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Classic Hot Cross Buns Recipe

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3.9 from 73 reviews

  • Author: Amina
  • Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
  • Yield: 12 buns

Description

Classic Hot Cross Buns recipe featuring spiced, fluffy yeast buns studded with sultanas and finished with a sweet apricot glaze and traditional cross decoration. Perfect for Easter or any cozy occasion, these buns are soft, aromatic, and lightly sweetened with warming cinnamon and mixed spice.

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • 3 teaspoons instant or rapid rise yeast (9 grams)
  • 1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar (superfine sugar)
  • 4 1/4 cups (640g) bread flour (or plain/all purpose flour)
  • 2 tsp cinnamon powder
  • 2 tsp all spice (or mixed spice)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup (35g) extra bread flour
  • 1/2 cup (75g) flour (any white flour)

Wet Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups (375ml) milk, warm (full fat or low fat)
  • 50g / 3.5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 egg, at room temperature
  • 1 – 2 oranges, zest only

Fruits

  • 1 1/2 cups (210g) sultanas

Glaze

  • 1 tbsp apricot jam
  • 2 tsp water

Cross Paste

  • 5 tbsp water
  • 1/2 cup (75g) flour (any white flour) – combined above for cross paste with water

Instructions

  1. Mix dry: In a large bowl, combine the flour, yeast, caster sugar, all spice, cinnamon powder, and salt. Mix briefly with a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook to evenly distribute ingredients.
  2. Add wet: Add the melted butter, warm milk, egg, sultanas, and orange zest to the dry ingredients.
  3. Mix dough: Using a stand mixer, mix on speed 2 to combine ingredients, then increase to speed 4 and continue mixing for 5 minutes until a smooth elastic dough forms. Add extra flour gradually if the dough is too sticky, ensuring it pulls away from the bowl sides and is manageable. Alternatively, hand knead the dough on a floured surface for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
  4. Check kneading: The dough is kneaded enough when it is smooth and does not break when stretched.
  5. First rise: Cover the bowl with cling wrap and place in a warm, draft-free location for the dough to rise until doubled in size, approximately 30 minutes to 1 1/2 hours depending on temperature.
  6. Shape buns: Line a 31.5 x 23.5 cm (9 x 13 inch) tray with baking paper with overhang. Punch down the risen dough to deflate it, then dust your work surface with flour. Shape the dough into a log and cut into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth ball by pressing down and gathering dough with your fingers, placing each ball with the smooth side up on the tray in a 3 by 4 arrangement.
  7. Second rise: Lightly oil a piece of cling wrap and loosely cover the tray. Place in a warm spot to rise again for 30-45 minutes or until dough has risen about 75% (not quite doubled).
  8. Preheat oven: About halfway through the second rise, preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
  9. Make crosses: Mix 1/2 cup flour with 5 tablespoons water until a thick runny paste forms. Transfer to a piping bag or small ziplock bag with the corner snipped. Remove cling wrap and pipe crosses onto each bun, piping slowly to follow the bun contours.
  10. Bake buns: Bake in the preheated oven for 22 minutes or until buns are a deep golden brown on the surface.
  11. Prepare glaze: While baking, combine 1 tablespoon apricot jam with 2 teaspoons water and microwave for 30 seconds, stirring to combine.
  12. Glaze and cool: Remove the buns from the oven and lift them onto a cooling rack using the baking paper overhang. Brush the warm buns generously with the apricot glaze. Let them cool to warm before serving.

Notes

  • Ensure your yeast is active by proofing if uncertain, as inactive yeast will prevent dough from rising.
  • You can use either full fat or low fat milk depending on preference; full fat will yield richer buns.
  • Bread flour creates a chewier texture but plain/all-purpose flour works fine if bread flour is unavailable.
  • All spice can be substituted with mixed spice for authentic warm flavor; orange zest and sultanas add traditional fruity aroma and sweetness.
  • Adjust flour quantities slightly during mixing to achieve a tacky but not overly sticky dough.
  • Rising times depend heavily on ambient temperature; a warm, draft-free place will speed up fermentation.
  • Glazing with apricot jam while warm gives the buns a lovely shiny finish and slight sweetness.
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 22 minutes
  • Category: Bread
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: British

Find it online: https://aminabakes.com/classic-hot-cross-buns-recipe/