Hot Cross Buns are such a traditional Easter bake and I can never resist them every time they hit the shelves! Making your own at home does take a little time, which makes them perfect for a lazy Sunday bake. The results are definitely worth the effort - warm, sticky, spiced buns full of fruit. They are great slathered with butter or your favourite spread, and you can add jam too if you like.
Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information
- Strong bread flour is the best option for bread as it is high in protein which assists in the forming of gluten - a protein that creates the rise in bread, as well as creating the lovely bread texture that we all know and love. You can also make this recipe with regular plain flour, the bread may just rise a little less.
- Mixed spice is a British spice blend typically containing cinnamon, coriander seed, nutmeg, clove, pimento and ginger. If you can't get hold of it, you can use a Pumpkin Spice mix instead. Or try 1 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp ground ginger, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg and ¼ tsp ground cloves stirred together.
- The milk and butter should be lukewarm or tepid before you add it to the flour, this essentially means room temperature which is around 18C to 23C. It's important not to add it when it's hot (above 30C) as this will most likely kill the yeast and your bread will not rise.
- I used dried mixed fruit which includes lemon and orange peel. Some people aren't a fan of peel, so instead you can use the same weight of dried raisins or sultanas, and add the zest of one orange and one lemon to the dough if you still want that citrus flavour.
- You don't have to soak the dried fruit, but I do recommend doing it as it helps it taste better and also stops it from burning in the oven.
- You can use either semi-skimmed or whole milk for this recipe.
- If you are kneading the dough in your stand mixer, pop it into the bowl of your mixer and set it on a low speed (1 or 2 depending on your mixer) with the dough hook attachment. Leave it to knead for 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth and supple, and comes away from the side of the bowl easily.
- For more information on bread making, including a guide on how to knead by hand and lots of tips and tricks, check out my White Bread Loaf recipe.
- Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales*. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
- For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons* and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.
For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.
How to make Hot Cross Buns
In a small pan, melt the butter with the milk. Then leave it to cool until lukewarm, around 10 minutes. Put the dried fruit into a bowl and pour boiling water over to cover it, leave to soak for 10 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer, stir together strong white bread flour, yeast, salt, cinnamon, mixed spice and caster sugar.
Pour the milk and butter mixture into the flour mixture, and add the egg too. Mix everything together either with a wooden spoon or in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Knead the dough for 8 minutes in a stand mixer with a dough hook, or for 10 minutes by hand. If you like, you can add the fruit at this stage. Place the dough into an oiled bowl, cover it with cling film, and leave it in to rise for 90 minutes or until doubled in size.
Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and split it into 12 pieces, you can weigh them if you like for accuracy. Mine were 104g each. Roll them into balls and place them onto a lightly oiled baking tray. Cover the tray with oiled cling film, and leave to rise for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Make the flour paste for the cross on the buns by mixing strong white bread flour and caster sugar with water until a thick paste forms. Put it in a piping bag and snip off the end. Pipe the crosses along the shaped dough buns, let the cross hug the curves of the dough as you pipe.
Bake the Hot Cross Buns for 22-25 minutes until golden brown on top. Just before they come out of the oven, warm the golden syrup in a pan. When the Hot Cross Buns come out of the oven, brush the golden syrup on top to give them a lovely shiny and sticky sweet glaze.
How do you know when the dough has risen enough?
Depending on the temperature of your room, it will take slightly different times for the dough to complete it's first prove (rise). Aim for 1 hour and 30 minutes in a 21C room, then check the dough by giving it a poke with your finger. If the dough springs back easily, it needs more time. If it doesn't spring back at all, it's over proved. Or if it springs back about halfway, it's just right! If you're not sure, it's always better to have sightly under proved bread, than over proved bread.
What size tin do you need for this recipe?
My favourite tin to use for this recipe measures 38.5 cm x 25.5 cm x 2.2 cm. If you have a tin that is slightly bigger or slightly smaller this will be ok, just don't use a tin that is dramatically bigger or smaller.
How long do the hot cross buns last and can they be frozen?
The hot cross buns are best eaten when they are freshly made and on the same day or the day after, but they will keep well for 3 days. It should be stored in an airtight container in a cool place. You can freeze them for up to three months, wrap well in cling film or freeze in a tupperware container. It's best to freeze them with some baking paper between each bun to stop them sticking together, and then you can defrost them as you need.
Who is this recipe suitable for?
This recipe is suitable for vegetarians.
Can this recipe be made gluten free?
If you are coeliac or are wanting to bake bread for someone who is, I would advise that you look for a specifically gluten free bread recipe. It is much easier to follow an already gluten free bread recipe, than try to adapt one. I am not familiar with gluten free bread baking, and I have no experience with baking gluten free bread. I recommend trying this Gluten Free Hot Cross Bun recipe from The Gluten Free Alchemist.
Can this recipe be made dairy free?
Yes! You can use dairy free milk and dairy free butter for this recipe to make it dairy free.
What type of yeast should you use to make this recipe?
The best type of yeast to use for this recipe is fast action yeast (also know as instant yeast) it is sold in sachets that weigh 7g each. It does not need dissolving in water before use. The great thing about this type of yeast is that you can just add it straight into the flour. It is my personal favourite kind of yeast for homemade bread baking, and the type I recommend for this recipe. However if you want to use fresh yeast, you will need 8g fresh yeast. Or if you want to use active dry yeast, you will need 9g of active dried yeast.
Can you swap the mixed dried fruit for anything else?
Yes! You can add chocolate chips, other dried fruit like cranberries or apricots, chunks of marzipan or chopped nuts.
Troubleshooting
If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!
Recommended equipment & ingredients*
- Baking trays
- Mixing bowls
- Cooling rack
- Kitchen scales
- Mixed spice
- Piping bags
- Measuring spoons
- Stand mixer
- Fast action yeast
- Metal dough scraper
*I earn a small amount of money if you buy the products after clicking on the links. You will not be charged anything extra for this. Thank you for supporting The Baking Explorer!
More Easter recipes...
Hot Cross Buns
Ingredients
For the dough
- 500 g Strong white bread flour
- 7g Dried fast action yeast 1 sachet
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Cinnamon
- 2 tsp Mixed spice
- 60 g Caster sugar also known as superfine sugar
- 285 ml Semi skimmed milk or whole milk
- 75 g Butter unsalted
- 1 Egg large
- 250 g Mixed dried fruit
For the 'cross'
- 50 g Strong white bread flour
- ¼ tsp Caster sugar
- 4-5 tbsp Water
For the glaze
- 2 tbsp Golden syrup warmed
Instructions
- In a small pan heat up the milk and butter, once the butter is melted take it off the heat and leave to cool for 10 minutes
- Place the mixed dried fruit into a small bowl and pour over enough boiling water to cover it, leave to soak for 10 minutes, then drain the water off
- Put the strong white bread flour, fast action yeast, cinnamon, mixed spice, salt and sugar in a large bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer. Make sure that the salt and the yeast do not directly touch each other. Stir the mixture together
- Pour the cooled butter and milk mixture into the flour mixture, then add the egg too. Mix it either with a wooden spoon, or ideally in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, until a dough forms
- Knead the dough for 10 minutes by hand on a lightly floured surface (it is a wet dough so don't be tempted to overly flour it) or in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment for 8 minutes
- You can add the fruit at this stage if you like, or add it later
- Place the dough in a bowl brushed with olive oil, cover it with cling film and leave in a warm place to rise for 90 - 120 minutes until doubled in size
- Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, if you haven't added the fruit yet, add it now and knead it into the dough until evenly distributed
- Cut the dough up into 12 equal pieces, weigh them for accuracy if you like, mine weighed 104g each. Roll them into balls and place them onto a lightly oiled baking tray. Cover the tray with oiled cling film, then leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour and 15 minutes
- Before the dough is finished proving, pre-heat your oven to 180C Fan/400F/Gas Mark 6, and make the flour paste for the cross on the buns by mixing the strong white bread flour with the sugar and water until a thick paste forms. Put it in a piping bag and snip off the end
- Use the piping bag to draw the crosses along the dough buns, follow the curves of the buns as you pipe it
- Bake the buns for 20-25 minutes until golden brown on top
- Warm the golden syrup on the hob in a small pan, and brush on top of the buns as soon as they come out of the oven to give them a lovely shiny and sticky sweet glaze
- Serve immediately, store fully cooled leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days
Video
Notes
- Strong bread flour is the best option for bread as it is high in protein which assists in the forming of gluten - a protein that creates the rise in bread, as well as creating the lovely bread texture that we all know and love. You can also make this recipe with regular plain flour, the bread may just rise a little less.
- Mixed spice is a British spice blend typically containing cinnamon, coriander seed, nutmeg, clove, pimento and ginger. If you can't get hold of it, you can use a Pumpkin Spice mix instead. Or try 1 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp ground ginger, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg and ¼ tsp ground cloves stirred together.
- The milk and butter should be lukewarm or tepid before you add it to the flour, this essentially means room temperature which is around 18C to 23C. It's important not to add it when it's hot (above 30C) as this will most likely kill the yeast and your bread will not rise.
- I used dried mixed fruit which includes lemon and orange peel. Some people aren't a fan of peel, so instead you can use the same weight of dried raisins or sultanas, and add the zest of one orange and one lemon to the dough if you still want that citrus flavour.
- You don't have to soak the dried fruit, but I do recommend doing it as it helps it taste better and also stops it from burning in the oven.
- You can use either semi-skimmed or whole milk for this recipe.
- If you are kneading the dough in your stand mixer, pop it into the bowl of your mixer and set it on a low speed with the dough hook attachment. Leave it to knead for 8-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and supple, and comes away from the side of the bowl easily.
- For more information on bread making, including a guide on how to knead by hand and lots of tips and tricks, check out my White Bread Loaf recipe.
- Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales*. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
- For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons* and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.
Kate Glutenfreealchemist
Yum Kat! These look stickily gorgeous ....... Just how they should be! Next year I really must make the effort to make home-baked HXB's
Kat BakingExplorer
Thanks Kate! They are worth the effort, I'm glad I did it and I hope you get the chance too 🙂
Mindfulness Baker
Really enjoyed this recipe! Very clear instructions, a joy to make! The results were crowd pleasing. Can't wait to try baking more of your recipes!
Irene
I love hot cross buns, and these look particularly fluffy and delicious!
Laura
Another fab recipe, easy to follow and tasted great!!! I used slightly less fruit and baked for exactly 20 mins. Perfect.
thebakingexplorer
Thanks so much Laura!!
Lucy Pickford
Hi
Could you use a bread machine to make the dough before baking in the oven?
thebakingexplorer
Hi Lucy, I've never used a bread machine in my life so I have no idea sorry! What you can do is use a stand mixer with a dough hook to knead the dough to save you from kneading it by hand, I hope that helps!
Jane Cunningham
First time making them, perfect! Delicious with some Kerrygold. Here in the States we can’t buy them, guess I’ll be making them a lot now! One more thing I miss from home!
Camila
Can I use regular milk?
thebakingexplorer
Hi Camila, whole or semi skimmed milk is best for these buns 🙂
Jane Cunningham
Just a quick question- what is the reason for not mixing the fruit into the dough with the mixer before the first rise?
thebakingexplorer
Hi Jane, sorry I missed this question! You can add the fruit at this stage if you like, or add it later, I've done it both ways and not found any major difference. I hope that helps!
Nicky
I’ve wanted to make hot cross buns for ages and found your recipe, easy instructions and simple ingredients, very tasty, they didn’t last long!! X
thebakingexplorer
I'm so pleased you liked the recipe Nicky, thank you for your wonderful feedback!
Bex
This was my first time making hot cross buns. Excellent recipe! So easy to follow with excellent results! Thanks Kat!
Sally
I swapped the dried fruit for chocolate chips and they’re absolutely gorgeous😍, lovely and sticky sweet with the golden syrup too!
Julia Cleaver
Just made my second batch of these and pleased to report that the first batch was not just beginners luck haha! I can’t eat raisins/sultanas and I really miss hot cross buns so I wanted to try making my own. This recipe is perfect and really easy to follow, even though I’d never baked anything that needed proving before. First batch I made plain which was yummy. Second batch I added extra spices and fudge pieces from the supermarket baking aisle and they are delicious! Thanks so much, Kat. I no longer have to feel sad when my hubby eats hot cross buns 😉
thebakingexplorer
Hi Julia! Thank you so much for this lovely feedback! I'm so happy you've enjoyed this recipe more than once and that the addition of fudge pieces was a success! 😀
June Antoszkiw
A first time for me baking hot x buns, making these from Kats recipe was easy to follow with delicious results.