Extremely soft, these hot cross buns with sultanas/raisins, orange zest, ground cinnamon, and sugar icing are flavorful and perfectly sweetened. Make them for Easter – or any other day you want a delicious, warm bun.
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Ingredients you will need
Flour – Use bread flour.
Yeast – Instant yeast is the most convenient option you can choose, but active dry yeast will work well for this easy hot cross bun recipe. Don’t forget to wake up your active dry yeast in lukewarm milk before adding it to the flour.
Sugar and salt – You can replace white granulated sugar with light brown sugar if you want. Salt should be added to the main dough as well as to the cross paste.
Egg – Egg, as always, should be at room temperature.
Milk – For yeast to feel comfortable and grow, use lukewarm whole milk.
Butter – Unsalted butter should be softened but not melted.
Spices – There are different spices you can add to this hot cross buns recipe, but I went with ground cinnamon and allspice. Additionally, you can add ¼ teaspoon ground ginger.
Sultanas – I use sultanas but you can replace them with raisins, golden raisins, or dried currants. Or you can create a mix that you will like!
Orange – We will need orange zest for the dough and orange juice for the icing.
Cooking tips
Add butter gradually. The butter should be added in pieces no bigger than one tablespoon or it can melt before being mixed into the dough and sink to the bottom of your mixing bowl.
Add the right amount of water to your flour paste. Your flour can be different from mine and so the amount of water can be different to achieve the right, pipeable consistency for your paste. I suggest you add water a little bit at a time and mix until the right consistency is achieved. The paste should be easy to pipe and create a very distinct line. You can try piping it on the cutting board before applying it to the buns.
Pipe slowly. The paste can break if you pipe it too fast, so don’t rush. Apply slowly, creating a continuous line that will look very tidy on your buns.
Step by step directions
For the buns
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, combine the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt.
2. Add the egg and milk and knead on medium-low for 3 minutes. Then, switch to medium and knead for 3-5 minutes, or until the dough has formed and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
3. Add the butter one tablespoon at a time and knead until fully incorporated on medium.
4. When all the butter is in, combine the all-spice, cinnamon, sultanas, and orange zest in a bowl, then add to the dough.
5. Knead on medium for 5-7 minutes or until you can stretch a small piece of the dough into a square, creating a film thin enough for light to pass through.
6. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it in a warm place to proof for one hour.
7. Line a 9” by 14” (23cm by 35cm) baking pan with parchment paper.
8. When the dough has significantly risen and is jiggly, knock it down and remove it onto a working surface.
9. Divide into 15 even pieces. Shape each piece into a tight ball and place it in the prepared baking pan.
10. Cover the pan filled with buns with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature to proof for 1 hour, or until doubled in volume and jiggly.
Cross paste
1. Prepare the paste by combining all paste ingredients. Add more water if needed. The paste should be thick but spreadable and easy to pipe.
2. Place the mixture in a piping bag and snip the corner to create a 5 mm opening.
3. When the buns have risen and are jiggly, pipe the crosses on top of the buns.
Baking and glazing
1. Bake the buns on the middle rack in the oven, preheated to 190C (375F), for 13-15 mins or until the internal temperature is 190F (88C). The top should be a deep golden brown color and the bread should sound like it’s hollow inside when you tap on it.
2. Remove from the oven and let cool down in the pan.
3. Combine the flat icing ingredients in a small bowl and heat in a microwave until very warm.
4. Brush the buns with icing while still warm and serve.
Flavor and decoration variations
Add vanilla – If you’re a big fan of vanilla flavor, you can add 1 teaspoon to your dough.
Saffron – Bloom a little bit of saffron in the milk before adding it to the dry ingredients. The buns will turn out flavorful, with a beautiful color.
Salted caramel – Who said that you have to go the classical way and apply sugar icing to your Easter buns? You can make it more of a dessert by drizzling on some homemade Salted caramel.
Nuts – Along with sultanas, you can add the crushed nuts of your choice to the bun dough.
Candied orange peel – You can buy it or make it at home. Don’t forget to cube it before adding it to the dough, as it will be so much easier to incorporate this way.
FAQ
Store them in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Do not store in the fridge!
You can make the dough and keep it in a large bowl covered with plastic wrap in the fridge overnight. The next day, shape your buns, proof them until risen and jiggly, and bake.
Yes, you can freeze these buns for up to 2 months.
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Recipe card
Hot cross buns
Equipment
- Digital kitchen scale
- Stand mixer or hand mixer with hook attachments and a large mixing bowl
- 9” by 14” (23cm by 35cm) baking pan
Ingredients
Buns
- 400 g bread flour
- 7 g instant yeast
- 80 g white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 240 ml whole milk at room temperature
- 80 g unsalted butter softened
- ¾ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 120 g sultanas golden raisins, or currants
- 1 orange zest only
Cross paste
- 60 g bread flour or all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 70 ml water more if needed
Icing
- 70 g powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange juice more if needed
Instructions
Buns
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment (or use a hand mixer with hook attachments and a large mixing bowl), combine the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt.
- Add the egg and milk and knead on medium-low for 3 minutes. Then switch to medium and knead for 3-5 minutes, or until the dough has formed and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Add the butter one tablespoon at a time and knead until fully incorporated on medium.
- When all the butter is in, combine the all-spice, cinnamon, sultanas, and orange zest in a bowl, then add to the dough.
- Knead on medium for 5-7 minutes or until you can stretch a small piece of the dough into a square, creating a film thin enough for light to pass through (windowpane test). The dough won’t be that sticky anymore and it will look hydrated, silky, and smooth.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it in a warm place to proof for one hour (I use an oven with the lights on).
- Line a 9” by 14” (23cm by 35cm) baking pan with parchment paper. You can also grease it with butter or oil spray instead.
- When the dough has significantly risen and is jiggly, knock it down and remove it onto a working surface. If sticks too much, sprinkle it with a little bit of flour.
- Divide into 15 even pieces (65g each or eyeball it). Shape each piece into a tight ball and place it in the prepared baking pan. If the dough sticks too much, you can grease your hands with a little bit of olive oil.
- Cover the pan filled with buns with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature to proof for 1 hour, or until doubled in volume and jiggly.
- Preheat the oven to 190C (375C).
Cross paste
- Meanwhile, prepare the paste by combining all paste ingredients. Add more water if needed. The paste should be thick but spreadable and easy to pipe.
- Place the mixture in a piping bag and snip the corner to create a 5 mm opening.
- When the buns have risen and are jiggly, pipe the crosses on top of the buns.
Baking and glazing
- Bake the buns on the middle rack for 13-15 mins or until the internal temperature is 190F (88C). The top should be a deep golden brown color and the bread should sound like it’s hollow inside when you tap on it.
- Remove from the oven and let cool down in the pan.
- Meanwhile, combine the flat icing ingredients in a small bowl and heat in a microwave until very warm.
- Brush the buns with icing while still warm and serve.
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