Hot cross buns are an Easter tradition in many homes, but they’re also easy enough to make whenever you want sweet bread! These sweet buns, with their trademark flour crosses on top, are lightly spiced, wonderfully fragrant, and brushed with a sweet powdered sugar glaze to finish. You can even skip the flour crosses and make them out of a thicker glaze if you prefer!
One of the most important ingredients for fluffy, tall, hot cross buns is fresh yeast. For this recipe, you need active dry yeast. Make sure it hasn’t expired, or the buns will not rise properly. Luckily, activating the yeast is one of the first steps, so you can easily put the recipe on hold to pop out and buy fresh yeast! For more Easter recipes, try my Easter bread, koulourakia, or carrot cake.
Ingredients
These are the key ingredients to make delicious hot cross buns! You can find the full list of ingredients in the recipe.
Raisins or currants — a quick soak in hot water plumps them up. Dried currants are the traditional choice, but regular raisins or golden raisins work great!
Leavening — yeast, activated with warm milk and sugar, helps the buns rise. Be sure to use active dry yeast, not rapid-rise or instant yeast.
Flour — you can use bread flour or all-purpose flour in this hot cross bun recipe. Bread flour creates a chewier bun that stays softer for longer, and is my preference.
Spices — salt, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg add warm flavor and a comforting aroma to hot cross buns.
Flour crosses — a simple paste made of flour and water forms the signature crosses on top of the buns.
Glaze — a glaze made of confectioners’ sugar (also called icing sugar or powdered sugar) and warm water adds sweetness to the baked buns.
Hot Cross Buns Recipe
Video
Equipment
- Stand mixer
- Mixing Bowls
- 9×13 baking dish
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- ⅔ cup raisins or dried currants (80g)
- 1 cup warm whole milk (1105-110°F) (240mL)
- ½ cup plus ½ teaspoon granulated sugar divided (50g)
- 1 (.25oz/7g) package active dry yeast (2¼ teaspoons)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted (85g)
- 2 large eggs room temperature (divided)
- 3¾ cups bread flour or all-purpose flour (450g)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
For the Crosses:
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour (40g)
- 3 tablespoons water
For the Glaze:
- ¼ cup powdered sugar (30g)
- 1 tablespoon warm water
Instructions
- Place the currants or raisins in a bowl and cover with 1 cup of boiling water. Let soak for 10 minutes, then drain well, and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the milk, ½ teaspoon sugar, and the yeast. Let the mixture sit until it’s very foamy on top, about 10 minutes.
- To the yeast mixture, add the remaining ½ cup of sugar, 1 egg, and the melted butter. Then, add the flour, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg. Attach the dough hook and mix on low speed to start combining. Once the ingredients are mostly incorporated, increase the speed to medium-low and continue mixing until a tacky and elastic dough has formed and is making a “slapping” sound against the sides of the bowl, about 6 minutes. (The dough may still cling to the very bottom of the bowl and should feel tacky but not stick to you when you touch it.)
- Mix in the drained raisins and knead for 30 more seconds. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, and turn to coat the dough in oil. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 1½ hours.
- Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with baking spray or butter.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and divide it into 12 equal pieces. To shape each piece into a ball, gather the edges into the center and pinch them together. Flip the ball over, cup your hand around it, and move your hand in a circular motion. This will create tight smooth dough balls.
- Place the dough balls in the prepared pan spacing them equally apart. Cover and let rise again until they are almost doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- After 45 minutes of rise time, preheat the oven to 375°F.
- When the buns have risen, beat the remaining egg with 1 teaspoon of water or milk and brush the tops lightly with egg wash.
For the Cross Topping:
- In a small bowl, stir together the flour and water until a thick paste forms. Transfer it to a piping bag or a ziptop bag with one corner cut off.
- Pipe a straight line through the center of each bun. Repeat making the second set of lines perpendicular to the first set, forming a cross on top of each bun.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown on top. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
For the Glaze:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and water until smooth. Brush the glaze over the warm rolls before serving.
Notes
- Use unexpired yeast. If your yeast has expired, the buns may not rise well. Always check the expiration date before starting a yeasted bread recipe. If the yeast doesn’t get very foamy after 15 minutes in the warm milk, start over with a new yeast packet.
- Measure the flour correctly. Using too much flour will cause the buns to turn out dry and dense. To avoid this, weigh the flour with a kitchen scale for the most accurate measurement. If you don’t have one, fluff the flour, spoon it into your measuring cup, and level off the top with a knife.
- For additional flavor, add grated orange zest (the zest of 1 orange peel) to the dough when adding the drained currants. You can also include other spices like ½ teaspoon of ground cardamom or cloves.
- Choose a good rising spot. Avoid drafty, cold areas and aim for a warm place so the dough can rise properly.
Nutrition
How To Make Hot Cross Buns
1. Soak the raisins or currants in boiling water for 10 minutes and drain well. Set aside.
2. Activate the yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer by combining it with milk and sugar.
3. Once the yeast is foamy, add sugar, 1 egg, and melted unsalted butter to the yeast mixture.
4. Add the flour, salt, and spices. With the dough hook attached to the stand mixer, mix on low speed to combine, then increase to medium-low speed until an elastic dough forms. It will make a slapping sound against the sides of the bowl.
5. Mix in the raisins just until combined.
6. Move the soft dough to a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until it has doubled in size.
7. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and divide it into 12 equal pieces. Shape each piece into tight, smooth dough balls.
8. Space each smooth ball apart equally in a lightly greased 9×13-inch baking pan. Cover and let them rise again. When the dough balls have doubled in size, make an egg wash and lightly brush the tops of each one.
9. Make the flour paste for the crosses in a small bowl by mixing the flour and water together. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag and pipe crosses onto the top of the buns. Bake the hot cross buns at 375°F for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
10. Whisk together powdered sugar and water to make the glaze, then brush it over the warm sweet bread and serve.
Can I Substitute The Raisins?
Yes! Instead of raisins or currants, you can use other dried fruits such as cranberries, blueberries, chopped apricots, or chopped candied ginger (no need to soak in hot water). You could also try chocolate chips instead of dried fruit.
Can I Use A Bread Machine To Make The Dough?
I haven’t tested this recipe using a bread machine. You can try it following the bread dough-making instructions for your bread maker, but a stand mixer works very well to knead the dough! You can place the kneaded dough in the oven with the light on or use a “bread-proof” setting to create a warm environment to let it rise.
Make A Glaze Cross Instead
For glaze crosses, skip the flour crosses in the recipe and only brush the dough balls with egg wash before baking. Once the hot cross buns have cooled, make a thick glaze you can pipe by whisking together 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk or water and ¾ to 1 cup powdered sugar. Place the mixture in a piping bag. Brush the hot buns with honey or apricot jam for an incredible shine, then let the buns cool completely. Pipe crosses on the top of each bun with the powdered sugar glaze.
Pro Tips For The Best Hot Cross Buns
- Use unexpired yeast. If your yeast has expired, the buns may not rise well. Always check the expiration date before starting a yeasted bread recipe. If the yeast doesn’t get very foamy after 15 minutes in the warm milk, start over with a new yeast packet.
- Measure the flour correctly. Using too much flour will cause the buns to turn out dry and dense. To avoid this, weigh the flour with a kitchen scale for the most accurate measurement. If you don’t have one, fluff the flour, spoon it into your measuring cup, and level off the top with a knife.
- For additional flavor, add grated orange zest (the zest of 1 orange peel) to the dough when adding the drained currants. You can also include other spices like ½ teaspoon of ground cardamom or cloves.
- Choose a good rising spot. Avoid drafty, cold areas and aim for a warm place so the dough can rise properly.
Frequently Asked Questions
These sweet buns are traditionally served on Good Friday in the UK. They are delicious warm or at room temperature with a generous smear of honey butter and are the perfect accompaniment to hot coffee or tea!
Yes. Follow the recipe until you shape the rolls, place them in the prepared pan, and they are about to start the final rise. Instead of letting the dough do its second rise in a warm spot, cover and chill them for up to 12 hours. The next day, let the chilled dough balls sit at room temperature for 1½ hours to warm back up and finish rising before adding the crosses and baking as directed. The cold temperature slows the yeast down, and they will rise some in the refrigerator, but not fully, so don’t skip letting them sit at room temp before baking them.
While hot cross buns are best eaten on the same day, you can store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. They are easily refreshed in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds or in the oven or air fryer at 350°F for a few minutes until warm.
If you’ve tried this hot cross buns recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
