Hot Cross Buns
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A favorite Easter recipe for spiced buns, traditionally marked with flour crosses. My hot cross buns recipe simply uses powdered sugar instead to avoid the floury taste that may sometimes happen when the crosses are too thick.
But it also includes the flour option for those who would like to make these Easter buns the traditional way.
A favorite Easter bake recipe that can be made ahead and it’s freezer-friendly!
How to make hot cross buns from scratch
Ingredients:
- Flour – Use either all-purpose (plain) or bread flour (this will make them fluffier).
- Milk – Any will work here!
- Sugar – Granulated (preferably superfine/caster sugar) white.
- Salt.
- Butter – Use what you have on hand – either unsalted or salted!
- Mixed spice – This is similar to pumpkin pie spice. A good substitution is a combo of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger, or just cinnamon.
- Yeast.
- Egg.
- Raisins – Or sultanas, cranberries or other dehydrated mixed fruits.
- Powdered sugar – This is for the crosses. Now, if you decide to use flour and water, then you don’t need this ingredient at all!
Tools:
- Measuring spoons and cups or a kitchen scale.
- Baking sheet & baking parchment paper.
- Large bowl.
- Fork.
- Wooden spoon – for mixing.
- Small bowl and pastry brush.
- Piping bag or resealable plastic bag + scissors – to make the crosses.
- Cookie cutter & rolling pin.
- Stand mixer with dough attachment.
This recipe can be done in a few different ways. The simplest is using a stand mixer and combining all the ingredients until a nice dough forms that is not too sticky but nice and soft.
If too dry, add a splash of liquid. At this stage, it can be water or milk. When soft, add a tablespoon of flour and see if it helps. If not, add a bit more.
If you don’t have a mixer, you can hand knead it. Sometimes, it works better than the mixer it just needs some elbow grease.
Cover the bowl and let it rise until it is doubled in size. This can take somewhere between 60 to 90 minutes.
Then, you roll it out and cut out about 16 circles. Roll each into a bowl and put it onto a baking sheet. Cover with a kitchen towel and let it rise again. About 1 hour.
Now you can make crosses on top of each. Traditionally, flour mixed with water is used.
Baking takes 15 minutes. If not golden brown, leave them in longer.
To make the buns shiny, brush the apricot glaze over. You can omit this step if you want.
Note: A complete and printable recipe card is at the bottom of this post.
Serving suggestions
These soft, spiced buns are delicious with butter and a drizzle of honey or your favorite jam. We love them with homemade strawberry jam, but any favorite will do. Strawberry butter is also a tasty option.
Frequently asked questions
No, not at all. They do taste best warm or toasted, though!
These homemade spiced buns are best enjoyed on the same day. They will still be soft on the following day, but after that, they turn hard.
Yes, you can. Put them in a freezer-friendly resealable bag and freeze! Then, take out as many as you like to eat – they will defrost in an hour or two. Throw them in a microwave or toast in a toaster and they’ll taste divine!
Traditionally, they are brushed with apricot jam after baking. This makes them nice and shiny but also sticky.
This hot cross bun glaze also adds an additional sweetness to them. Now, other alternatives are honey diluted in warm water or sugar syrup. Maple syrup is also an alternative.
Useful tips
The quantity and type of dried fruit you use is completely up to you. Feel free to add as much fruit as you like, they will still turn out delicious! The amount mentioned in the recipe is what works well for me.
Using cookie cutters is a great way to ensure that the buns are all the same size, which is important for baking. So, while you don’t have to use it, it is a better option.
Size: Don’t use very large cookie cutters – bear in mind you will let them rise again afterward, and they will also rise in the oven! You can weigh the first bun to use as a guide for cutting out similar ones, or simply shape them by hand. A weight of about 2 ounces (60 grams) per bun is ideal.
What yeast to use?
You have the option to choose from 3 types of yeast:
- Instant yeast – It is also called rapid rise yeast. It is very easy to use because it does not need to be activated in liquid. You simply mix it with flour and the rest of the ingredients.
- Active dry yeast – This type needs to be activated in a lukewarm liquid before you add it to the flour.
- Fresh yeast – This must be kept refrigerated and comes in small cubes. It also needs liquid and sugar for activation. When using this type, you will need 3 times more than instant/active.
Watch the recipe step-by-step
More Easter recipes to try
If you’re putting together an Easter menu, here are a few more ideas you might enjoy:
- Chocolate Easter Cake – rich, festive and perfect for dessert.
- Easter Bunny Cupcakes – a fun treat for kids and adults alike.
- Potato Salad – a simple side that pairs well with ham, lamb or just about anything.
- Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb – a classic Easter main dish.
Hot Cross Buns Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour (600 grams), see note 1
- 3 teaspoons instant dried yeast (9 grams), see note 2
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground mixed spice (see note 3)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams), see note 4
- 1 cup milk (lukewarm), 250 milliliters
- 2 tablespoons butter (melted), 30 grams
- 1 large egg
- 4 ounces raisins (120 grams), see note 5
For the crosses:
- ½ cup powdered sugar or 6 tablespoons of flour
For the glaze:
- 2 tablespoons honey mixed with 1 tablespoon of water
Instructions
- To the bowl of a stand mixer, add flour, yeast, salt, mixed spice and sugar. Stir. In a separate bowl or large cup, whisk together milk, melted butter and egg. Pour this into the mixer and stir well. Add raisins.
- Mix with the dough attachment on low speed for about 4 minutes or until the dough comes off the walls of the mixer. It should be soft and should spring back when you poke it. If it is sticky, you might need to add more flour. If too dry, add a splash of milk or water.
- Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour (or more if needed – it should double in size).
- Once the dough has risen, transfer it onto the floured worktop and using your fist, knock it down. Knead into a ball and roll out with a rolling pin.
- Use a 2.5-inch (6-centimeter) round cookie cutter to cut out equally sized buns. With your hands roll them into balls (each 2-2.5 ounces (60-70 grams) in weight). If you end up with cut offs simply form balls out of them.
- Place them on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and cover with a kitchen towel. Let them rise for 1 hour.
- For the crosses: Option 1: Mix flour and water. Put in a piping or resealable bag and pipe over uncooked buns. Option 2: Mix powdered (icing) sugar and ¾ teaspoon water, put in a resealable bag and pipe over cooked and cooled buns (after they have been glazed). In both cases, the mixtures should be quite thick but still easy to pipe.
- Bake them in a preheated oven at 400°Fahrenheit (200°Celsius) for 15 minutes or until baked through.
- When still warm, brush each with honey diluted in hot water.
- Serve warm, cold, or toasted with honey, butter or jam.
Notes
- All-purpose flour (US) = Plain flour (UK).
- Instant yeast does not need to be activated in liquid. You can use the same quantity of active dry yeast, but you need to activate it in lukewarm liquid first (in this case, it is milk) for 5-10 minutes. It should create a foam. If using fresh yeast, you will need 20 grams of it. This has to be also activated in lukewarm milk and about a tablespoon of sugar.
- Or, you can substitute with 2 teaspoons cinnamon or with a mixture of spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom (again 2 teaspoons total).
- If you can, use superfine sugar (caster sugar in the UK). It is sugar with fine crystals like table salt. It is not confectioner’s/powdered sugar. This quantity makes the buns extra sweet. You can use less. Try with 2 tablespoons less and see if that is to your liking. Don’t add more than the recipe card says. Don’t use a heaped cup. Measure out exactly or use slightly less!
- You can use raisins/sultanas/dried cranberries or mixed candied citrus fruit or a combination of these. I use about 4 ounces (120 grams). ½ cup heaped of raisins weighs about 3 ounces (90 grams).
These look really good! I love the dried fruits you put inside.
They are divine! I haven’t managed to save any for today they were so good! Happy Easter!