easter buns

Delicious spiced hot cross buns packed full of fruity goodness - the best thing about Easter!

Hot Cross Buns

milk

water

brown sugar

Tablespoon active dried yeast

flour

salt

cinnamon

Tablespoon mixed spice

nutmeg

raisins

mixed peel

butter (melted)

vanilla extract

sugar

Tablespoon sugar

Add the milk, water and brown sugar to a microwave proof jug or small pot and heat until warm to the touch (about 45°C/110°F) Whisk well to dissolve the sugar. Pour into a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, sprinkle the yeast on top, stir in and leave to sit for 5 minutes.

While you are waiting, combine 2 1/2 cups of flour, salt, cinnamon, mixed spice, nutmeg, raisins/currants and mixed peel in a large bowl and whisk together.

In another small jug melt the butter, add the egg and vanilla and whisk together until all ingredients are incorporated.

Once the yeast has started to bubble, add the flour mixture and butter mixture to the yeast mixture and using the dough hook attachment on your stand mixer, knead for 7-8 minutes until the dough springs back when you press it. If kneading by hand, combine the dough with a wooden spoon and then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes. Add a little more flour if the dough is really sticky.

Cover the dough in gladwrap or a clean tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place for 60-90 minutes or until doubled in size.&nbsp;

Once the dough has risen, punch it down gently and turn out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface.&nbsp;Split the dough into 10 evenly sized pieces roll into balls and place on a baking tray lined with a silicone liner or baking paper, so that they are almost touching. Cover with gladwrap that has been lightly sprayed with cooking oil and  leave to rise in a warm place for 40 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350°F.

While the buns are rising, make the mixture for the crosses. In a small bowl whisk together milk, flour and sugar until smooth. Once the buns have risen, pipe the crosses on the buns, by putting the cross mixture into a piping bag or ziplock bag with the corner snipped off. If you don't have a piping bag or ziplock bag, you can carefully drizzle it with a spoon.

Bake the buns for 20-25 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. While the buns are baking, prepare the glaze by mixing the sugar and water in a small bowl and microwaving until the sugar has dissolved.

Remove from the oven and brush the buns with the sugar glaze and allow them to cool slightly.

To serve, slice the buns in half, spread with butter and enjoy!

Buns will keep in an airtight container for 3 days or can also be frozen. They are definitely best served the day of baking but you can zap them in the microwave or toast them on day 2 or 3 and they're almost as good!

Light and fluffy homemade Hot Cross Buns made from scratch.

Hot Cross Bun recipe

120 ml (1/2 cup) warm water

yeast

(3 and 1/2 cups) plain flour

ginger

(1 cup) dried fruit (see notes)

oranges,

80 ml (1/3 cup) storebought orange or apple juice

120 ml (1/2 cup) full fat or whole milk

(1/4 cup) unsalted butter

(1/3 cup) caster sugar or granulated sugar

eggs

(1/3 cup) plain flour flour

60 ml (1/4 cup) water

(1/4 cup) caster sugar or granulated sugar

To start

Line a 9 by 13 inch baking pan or oven tray with baking or parchment paper and set aside.

Add warm water to a small bowl and sprinkle yeast over the top and leave for a few minutes to react.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. 

Soak fruit

In a heatproof bowl, add dried fruit, orange zest, juice and stir. Heat in the microwave for 1 minute and then stir. Cover the bowl of fruit with a large plate and let it sit for at least 15 minutes. Fruit will soak up the juice and become plump. 

Discard any juice in the bottom of the bowl. Place dried fruit on a paper towel and pat dry. Leave to cool.

Melt milk and butter

Add milk and butter to a small saucepan and place on a low heat, stirring, while the milk warms and the butter melts.

Once the butter is melted, remove the milk mixture from the heat. If it is hot to the touch, leave to cool for a minute or two. You want the milk to be warm but not hot. Also, check your yeast has reacted and started to bubble a little on the edges.

Make doughIn the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add sugar, salt and eggs. Add milk and butter mixture and flour and spices. Add dried fruit. Start to beat on medium speed.

Add yeast mixture, water and all, and continue to mix until a nice soft dough forms. Once the dough comes together, remove it from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured bench.

Lightly flour your hands and knead the dough by hand for a few minutes or until it is soft and smooth. Add a little extra flour to the bench and/or your hands if it gets a little too sticky to work with &#8211; but add it sparingly as we want the dough to be nice and light.

Let dough riseBring your dough into a ball and place in a large mixing bowl that has been lightly greased with butter or oil. Cover with plastic wrap and leave it to rise for approximately 1 hour or until it&#8217;s doubled in size.

Shape dough

Next, gently push the air out of your dough using your fist. Then take the dough out of the bowl and knead gently for a minute before cutting it into 12 even-sized balls of dough.

Gently shape into balls and then place on prepared pan in four rows of three. Leave space in between each roll. Once they rise again, they should be touching.

Let dough rest

Cover with cling wrap and leave to rise for at least 30 minutes. Or until they have all joined together and almost doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 200 C (390 F) standard / 180 C (355 F) fan-forced.

Make flour paste

Sift your flour into a small bowl. Add water and stir until smooth. Transfer your flour mixture to a piping bag fitted with a small tip and pipe a straight line over the buns, horizontally and then again, vertically to form a cross on each one.

Bake buns

Bake buns for approximately 18-20 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Make sugar glaze

Just before the buns are ready, start making the sugar glaze. Add your sugar and water to a small saucepan and place on a medium heat until sugar has completely dissolved. As soon as the buns are ready, remove them from the oven and then immediately brush them with the sugar glaze.

These were so much better then the supermarket ones!

This is a great recipe! I have never made anything like this before but found the instructions really well written, even though I didn't know what I was doing, it all made sense in the end. I didn't do the sugar glaze and halved the sugar and even doing that my sweet toothed family still really enjoyed them! Thanks for making this available.

"I was never a fan of hot cross buns, so I decided to make a bun that I love. I use plenty of fruit, the right amount of fresh spices and an enriched dough with butter and eggs. Even the glaze is a spiced brown sugar glaze, to give them that final soft, sweet and spicy taste. It took a few years to tweak and perfect, but we’ve been named as having the best hot cross buns in Melbourne a few times now, and I’m very proud and happy with this recipe." - Michael James

Best hot cross buns recipe

currants

orange

baker’s flour,

egg,

unsalted butter, softened

tsp nutmeg

tsp each ground cinnamon, allspice and clove

cinnamon stick and star anise

cloves

plain flour

grapeseed oil

caster sugar

Step 1

Place the dried fruit in a medium bowl and cover with water. Stand overnight to soak.

Step 2

For the dough, bring the milk to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat (do not let it boil). Set aside to cool.

Step 3

Place the orange in a medium saucepan and cover well with water. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and gently boil for 1 hour or until a sharp knife goes through it easily.

Step 4

Drain. When cool enough to handle, quarter the orange and discard seeds. Place in a blender and whiz for 1-2 minutes until a smooth puree. Set aside to cool.

Step 5

Place 500g flour, sugar and 1 tsp fine salt in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and stir to combine. In a separate bowl, lightly whisk the cooled milk, egg and yeast, and add to the dry ingredients. Knead for 5 minutes on medium speed. Scrape down side of bowl to ensure all dry mix is incorporated. Knead for another 5 minutes until dough is smooth and comes away easily from sides of bowl.

Step 6

With mixer still running, add the butter, a little at a time, stopping and scraping down side of bowl to make sure all is incorporated. Knead for 4-5 minutes until dough is firm and shiny (not sticky). Take a small ball of dough and gently stretch it between your hands – you should be able to stretch it very thin without it breaking (windowpane test). If it breaks easily, knead for 2-3 minutes and test again.

Step 7

Add 70g orange puree (freeze the rest for a later use) and knead to combine.

Step 8

Drain the dried fruit and toss with the extra 50g flour. Add to the dough with the mixed peel and spices, and knead for 2-3 minutes until evenly dispersed (do not overmix or fruit will break down).

Step 9

Turn dough onto a lightly floured bench and knead for 1 minute. Place in a lightly greased bowl and fold it by lifting it up and over itself a few times, turning the bowl 90 degrees between each fold. Rest, covered with a damp tea towel, for 1 hour.

Step 10

Repeat one more time. Gently press the dough; it’s ready if your finger leaves a dent in the surface (if the dough springs back all the way, it needs longer proving).

Step 11

For the glaze, combine the sugar, spices and 100ml water in a small saucepan over low heat. Bring slowly to the boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer, untouched, for 5 minutes until slightly reduced. Set glaze aside in pan, covered, at room temperature.

Step 12

Step 13

Turn dough onto a lightly floured bench and cut into 12 portions. Working with 1 piece at a time, flatten, then bring the edges together in the middle so it forms a rough ball. Flip it, seam-side down, then cup your hand over the dough and roll it on the bench using firm pressure until it forms a nice tight, round ball with a smooth, even surface.

Step 14

Place buns on prepared tray, leaving space between each to allow them to expand. Cover with a damp tea towel and stand for 2 hours. Gently press the dough; it’s ready if your finger leaves a dent in the surface.

Step 15

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 220°C/ 200°C fan-forced.

Step 16

For the cross mix, combine all ingredients in a medium bowl with 75ml water and a pinch of fine salt. Whisk until a smooth paste. Spoon into a piping bag with a 3/5mm plain nozzle and set aside.

Step 17

To make the egg wash, whisk the extra egg, extra 1 tbs milk and a pinch of fine salt in a small bowl. Brush over the buns, then pipe a cross onto the top of each bun.

Step 18

Place buns in the oven, then reduce temperature to 200°C/180°C fan-forced and bake for 10 minutes. Rotate tray and bake for another 3-5 minutes until golden brown. Meanwhile, warm the glaze over low heat.

Step 19

Once baked, lightly brush buns with glaze. Cool slightly on a wire rack, but not for too long. Buns are best eaten when still warm, although they’re also excellent the next day, toasted and served with lots of butter.

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Hot Cross Bun recipe

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