Hot Cross Buns Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Learn how to make the perfect spiced buns from scratch with this easy hot cross buns recipe! Made using yeast, currants and fragrant spices, complete with a sweet and sticky glaze, these incredibly soft and fluffy buns are the perfect way to celebrate Easter!

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Resting Time3

Total Time3 30

Course: baking, Snack

Cuisine: Australian

Servings:

Calories: 347kcal

Author: Andrea Geddes

Ingredients

1 cup milk
⅓ cup caster sugar
6 tsp dry, instant yeast if using fresh yeast, dissolve in a little water and use double the amount of dry yeast.
4 cups plain flour
4 tsp mixed spice
1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp salt
6 tbs butter around 90 grams
½ cup sultanas
1 cup currants
1 large egg

For the crosses

½ cup flour
4 tsp caster sugar
6-8 tbsp water

For the glaze

⅓ cup water
4 tbsp smooth apricot jam

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Stir the milk and sugar together in a small saucepan over low heat, until lukewarm. The milk should be warm, but not hot to the touch.
Transfer the milk to a small bowl and whisk in the yeast. Cover the bowl and set aside for 10 minutes, until the yeast becomes frothy.
While the yeast mix is resting, add the flour, spices and salt into a large mixing bowl. Rub in the butter until the butter is completely combined.
Add the currants, sultanas, yeast mix and egg to the flour/butter mixture and mix with your hands or a stand mixer until a soft dough forms. If the dough is a little dry, you may need to add a small amount of water. Mix for 2 minutes.
Cover the dough and allow to rest in a warm place (see notes below) for 1-2 hours depending on how much time you have. During this time, the dough should double in size.
After an hour, knead the dough on a lightly floured surface (or with a stand mixer) for ten minutes. It will start off feeling very firm and hard to work, but will soften and become more stretchy as you knead.
Divide the soft dough into 12 even portions and roll them into balls.
Evenly place the balls, almost touching, onto a greased or lined tray and cover. Cover and stand in a warm place for 30 minutes to an hour to rise again.
Pre-heat oven to 220 C°.

To mix the flour paste for crosses

Mix the flour, sugar and water together until a smooth paste forms. You may need to add a little more water to reach a thick paste that can be passed through a piping bag.
Pipe the crosses over the top of the uncooked buns and bake for 15-20 minutes, until cooked through. To test, tap the top of a bun. If cooked, it will sound hollow.
Remove from the oven and transfer the buns to a wire rack to rest.

For the glaze

Mix the apricot jam and water together in a small saucepan and stir until the jam dissolves. Bring to a low simmer for 3-4 minutes and then remove from the heat. Lightly brush the top of the warm buns as soon as the glaze is done (before it becomes too sticky).

To serve

Enjoy these hot cross buns warm from the oven, or lightly toasted, with butter.

Notes

Check the yeast! Before starting, check the expiry date on the yeast and ensure that it has been stored in a cold, dry place. The yeast won’t be effective if it has been stored incorrectly or passed its use-by date.
Don't over-heat the milk. When heating the milk to activate the yeast, it needs to be warm but not scalding. Hot milk will kill the yeast. Heat it on low heat in a saucepan until warm to touch, without burning.
Avoid too much flour. Soft, sticky dough is best and will rise better than dry dough with too much flour. If your dough is too sticky, slowly sprinkle a little more flour until soft. The dough will feel firm before kneading, but after 10 minutes it should feel much more soft and elastic.
Find a nice, warm spot for the dough. In some climates, this can be tricky. My house is always cold around Easter time, so it can be challenging to find a warm spot for the yeast to work its magic. If you have a warm, sunny spot that’s great. If not, try adding it to a warmed and turned off oven on very low heat (around 30-40 C).
For even cooking, weigh the dough when dividing the mixture into balls. To ensure that all of the buns cook evenly, I cut my dough into portions, weighing the balls to ensure they are a similar weight. This is not necessary, but helps ensure that all of the buns have finished cooking at the same time.
Storage: This recipe can also be made ahead of time and the dough stored in the fridge or freezer. Allow the dough to return to room temperature before baking, as cold dough will not rise. Store the uncooked dough in the fridge for up to 5 days, or cover and freeze for up to 3 months.
Cooked/ready made hot cross buns can be cooled and kept at room temperature for 1-2 days, or frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Imagine having a stash in your freezer, ready for whenever the desire for toasted hot cross buns with butter hits!

Nutrition