter Pudding or French toast?
Why do we eat Hot Cross Buns at Easter?
While we eat them now at Easter, the origins of buns marked with crosses are much older. Dating back to Roman times, they were initially dedicated to the goddess Diana and later baked for Pagan celebrations of the goddess Eostre. However, it was only later that they were brought into the Christian culture.
Easy Hot Cross Buns
Deliciously sweet and sticky, my recipe for Easy Hot Cross Buns is perfect for baking this Easter. Serve generously slathered with salted butter.
Ingredients
- 200 ml full-fat milk
- 21 g fresh yeast, or 7g / 1 sachet active dry yeast
- 500 g bread flour
- 50 g white sugar
- zest of 1 lemon or orange
- 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp mixed spice, U.S.: Pumpkin Spice
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp sea salt, see notes
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 50 g unsalted butter, very soft
- 100 g raisins or sultanas
- 100 g dried apricot, diced
- 2 Tbsp candied orange peel, optional
FOR THE CROSSES:
- 50 g plain or all-purpose flour
- 4-5 Tbsp water
FOR THE GLAZE:
- 2 Tbsp white sugar
- 3 Tbsp hot water
Instructions
- MIX THE BASE DOUGH: Stir the yeast into the warm milk until dissolved. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the milk and yeast mixture with the flour, sugar, zest, spices, salt, and egg. Mix with a dough hook for 5 minutes on medium speed until until well combined.200 ml full-fat milk, 21 g fresh yeast, 500 g bread flour, 50 g white sugar, zest of 1 lemon or orange, 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp mixed spice, 1 tsp ground allspice, 1 tsp sea salt, 1 large egg
- ADD THE BUTTER: Add the soft butter in pieces, and continue kneading for another 5 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. (After 5 minutes, the dough should be moving freely around the bowl of the mixer and only lightly sticky. If it is still liquid or sticking to the sides of the bowl, add one tablespoon of flour and knead for another minute.)50 g unsalted butter
- BULK FERMENTATION: When the dough has finished kneading, shape it into a ball – it should feel soft, springy and elastic – don't worry if it's a little sticky; this is normal. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let the dough rise in a warm spot until doubled in size – around 1 hour.
- ADD THE FRUIT: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Flatten gently, sprinkle over the dried fruit and peel, fold the dough in half, and gently knead until the fruit is evenly distributed through the dough.100 g raisins or sultanas, 100 g dried apricot, 2 Tbsp candied orange peel
- HEAT THE OVEN: Heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F (160° Fan force) and line a rectangular dish with baking paper. Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface, and divide it into 8 equal portions (I find it is always easier to weigh the pieces to ensure the hot cross buns are uniform in size).
- SHAPE THE DOUGH: Roll each piece of dough into a tight ball and place it into the prepared baking dish – barely touching each other. Cover the dish with a clean cloth and allow it to rise for half an hour while you prepare the paste for the crosses.
- BAKE: To make the crosses, stir together the flour and water in a small bowl to make a thick paste. Spoon the paste into a piping bag or disposable freezer bag (you'll need to snip off the corner of the bag) and carefully pipe crosses onto the buns. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes until the tops are deep golden brown and the buns are well-risen.50 g plain or all-purpose flour, 4-5 Tbsp water
- GLAZE: While the buns are baking, stir together the ingredients for the glaze. As soon as you take the buns out of the oven, use a pastry brush to generously brush the glaze over the top of the buns while they are still piping hot.2 Tbsp white sugar, 3 Tbsp hot water
- COOL AND SERVE: Allow to cool a little, then enjoy warm, slathered with salted butter.
Notes
- If you don't have a kitchen machine, stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until a smooth dough forms. Turn out onto a floured surface, dust the dough with a tablespoon of flour and knead by hand for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Add extra flour as necessary, so the dough isn't too sticky. Knead the fruit and sultanas through at the end..
- Adding salt to the dough counteracts the sweetness of the fruit and gives flavour. If you are particularly sensitive to salt, consider reducing the amount to ½ tsp.
- Imperial and Cup measurements are approximate. I recommend using a digital scale like the one below for the best and most accurate results.
Recommended Equipment
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bun | Calories: 439kcal | Carbohydrates: 85g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 325mg | Potassium: 394mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 683IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?I’d love to hear how it went! Please leave a review or a star rating and let me know how it was! Use the hashtag #daysofjay on Instagram so I can see your delicious creations.
About the Author
Jay Wadams is a cookbook author, food photographer, and graduate of Le Cordon Bleu in Gastronomy and Nutrition.
Based in Italy 🇮🇹 Germany 🇩🇪 and Australia 🇦🇺.
Mixed spice is completely different from pumpkin spice, so don’t confused the two.
Hi Carol! Thanks for dropping by! While mixed spice and pumpkin spice do vary, in this recipe they are interchangeable as the dominant spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and allspice) are likely to be in both the UK or US versions. While the exact amounts might make a difference in something delicate like a cake, breads are much more robust and can tolerate a bit of variation. As always, I recommend that you add spices to suit your own palate and preferences. Happy cooking and all the best for the Easter holiday 🐣 J.