These traditional hot cross buns are delicately spiced and have a variety of raisins in them. Leave them out if you like, or add currants. A wonderful treat for Easter!
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These traditional hot cross buns are so soft, flaky, sweet and just melt in your mouth! They are perfect with a cup of tea or coffee, and if you have leftovers, you can make an amazing bread pudding out of them!
If you are looking for more Easter recipes, try my Italian Easter Bread.
🐣What are hot cross buns?
Hot cross buns are a traditional yeasted sweet bun that is served around Easter. They are filled with spices and dried fruit, such as raisins, currants or citrus. They are decorated with a white cross piped on top, which represents the crucifix, and a sweet glaze.
🥘Ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Yeast - I use active dry yeast, but use whichever kind you are used to. The rising times will vary depending on type.
- Milk - I prefer whole milk in this recipe, but 2% would work too.
- Unsalted butter - if you only have salted butter, use that and omit the added salt.
- Thompson raisins and sultana raisins - you could use just one kind or raisins, both, or even add in currants or citrus.
🔪Instructions
I used my dinner roll recipe as a starting point for these traditional hot cross buns, and doubled it as I wanted 12 larger rolls. Start by stirring the yeast, sugar and milk together. Let that mixture sit for a few minutes to make sure the yeast is active.
Add in butter, eggs and all the spices. Next add in ¾ of the amount of flour. Knead that together, add the salt, and then add in more flour, a bit at a time, until the dough comes together and is not very sticky to the touch.
Place the dough into a greased bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until it is doubled in size. After it has doubled, divide the dough into 12 rolls. I like to weigh the dough to make sure all the rolls are the same size, but you could also just eyeball it. Make sure the rolls are smooth on top and sealed on the bottom.
Place the rolls onto parchment lined baking sheets and cover with kitchen towels. Allow the rolls to double in size, then apply the crosses, and bake.
Crosses
I make the crosses on top of these rolls with a flour/water mixture. You can use a piping bag or use a sandwich bag and snip off a corner. The crosses get piped on before they are baked.
You can also opt for a royal icing cross if you want a bit more sweetness. The crosses would be piped on after baking and the buns have cooled.
A sweet glaze of warm milk and melted sugar gets brushed on top of the buns after being baked. This makes the hot cross buns shiny and sweet.
For more step by step photos, view the web story for Traditional Hot Cross Buns.
✔️Expert Tips
- Yeast - This recipe calls for active dry yeast, but you can use whichever type of yeast you prefer. The rising times will change depending on the type of yeast though (i.e. instant yeast will have a faster rise).
- Milk - Lower fat milks will work, but the buns will lose a bit of it's richness.
- Add-ins - This recipe calls for 2 different kinds of raisins. Use just one kind if you like, add in currents, candied fruit, lemon or orange zest. Keep the total amount of add-ins to ¾ cup.
- Overnight - Shape the rolls and before you let them rise, cover and place in the refrigerator overnight. Remove the buns from the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature and rise, about 4 hours. Pipe the crosses on them and bake uncovered.
- Icing Crosses - If you prefer to make the crosses with royal icing, do not pipe the crosses on before baking the buns. Bake them and then once cooled, pipe the crosses on. Let the royal icing dry before brushing the glaze on top.
💭FAQs
These hot cross buns can be frozen and re-warmed another day. Have them come to room temperature and reheat.
You could also freeze them after you have shaped them into individual rolls. Then you can take the rolls out of the freezer, allow them to come to room temperature and double in size. Pipe the crosses on them and then bake.
Hot cross buns are traditionally eaten over the Christian Easter holiday, to symbolize the crucifixion of Jesus.
There could be a few reasons. The most common is over kneading, which can happen easily if you use a stand mixer.
Adding too much flour is another reason. Be careful to add just enough so that the dough just cleans the bowl (not sticky).
📖Related recipes
📋 Recipe
Hot Cross Buns
Ingredients
Hot Cross Buns
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 cup whole milk warm
- 5 tablespoon unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 3 - 4 ⅓ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup thompson raisins
- ¼ cup sultana raisins
Cross
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoon water
Glaze
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Instructions
- Hot Cross Buns
- In a bowl of a stand mixture fitted with the dough hook attachment, add yeast, sugar and milk. Mix together and then add in butter, eggs and spices.
- Weigh flour into a separate bowl and then add in ¾ of the amount of flour to the other ingredients. Add in salt and knead together. Add in a tablespoon of the remaining flour at a time until the dough comes together and just cleans the bowl.
- Knead both types of raisins into the dough.
- Place dough into a large greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in a warm environment until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Cover 2 baking trays with parchment paper and set aside.
- Punch down the risen dough and weigh it. Divide that amount by 12 to figure out how much each hot cross bun should weigh to get similar sizing.
- Form each bun and place on the prepared baking trays. Cover loosely with parchment paper and let rise for 30 minutes.
- Cross
- In a small bowl, mix flour and water together to make a loose paste. Fill the paste into a piping bag and cut a small hole off the bottom. Pipe crosses onto the buns before they go into the oven.
- Bake for 12 - 14 minutes or until golden brown.
Glaze- In a small bowl, mix the milk and sugar together. Dissolve the sugar by warming up the mixture in a microwave.
- Brush the glaze over the tops of each bun after they come out of the oven.
- Hot cross buns are best eaten the day they are made, but will last up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave.
Notes
- Yeast - This recipe calls for active dry yeast, but you can use whichever type of yeast you prefer. The rising times will change depending on the type of yeast though (i.e. instant yeast will have a faster rise).
- Milk - Lower fat milks will work, but the buns will lose a bit of it's richness.
- Add-ins - This recipe calls for 2 different kinds of raisins. Use just one kind if you like, add in currents, candied fruit, lemon or orange zest. Keep the total amount of add-ins to ¾ cup.
- Freezing - Shape the rolls and before you let them rise, put them in the freezer. Once frozen, you can put them in a freezer bag. They won't stick together then. These can be frozen for up to 3 months. On the day you serve them, arrange them on a parchment lined baking sheet, cover with a kitchen towel, and let them thaw and rise at room temperature for about 5-6 hours. Pipe the crosses on them and bake.
- Overnight - Shape the rolls and before you let them rise, cover and place in the refrigerator overnight. Remove the buns from the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature and rise, about 4 hours. Pipe the crosses on them and bake uncovered.
- Icing Crosses - If you prefer to make the crosses with royal icing, do not pipe the crosses on before baking the buns. Bake them and then once cooled, pipe the crosses on. Let the royal icing dry before brushing the glaze on top.
Robert Chetwynd
I adapted your recipe for my bread machine and I used 1 1/4 cups of milk instead of 1 cup and 4 1/2 cups flour I think they turned out really nice.
Nina
That's great Robert! I am so glad you like it!