Hot Cross Buns Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Hot Cross Buns are a traditional sweet bread made for Easter. The cute and delicious icing "cross" makes it the ultimate holiday recipe.

Prep Time30

Cook Time20

Rise Time2

Total Time2 50

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American

Servings: buns

Author: Becky Hardin

Equipment

Kitchen Scale (optional)
Stand Mixer
9x13 Baking Pan

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
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.
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).
Roll each piece into a ball and place them in a greased 9x13-inch 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
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.
Bake the buns for 20 minutes until golden brown.
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.

Video

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