Description
These homemade Hot Cross Buns are fluffy, perfectly spiced, and topped with a sweet glaze. With a blend of cinnamon, allspice, and sultanas, these buns are perfect for Easter or any occasion. Watch the video for tips on kneading and shaping the dough for perfect golden buns!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the Buns
- 3 teaspoons instant or rapid rise yeast (9 grams)
- 1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 1 1/2 cups (375ml) warm milk (full-fat or low-fat)
- 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 1/2 cups (210g) sultanas
- 1–2 oranges, zest only
- 50g / 3.5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- Extra flour for dough (1/4 cup / 35g)
For the Crosses
- 1/2 cup (75g) flour (any white flour)
- 5 tbsp water
For the Glaze
- 1 tbsp apricot jam
- 2 tsp water
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients:
- Place flour, yeast, sugar, allspice, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Mix briefly with a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
- Add Wet Ingredients:
- Add melted butter, warm milk, egg, sultanas, and orange zest.
- Standmixer: Mix for 5 minutes until smooth, elastic dough forms. Start on speed 2, then increase to speed 4. If needed, add extra flour to prevent the dough from sticking.
- Hand Kneading: Dust a work surface with flour and knead by hand for 10 minutes until smooth.
- First Rise:
- Leave the dough in the bowl, cover with cling wrap, and place in a warm, wind-free spot. Let it rise until doubled in size (about 30 minutes to 1 1/2 hours).
- Shape the Dough:
- After rising, punch the dough to deflate.
- Shape it into a log, then cut into 12 equal pieces.
- Roll each piece into a smooth ball and place them on a lined 9×13 tray.
- Second Rise:
- Cover the tray with lightly oiled cling wrap and let the dough rise for 30–45 minutes, or until it’s about 75% risen. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Make the Crosses:
- Mix flour and water to form a thick but runny paste.
- Spoon into a piping bag or a ziplock bag with the corner snipped off. Pipe crosses onto the buns.
- Bake:
- Bake in the preheated oven for 22 minutes, until the surface is a deep golden brown.
- Glaze:
- While baking, microwave the apricot jam and water for 30 seconds and stir to combine.
- Brush the glaze over the warm buns after removing them from the oven.
- Allow the buns to cool slightly before serving.
Notes
- You can adjust the orange zest and sultanas to suit your taste, or substitute the sultanas for raisins.
- These buns are best served warm on the day they’re made.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bun (approx. 1/12 of the recipe)
- Calories: 230 kcal
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 190mg
- Fat: 4g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 30mg