These traditional hot cross buns are filled with a delicious mix of warm spices, raisins, and mixed peel. These Easter buns are best served warm with a smattering of butter.
It's that time of the year when the shelves are stocked with Hot Cross Buns! Hot cross buns are sweet spiced buns that are filled with fruit and marked with a cross on the top.
These delicious little spiced fruit buns are a popular treat in South Africa. So I was really happy to discover that they are also super popular here in New Zealand, across the ditch in Australia, as well as in the UK, Ireland, and Canada.
If you love hot cross buns...why not check out my hot cross bun and butter pudding. A delicious way to use up those leftover buns! And if you are looking for an Easter cookie - check out my Mini Eggs Cookies!
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What is a traditional hot cross bun?
Traditionally Hot Cross Buns are eaten on Good Friday to mark the end of Lent. However, they now begin to appear on bakery shelves just after Valentine's Day.
These are yeasted sweet buns that are filled with spices and fruits such as raisins, sultanas, or currents, and candied citrus or mixed peel. They are also decorated with a cross over the top of the dough.
Why This Recipe Works
- The delightful mix of spices that includes cinnamon, mixed spice, ginger, coriander, cardamom, cloves, and nutmeg combined with the fruit results in a deliciously flavored hot cross bun.
- This recipe is fairly easy, and with a bit of time and patience, you can knock up the best hot cross buns you have tasted!
- A freshly made batch of these delightfully spiced Easter buns will really impress everyone this coming Easter!
Equipment For This Recipe
A stand mixer is preferable when making enriched soft bread doughs like the one in this recipe. I mixed this dough for a total of 15 minutes in my stand mixer. That would probably equate to about 20 to 25 minutes of kneading by hand. Not impossible.
Ingredients
Here are some notes on the ingredients used in this recipe. Please see the recipe card for quantities.
Butter adds flavor, softness, and moisture and sometimes aids in the leavening of baked goods. I use New Zealand butter in my recipes, which has approximately 82% butterfat and can be very yellow (similar to European or Irish butter). Butter cannot be substituted with butter or margarine spreads, but it can be substituted with baking margarine.
Salt is a crucial ingredient in all baked goods. I use table salt in all my recipes. One teaspoon of table salt equals 1.5 teaspoons of Morton Kosher Salt equals 2 teaspoons of Diamond Crystal.
Bread flour (High-Grade or Strong Flour) for the dough. Bread flour has a higher protein content than plain, standard-grade or all-purpose flour. This extra gluten is what gives bread its texture.
Brown sugar for sweetness and brown sugar also complements the warm spices in the bread dough.
Orange zest to bring a bit of zing to the dough.
Spices - most hot cross bun recipes will call for cinnamon and allspice or mixed spice. But I truly feel a good mix of spices really rounds out and deepens the flavor of these fruit buns. I opted for cinnamon, mixed spice, ginger, coriander, cardamom, cloves, and nutmeg.
Milk, butter, and eggs enrich this dough adding flavor and richness to the taste.
Plain flour, icing sugar, and milk create the crosses of the hot cross buns.
Room Temperature Ingredients
Use room-temperature ingredients! Using room temperature ingredients ensures that ingredients in the batter or dough will incorporate easier. Take note that room temperature refers to around 20°C/68F.
- Place eggs into warm water for about 10 to 15 minutes to bring them to room temperature quickly.
- To bring butter to room temperature quickly, cut the butter into cubes and zap it in the microwave at 20% power in 10-second intervals. Or place the cubes in a bowl over warm water (such as with a double boiler) over low heat for 1 minute!
- Milk, buttermilk, and cream can be brought to room temperature by zapping in the microwave at 20% power in 10-second intervals. Or on low heat for a minute or two swirling every 10-15 seconds.
- If the butter is too warm/soft for baking - pop it into the fridge for 20-30 minutes.
Weighing & Measuring Ingredients
Weighing ingredients with a kitchen scale is more accurate than using measuring cups. All my recipes are developed and tested using grams only.
However, I have activated the metric-to-cup conversions. Simply click on "cups" or "metric" for your preferred measurements. For these conversions, cups are equal to 240 millilitres/8 fluid ounces, tablespoons are 15 milliliters and teaspoons are 5mL.
Substitutions/Variations
Spices - the most important spices (if you can rank spices) for this recipe is the cinnamon and allspice or mixed spice. If you don't have one of the other spices on hand, it can be left out of the recipe.
Fruitless or hot cross buns without raisins are very easy to make - simply leave out the fruit.
Mixed peel and raisins - I opted for 100 grams of each because we love mixed peel. However, you can change up the ratio of the fruit, or even just add raisins or sultanas if you don't have mixed peel on hand.
Step-by-step instructions
Rehydrating the fruit (optional extra) - Place the raisins and mixed peel into a bowl, and cover with the juice of the orange. Allow the fruit to rest for a minimum of 30 minutes overnight. Drain the fruit before adding it to the dough.
Making the brioche-style bread dough for the hot cross buns
Step 1 - In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, salt, yeast (keeping the salt and yeast on opposite sides of the bowl), cinnamon, mixed spice, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, cardamom, coriander, orange zest. On a low speed using the dough hook gently mix together until the ingredients are mixed through.
Step 2 - Add the milk, vanilla, and egg to the dry ingredients. Mix on a slow to medium speed (speed 2 on a KitchenAid) for 4 to 5 minutes.
Step 3 - When the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl, toss in the cubes of butter 1 at a time and allow to mix in. Let the dough knead at a low speed for about 7 to 10 minutes.
NOTE - this dough is very soft and takes a while to come together. Be patient, don't add extra flour.
Step 4 - The dough is finished kneading when you can stretch a portion of the dough thin enough to see light come through without tearing. This is known as the windowpane test.
Step 5 - Add the fruit to the kneaded dough and mix through for a minute or so (on low) until the fruit is combined.
NOTE - for fruitless or hot cross buns without raisins, simply leave out the fruit and move on to the next step.
Step 6 - Place the dough in an oiled mixed bowl and cover with cling film and/or a tea towel and allow to proof for 1 to 1½ hours.
Shaping the dough
Step 7 - Line a 9"x13" (23cmx33cm) baking tray or roasting dish with baking paper.
Step 8 - Turn the proofed dough onto a clean, very lightly floured surface. Knock the air out of the dough, folding the dough over itself to equalize the temperature in the dough. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions of about 100 grams each.
Step 9 - Lightly flour the palm of your hand. Using the palm of your hand push the dough into the surface about 3 times. Create a little cage with your fingers and swirl loosely around the dough until you have a nice round roll. (The surface should have very little flour, as we are using the stickiness of the surface to create tension on the outside of the ball of dough).
Step 10 - Place the shaped balls of dough into the prepared baking tray. Cover with cling film or a tea towel and allow to proof for another hour. Using a lightly floured finger, poke the side of the bun, if the dough indents and jumps back about halfway the dough is finished proofing.
Hot Cross Bun Crosses/Paste
Step 11 - In the last 10 to 15 minutes of the proofing preheat the oven to 200°C/390F.
Step 12 - Mix together the plain flour, icing sugar, and milk to form a paste that has a piping consistency. Place the paste into a piping bag.
Step 13 - Brush the beaten egg over the tops of the buns.
Step 14 - Pipe crosses over the top of the buns and bakes for 15-20 minutes. The buns may need to be turned during the last 5 minutes of the bake for an even golden brown color.
Hot cross bun glaze
Step 15 - While the buns are baking, combine the golden syrup and boiling water. As soon as the buns come out of the oven, brush the tops of the buns with the glaze. Allow to cool in the baking tray for 10 minutes before lifting out and cool further on a wired rack.
Expert Tips for this Recipe
All my recipes are currently tested at sea level.
Mixing this dough by hand is possible, however, the kneading time may take up to 20 minutes to reach the window pane consistency. If you are kneading this dough by hand - add the milk to the flour and mix through before adding any of the other ingredients. And allow the mixture to stand for 15 to 30 minutes. This will allow the milk to hydrate the flour and begin the gluten formation, giving a head start in the kneading process.
Ovens and Air Fryers
The temperatures stated are for conventional ovens. For convection, fan-forced, fan-assisted, or air-fryers, the temperature must be reduced by 20°C/25°F.
For baking, make sure the oven is fully preheated, and that the rack is in the middle of the oven. Open the oven as little as possible. For best baking results use an oven thermometer.
Remember that all ovens work slightly differently and bake times may need to be adjusted for your specific oven.
Storage and Freezing
Store hot cross buns in an airtight container for 3 days in a cool, dry place. These buns can be frozen by individually wrapping the buns in cling film and placed into an airtight container for up to 2 months. Allow to defrost in the fridge overnight, and heat up the next day for serving.
Hot Cross Buns FAQ
Traditionally hot cross buns are eaten on Good Friday to signify the end of Lent. However, these deliciously spiced fruit buns can usually be found on supermarket and bakery shelves not long after Valentine's Day, and well past Easter.
Hot cross buns as we know them today originated in 12th England, and have synonymous with Good Friday and Easter. These buns are common in England, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.
Hot cross buns are best eaten warm. The buns can be sliced in half (like a hamburger bun), buttered, and sandwiched back together. These buns can also be sliced open, toasted, and served with butter. When toasting, be careful to not burn the bun!
Yes! I like to pop singular buns in the microwave for 10 seconds to heat them up. Especially if they are a day or two old.
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📖 Recipe
Hot Cross Buns
Equipment
- Stand Mixer (optional, dough can be made by hand)
Ingredients
Hot Cross Bun Dough
- 500 grams bread flour (strong or high-grade flour)
- 100 grams light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 3 teaspoons yeast (instant)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice (or allspice)
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamon
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- zest of an orange
- 300 mL milk (whole milk or full fat milk)
- 1 egg (large)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 50 grams butter (cut into cubes)
- 100 grams mixed peel (candied peel)
- 100 grams raisins (or sultanas)
- juice of an orange (optional extra)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (for the proofing bowl)
Egg Wash
- 1 egg (beaten)
Hot Cross Bun Paste
- 100 grams plain flour (standard grade, all-purpose, cake flour)
- 40 grams icing sugar (powdered or confectioners)
- 60-80 mL milk
Glaze (Optional Extra)
- 1 tablespoon golden syrup
- 1 tablespoon boiling water
Instructions
Rehydrating the fruit (optional extra)
- Place the raisins and mixed peel into a bowl, and cover with the juice of the orange. Allow the fruit to rest for a minimum of 30 minutes to overnight. Drain the fruit before adding to the dough.100 grams mixed peel, 100 grams raisins, juice of an orange
Hot Cross Bun Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add in the flour, salt, yeast (keeping the salt and yeast on opposite sides of the bowl), cinnamon, mixed spice, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, cardamom, coriander, and orange zest. On a low speed using the dough hook gently mix together until the ingredients are mixed through.500 grams bread flour, 100 grams light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon table salt, 3 teaspoons yeast, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon mixed spice, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, ½ teaspoon ground cardamon, ½ teaspoon ground coriander, zest of an orange
- Add the milk, vanilla and the egg to the dry ingredients. Mix on a slow to medium speed (speed 2 on a KitchenAid) for 4 to 5 minutes.300 mL milk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 egg
- When the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl, toss in the cubes of butter 1 at a time and allow to mix in. Let the dough knead at the low speed for about 7 to 10 minutes.50 grams butter
- The dough is finished kneading when you can stretch a portion of the dough thin enough to see light come through without tearing. This is known as the windowpane test.
- Add the fruit to kneaded dough and mix through for a minute or so (on low) until the fruit is combined.100 grams raisins, 100 grams mixed peel
- Place the dough in an oiled mixed bowl and cover with cling film and/or a tea towel and allow to proof for 1 to 1½ hours.2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Shaping the Dough
- Line a 9"x13" (23cmx33cm) baking tray or roasting dish with baking paper.
- Turn the proofed dough onto a clean, very lightly floured surface. Knock the air out of the dough, folding the dough over itself to equalise the temperature in the dough. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions of about 100 grams each.
- Lightly flour the palm of your hand. Using the palm of your hand push the dough into the surface about 3 times. Create a little cage with your fingers and swirl loosely around the dough until you have a nice round roll. (The surface should have very little flour, as we are using the stickiness of the surface to create tension on the oustide of the ball of dough).
- Place the shaped balls of dough into the prepared baking tray. Cover with cling film or a tea towel and allow to proof for another hour. Using a lightly floured finger, poke the side of the bun, if the dough indents and jumps back about half way the dough is finished proofing.
Hot Cross Bun Paste
- In the last 10 to 15 minutes of the proofing preheat the oven to 200°C/390F.
- Mix together the plain flour, icing sugar and milk to form a paste that has a piping consistency. Place the paste into a piping bag.100 grams plain flour, 40 grams icing sugar, 60-80 mL milk
- Brush the beaten egg over the tops of the buns.1 egg
- Pipe crosses over the top of the buns and bake for 15-20 minutes. The buns may need to be turned during the last 5 minutes of the bake for an even golden brown color across the buns.
Hot Cross Bun Glaze (Optional)
- While the buns are baking, combine the golden syrup and boiling water. As soon as the buns come out the oven, brush the tops of the buns with the glaze. Allow to cool in the baking tray for 10 minutes before lifting out and cool further on a wired rack.1 tablespoon golden syrup, 1 tablespoon boiling water
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate. If scaling the recipe remember to scale your cook and bakeware accordingly. All temperatures stated are conventional, unless otherwise stated. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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