hot cross buns

Baking your own hot cross buns is one way to make Easter feel special while staying at home.

Easter hot cross buns

(3/4 cup) full cream milk

(4 cups) plain flour

(1/4 cup) caster sugar

(1 1/2 teaspoons) instant dried yeast

tsp cinnamon

nutmeg

tsp allspice

cloves

tsp salt

eggs

(1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened

(2/3 cup) sultanas (or

(1/3 cup) dried fruit peel

An egg, lightly beaten for the egg wash

(1/2 cup) flour

water

(1/2 cup) sugar

orange

cinnamon quill

star anise

rum,

Put the milk in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low until it is lukewarm in temperature, a few minutes. The milk should be body temperature rather than scalding or cold. Pour it into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, then tip in the flour, sugar, yeast, spices, salt and eggs. 

Mix on low until shaggy and rough, then turn the speed to medium-high. Continue to knead for another four minutes, until a well combined, firm dough ball has formed.

Add in the butter, a tablespoon at a time, until it is all used up, then tip in the sultanas and peel. Raise the speed again and knead until the dough is smooth and velvety, six more minutes. 

Scrape into a lightly greased bowl and cover with cling film. Leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. 

Once risen, give the dough a light punch to deflate it. At this point, you can either proceed with the recipe as directed, or re-cover and transfer it to the refrigerator to chill overnight, for use the next morning. 

Scrape the dough out and onto a lightly floured work surface then divide it into 12 even-sized portions. To form a tight bun, fold the edges of the dough into the centre before rolling it gently, see the video for reference. If you have a scale, they should weigh about 95 grams each or fit into the cup of your hand.

Arrange into a large baking dish, positioning together but not touching, then loosely sheath the top with cling film. Again, leave to rise for 30 minutes, or an hour if using chilled dough.

Meanwhile, position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 180°C. 

To make the crosses, whisk together the flour and water to form a smooth paste, then scrape it into a piping bag. It's fine to add a bit more water to the paste if it's too stiff, half a tablespoon at a time as needed. The paste should be smooth and thick, but not so thick that it's unable to be piped or too thin that it spreads a lot.

Use a pastry brush to coat the buns in a bit of egg wash, then snip the tip off the bag, and pipe a cross over the top of each. 

Bake for about 25 minutes, until golden brown. Make sure to rotate them halfway through, for even colouring. 

While the buns are baking, put the sugar, water, juice, peel, quill, cloves, star anise and rum (if using) in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Heat, stirring often, until the sugar has dissolved. Let it come to a simmer and cook out for a minute, then remove and set aside. 

When the buns are done, remove from the oven and transfer onto a wire rack. Immediately brush the glaze over them, until glistening. Serve soon after. They're best eaten warm on the day of making, but are fine to be kept for about two days after and reheated.

These sticky hot cross buns are a delicious twist on a classic Easter recipe. Click here for all of our hot cross bun recipes.

Sticky hot cross buns

plain flour

sachet easy-blend yeast

golden caster sugar,

salt

tsp ground mixed spice

cranberries blueberries

sultanas

lemon

milk,

egg, beaten

butter, melted

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, spice, fruit and lemon zest.

Make a well in the centre and stir in the warm milk, beaten egg and melted butter. Stir together to make a soft dough. Knead on a surface for 5 minutes until smooth. Return to the bowl, cover and leave for 1 hour until risen.

Line a 12-hole muffin tin with circles of greaseproof paper or muffin cases. Briefly knead the dough and roll out into 12 balls and put one in each case. Cut a cross in the top of each ball, cover again and leave to rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Bake the buns for 15-20 minutes until golden. Mix together the remaining sugar with 2 tablespoons of water. Brush the buns with the sugar water as soon as they come out of the oven. Leave to cool a little before eating.

Learn how to make soft and flavorful hot cross buns using this deliciously spiced yeast dough. Each bun is marked with a traditional cross, baked until golden, then topped with orange icing. See recipe notes for icing cross alternative, as well as freezing and make-ahead instructions.

Hot Cross Buns

(180 milliliters) whole milk, warmed to about 110°F

active dry yeast or instant yeast (1 standard packet)

sugar

(100 grams) packed light or dark brown sugar

Tablespoons (70 grams) unsalted butter,

vanilla extract

eggs,

cinnamon

allspice

(435 grams) all-purpose flour flour

(140 grams) raisins

(60 grams) all-purpose flour or bread flour

6-8 Tablespoons (90-120 milliliters) water

cup (120 grams) confectioners’ sugar

Tablespoons (45 milliliters) fresh

Prepare the dough

Whisk the warm milk, yeast, and 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or paddle attachment. Cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes.

Add the brown sugar, butter, vanilla extract, eggs, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and 1 cup (125g) flour. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then add the remaining flour and the raisins. Beat on medium speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. Dough should be a little sticky and soft. If it&#8217;s too sticky and not pulling away from the sides of the bowl, mix in additional flour 1 Tablespoon at a time. *If you do not own a mixer, you can mix this dough with a large wooden spoon or rubber spatula. It will take a bit of arm muscle!*

Knead the dough

Keep the dough in the mixer and beat for an additional 2 minutes or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 2 minutes.

1st Rise

Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise in a relatively warm environment for 1-2 hours or until double in size. (I always let it rise on the counter. Takes about 2 hours. For a tiny reduction in rise time, see my answer to Where Should Dough Rise? in my Baking with Yeast Guide.)

Grease a 9&#215;13 inch baking pan or two 9-inch square or round baking pans. You can also bake the rolls in a cast iron skillet or on a lined baking sheet.

Shape the rolls

When the dough is ready, punch it down to release the air. Divide the dough into 14-16 equal pieces. (Just eyeball it– doesn’t need to be perfect!) Shape each piece into a smooth ball, pinching it on the bottom to seal. I do this entirely in my hands and you can watch in the video tutorial for my dinner rolls. Arrange in prepared baking pan.

2nd Rise: 

Cover shaped rolls with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow to rise until puffy, about 1 hour.

Add the cross: 

Whisk the cross ingredients together, starting with 6 Tablespoons of water. You want a thick paste that will pipe easily. Add remaining water if needed. Spoon paste into a piping bag or zipped-top bag. (No need to use a piping tip if using a piping bag.) Snip off a small piece at the corner. Pipe a line down the center of each row of buns, then repeat in the other direction to create crosses.

Bake the rolls

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top, rotating the pan halfway through. If you notice the tops browning too quickly, loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil. Remove from the oven and allow rolls to cool for a few minutes as you prepare the icing.

Make the icing

Whisk the icing ingredients together, then drizzle or brush on warm rolls. Serve immediately.

Cover leftover rolls tightly and store at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Ok I did figure out the flower issue and made these.  I did the icing cross and the orange glaze and these were magnificent!  My family can’t get enough of them and these will certainly be a new Easter tradition for us!

Fantastic recipe! This rendered light, airy, flavourful bread. The last time I tried making hot cross buns, it smelled of yeast, and was doughy. This is my go to recipe from now on. Thank you, yet again, for a stellar addition to my recipe box.

Insanely soft vegan hot cross buns, packed with fruit, cardamom and rum. Perfect with a cup of tea - preferably in bed!

Vegan Hot Cross Buns with Cardamom and Rum

g sultanas

g raisins

45 ml dark rum

tsp psyllium husks ((or 2 tbsp flax/linseed or chia))

butter

300 ml plant milk

yeast

525 g strong white bread flour

g caster sugar

cardamom pods

tbsp orange zest

tsp flaky sea salt

65 g plain white flour

ml spiced rum

tbsp caster sugar

cardamom pods ((cracked open))

Place the sultanas and raisins in a medium bowl. Add the rum and stir to coat. Add 75ml of just boiled water. Stir, cover and leave to soak.

Grind the psyllium husks into a sandy powder using a blender or a mortar and pestle. Place in a small bowl and mix in 6tsp water. Leave to thicken.

In a microwaveable bowl, place the vegan butter. Heat in the microwave until just melted. Add the milk and stir to combine. Add the yeast and whisk. Leave for the yeast to bloom for 5 minutes or until a little frothy on the surface.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, add the strong white bread flour, caster sugar and the thickened psyllium husk mixture. Add the yeast/milk mixture. Beat on low speed until the dough is combined and smooth but very sticky. Note that psyllium husks like to clump together, so you&#039;ll need to knead well to ensure they&#039;re incorporated throughout the dough.

Remove the dough hook and transfer the dough to another, medium bowl greased with a little neutral oil. Cover with reusable wrap or a damp tea-towel and leave to proof at room temperature for an hour.

While the dough proofs, crack open the cardamom pods and transfer them to a mortar and pestle. Grind them roughly.

Once the dough is proofed, return it to the bowl of the stand mixer and add the cardamom and other spices along with the orange zest and flaky sea salt. Drain the raisins/sultanas but reserve the liquid. Add the raisins/sultanas to the dough. Attach the dough hook and knead on low speed for a few minutes or until the fruit is all incorporated. If the fruit doesn&#039;t want to stay in the dough, transfer the dough to a clean surface and knead by hand instead. This should help.

Transfer the dough back to the oiled bowl, cover well and leave to proof for another hour.

Once proofed number 2 is over, It&#039;s time to shape the dough. Line a baking tray with baking parchment and set aside. Transfer the dough to a clean surface and push out any large air bubbles with your finger tips.

Using a bench scraper or sharp knife, cut the dough into 15 portions. If you&#039;d like to be accurate, you can weigh the dough. When I made these, each bun weighed 90g.

Once the dough is divided, take one piece of dough and gently push it into a flat square with your fingertips. Fold the edges over to make a little pouch shape and then flip upside down to the smooth side is facing up and the folded side is on the counter. Make your hand into a concave dome and place over the dough. Move your hand in a circular motion, applying light pressure to the ball of dough beneath. This should form a ball of dough with  a tight, smooth surface. Place the ball of dough on the tray and repeat the process with the remaining portions of dough. Ensure the balls of dough are evenly spaced apart.

Cover the balls of dough and leave to proof for their third and final hour. 30 minutes into their final proof, preheat the oven to 200c and prepare the mixture for the cross.

To Make the Buns

In a medium bowl, place the flour and water. Mix well with a spoon until you have a thick, runny paste. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag and cut off the tip. Set aside until the buns are finished proofing.

Once the buns are proofed, carefully pluck any raisins or sultanas which are poking through the surface out (otherwise they will burn). Carefully pipe the cross mixture in a straight line down the centre of the buns. Spin the baking tray and repeat to make a cross. Repeat until all the buns are topped with a cross.

Place in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes, rotating the tray half-way through to encourage even browning. While the buns are baking, make the glaze.

To Make the Cross Mixture

Place all the ingredients in a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and allow to bubble gently for 3-5 minutes. The volume of the mixture should drop by at least half. Once nicely reduced, pour the glaze through a sieve to remove the cardamom pods. Set aside.

Remove the buns from the oven once baked and set the tray on a wire cooling rack for 10 minutes. After ten minutes, take a pastry brush and apply the glaze to the top of each bun. If serving straight away, leave to cool for another 10 minutes. Store in an air-tight container once cooled. Slice in half, toast and spread with vegan butter. If freezing is necessary, slice in half, wrap tightly and freeze for up to a month.

To Make the Glaze

Mary's going to be so proud that you made your own hot cross buns this Easter.  Lucky thing her recipe is completely foolproof.

For this recipe you will need a piping bag fitted witha  fine 3mm nozzle, but if you don't have a nozzle you could use a piping bag and snip the end off. 

Mary Berry's hot cross buns

75 grams/2¾oz caster sugar

tsp mixed spice powder

lemon,

grams/¼oz salt

grams/¼oz fast-action dried yeast

grams/1½oz butter

300 milliliters/10fl oz milk

egg,

grams/1¾oz finely chopped mixed candied peel

oil,

75 grams/2¾oz plain flour

golden syrup, for glazing

Making delicious hot cross buns can be a bit of a palava, but it's worth the effort.

Mary Berry's Hot Cross Buns

We make these sourdough hot cross buns all year round. They're delightfully fluffy, not too sweet, and enjoyed by all- especially the kids! If I'm pressed for time, I'll do the glaze only and skip the cross.
A quick note about the flour: I use King Arthur bread flour for this recipe. It has a high protein content of about 12.7%. This is what gives the sourdough buns a lofty, high rise. If you're using a different brand of flour, with a lesser protein content (i.e. Gold Medal) consider reducing the milk by 25 g for similar results.

Sourdough Hot Cross Buns

240 g (1 cup) milk, whole or 2%

flour

g fine sea salt

g (1/2 cup) bubbly, active starter

egg (50 g)

tsp pure vanilla extract

tsp pumpkin pie spice

apricot jam (I like Bonne Maman)

tbsp cream cheese, softened

tbsp unsalted butter, softened

sugar,

tsp half-n-half or milk

Warm the milk in a small saucepan or microwave and set aside. Note: if you use cold milk straight from the fridge, the dough will take longer to rise.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, and salt with the paddle attachment. Add the softened butter, cube by cube, with the machine running. The goal is to evenly disperse the butter throughout the flour; rub any large pieces together with your fingertips. 

Add the warm milk, starter, and egg to the bowl. Mix for 1 minute to combine. With your hands, work the dough into a rough ball incorporating any dry bits of flour at the bottom. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and rest for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, soak the chopped raisins in the vanilla extract. 

After the dough has rested, add the raisins (and any liquid), cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice to the bowl.

Using the dough hook, mix on medium-low speed, about 3 on a KitchenAid for 8 minutes. If the dough starts to climb up the side of the bowl, stop the machine and push it back down. The dough will be smooth and supple when finished. It should not stick to your hands. If it does, add a sprinkle of flour.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise overnight at room temperature (about 68 F) for 12-18 hours. The dough is ready when it has tripled in size. Optional Step: about 1 hour into the bulk rise, I like to do 1 set of stretch and folds. I&#8217;ll do another set about 1 hour later. This technique will speed up the bulk rise time and the overall volume of the baked buns. **See note below. 

The following day, generously coat the bottom and sides of a 9&#215;13-inch pan with butter.

Remove the dough onto your work surface- no need to flour the surface first. Gently shape the dough into a log. Cut into 12 equal pieces, about 92 g ea.

To shape into balls: working with one piece of dough at a time, fold the sides over towards the center. Flip it over, keep it on the counter, and roll it into a ball with the palm of your hand. Place the balls into the pan, evenly spaced, 3 across and 4 down.

Cover the pan with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel, and let rise at room temperature until the dough has doubled in size. This can take up to 2-3 hours at 68 F. Personally, I like to use the proofing box or oven trick at this point (again, see me note below). The rise will only take about 1 1/2- 2 hours @ 75-80 F. The dough should look very puffy and plump when ready. Do not rush this step; the buns will be dense.

While the dough is resting, make the icing for the cross. In a small bowl, whisk the softened cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and half-n-half. Add additional liquid as needed; the texture should be thick enough to pipe. Put the icing into a ziptop bag with the tip snipped off, or in a squeeze bottle and refrigerate to firm up before using. You will not use all of the icing. Save the rest for another use.

Preheat your oven to 400 F.  Place the dough inside, center rack. Reduce the heat to 350. Bake for 28-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the apricot jam and a splash of water in a saucepan.

Remove the buns from the oven. Brush the tops with some of the glaze while they&#8217;re still hot.

When the buns are COMPLETELY COOL, pipe the cream cheese icing on top going in one direction first, and then the other. Do not make an individual cross on top of each as you go- it will drive you crazy.

Serve the buns fresh at room temperature.

Before you begin: This is an overnight dough which takes approximately 12-18 hrs to rise @ 68 F. Start the night before, in the evening, and plan to bake the following day. See my note below on how to speed up the rise time in chilly weather. Enjoy!

Tried it today. The buns came out beautifully. My critic (wife) loves them. Great recipe.

Thanks so much for letting me know. I made them this morning, after a 12 hour room temp rise using a high protein All purpose flour  (from my local farmer) with great results. Thanks so much for the recipe.

Sharon

Easy Hot Cross Buns using this easy dough from my Bagel Recipe. No yeast, no boiling, no fancy mixer. Bake them in the oven or in the air-fryer!

(5 oz) unbleached all purpose flour, whole wheat or gluten-free mix*

baking powder (make sure it’s not expired

0% Greek yogurt (not regular yogurt, it will be too sticky)

raisins

egg white (beaten (whole egg works fine too))

milk

Preheat oven to 375F.

Place parchment paper or a silpat on a baking sheet. If using parchment paper, spray with oil to avoid sticking.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon and salt and whisk well.

Add the yogurt and raisins, mix with a fork or spatula until well combined, it will look like small crumbles.

Lightly dust flour on a work surface and remove dough from the bowl, knead the dough a few times until dough is tacky, but not sticky, about 10 to 15 turns (it should not leave dough on your hand when you pull away).

Divide into 8 equal balls. Place on the prepared baking sheet.

Top with egg wash. Bake on the top rack of the oven for 25 minutes. Let cool at least 30 minutes before icing.

Oven Method:

In a small bowl, whisk the powdered sugar with milk until smooth. Transfer to a small ziplock bag and cut the tip. Ice the tops of the rolls in a cross pattern.

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