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featured hot cross buns.

Hot Cross Buns Recipe

Course: Bread
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Rise Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 12 buns
Calories: 333kcal
Author: Becky Hardin
Hot Cross Buns are a traditional sweet bread made for Easter. The cute and delicious icing "cross" makes it the ultimate holiday recipe.
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Ingredients

For the Dough

  • 1 cup milk 227 grams, lukewarm (105-110°F)
  • ½ cup granulated sugar 100 grams
  • 0.25 ounces instant yeast 7 grams (1 packet)
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour 480 grams
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt 3 grams
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3 grams
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
  • ¾ cup raisins 112 grams
  • 2 large eggs 100 grams, room temperature
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 85 grams, melted (¾ stick)

For the Egg wash and Cross Paste

  • 1 large egg 50 grams
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour 60 grams
  • 5 tablespoons water 71 grams

For the Icing

  • ½ cup powdered sugar 57 grams
  • 2 tablespoons milk 28 grams
  • ½ teaspoon orange zest 1 gram

Instructions

For the Dough

  • Combine the milk, sugar, and instant yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let it sit for a few minutes until the yeast becomes foamy
    1 cup milk, ½ cup granulated sugar, 0.25 ounces instant yeast
  • In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk the flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and raisins together.
    4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground allspice, ¾ cup raisins
  • Add the eggs and butter to the yeast mixture. .
    2 large eggs, 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • Attach the dough hook to the mixer and mix on low until combined, about 1 minute.
  • Add in the flour mixture in 2 installments and continue mixing on low speed for 4-5 minutes, until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough seems sticky, sprinkle in a little flour and continue mixing
    hot cross bun dough in a stainless steel mixing bowl.
  • Cover the bowl with a towel, and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size. This will take 45-60 minutes. If your kitchen is cold, let the dough rise in your oven set to 200°F or on its warm setting.
    proofed hot cross bun dough in a stainless mixing bowl.
  • Punch down the dough. Remove it from the bowl and gather it into a ball on a floured surface. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts. Then, divide those pieces into 3 equal pieces for a total of 12 (about 93 grams per bun).
    hot cross bun dough shaped into 12 balls.
  • Roll each piece into a ball and place them in a greased 9x13-inch baking pan.
    12 hot cross bun dough balls in a rectangular baking pan.
  • Cover the baking pan with a kitchen towel, and place it in a warm spot to rise for 45 minutes until puffy. Preheat the oven to 350°F while the dough rises..

For the Egg Wash and Cross Paste

  • Whisk the egg and a couple of teaspoons of water in a small dish. Brush the egg wash over the risen buns.
    1 large egg
    proofed hot cross bun dough balls in a rectangular baking pan brushed with egg wash.
  • In a bowl, combine the flour and water, mixing until it forms a paste-like consistency.
    ½ cup all-purpose flour, 5 tablespoons water
  • Transfer the mixture to a sealable plastic bag, and snip the corner of the bag.
  • Once the buns have risen, squeeze the flour mixture in a straight line across each row/column of buns to form a cross on each bun.
    proofed hot cross bun dough balls with piped crosses on top in a rectangular baking pan.
  • Bake the buns for 20 minutes until golden brown.
    baked hot cross buns in a rectangular baking dish.
  • Allow to rest for a few minutes after baking.

For the Icing

  • Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and orange zest.
    ½ cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, ½ teaspoon orange zest
  • Brush the icing over the buns.

Notes

  • Measure your dry ingredients using the spoon-and-level method to prevent dry buns.
  • You can use active dried yeast in this recipe, but the buns may take longer to rise.
  • For chewier hot cross buns, swap some (or all) of the all-purpose flour for bread flour.
  • You can use any dried fruits in these buns, or a mixture of dried fruits and candied citrus peels.
  • Feel free to add chopped nuts instead of (or in addition to) the raisins. Keep the total add-ins to 1 cup.
  • If you don't have a stand mixer, you can knead the dough by hand for about 10 minutes.
  • Cool the buns completely before icing them!
Storage: Store hot cross buns in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bun | Calories: 333kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 225mg | Potassium: 186mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 281IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 3mg