I’m pretty sure I am the world’s biggest fan of hot cross buns.
That sweet, airy dough, speckled with little ‘raisin jewels’. That dreamy mix of spices. Yes, yes, YES!
Easter or not, I can never say no to one of these delicious creations.
However, today is Good Friday, and so the perfect time to share this recipe with you.
That’s because these humble buns have become a symbol of the cross that Jesus died on – the cross that we remember on this day.
How to Make the Hot Cross Buns
I’m going to be quite honest with you. Making hot cross buns is a process. But, then again, making any baked good that requires rising time is quite a process.
So why bother?
I think you’ll understand once you have a huge tray of piping hot hot cross buns at your disposal. For some reason, hot cross buns taste even better when they are homemade. You can take my word for it. I’ve eaten a lot of hot cross buns in my lifetime!
Making the Hot Cross Bun Dough
To make the hot cross buns, you first have to start off by making the dough.
This dough contains milk, eggs, and butter – unlike bread dough, which is generally made with water. It also includes some spices to give it that fragrant taste and smell which is so irresistible.
To make the dough, stir together the flour, salt, cinnamon, mixed spice, nutmeg, sugar, and yeast in a large mixing bowl. I don’t like an overpoweringly spiced taste, but feel free to add more of the spices if that’s you!
Next, stir together the milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla essence in a mixing jug. You want to have all of these ingredients at room temperature so that the yeast gets very active and you land up with light, airy hot cross buns.
Make a well in the dry ingredients, then pour the wet ingredients into the well. Mix using a fork, until thoroughly combined. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead for about 5 minutes. If the dough starts to stick, add just a little bit more flour.
Here’s a useful video to show you how to knead, in case you don’t know. It may seem a bit tricky at first, but after a few tries you’ll get the hang of it.
Place the raisins/sultanas in a bowl and sprinkle over just a little bit of flour, mixing the raisins until they are all lightly coated.
Knead the raisins into the dough for another 5 minutes, until the dough is soft and slightly stretchy. If some raisins fall out whilst kneading, just stick them back in.
Rising and Shaping
The dough is now ready to rise. Lucky for you, this requires no work of your own. Stand back and let the yeast work it’s magic!
Simply roll the dough into a ball and place into a very lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a tea towel, and allow to rise in a warm place for about 45-90 minutes, or until at least doubled in size.
Once that’s done, you’re ready to shape the dough into buns and let them rise for a second time.
For this, grease or line with baking paper a medium-sized tray or dish. I used a roasting dish, as that ended up being the perfect size.
Punch the risen dough down gently to deflate it. Scrape it out onto a lightly floured surface, then divide into 12 pieces using a sharp knife. Roll the dough pieces into balls using your hands, then line up in the tray/dish.
Cover the tray/dish with a tea towel and allow the dough balls to rise for 20-30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Whilst they are rising for the final time, you can get started on the cross mixture. This was always my favourite part of the hot cross bun. I was so surprised when I learnt that it’s literally just flour and water!
To make the crosses, mix together the flour and water in a small bowl or mug. You want a consistency like a thick pancake batter. Add more water or flour if needed.
Spoon the mixture into a piping bag, and cut a small hole at the end.
When the buns have finished their final rising, pipe lines through the middle of them, first horizontally, then vertically.
To save time, do one long line through all of them, rather than doing each bun individually.
Baking, Cooling & Glazing
Bake them in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until the buns are brown on top, and underneath.
Allow the buns to cool for about 10 minutes in the tray. In the meantime, mix together the hot water and apricot jam. Brush this mixture over the buns. This will give the buns that lovely glossy finish.
Finish cooling the hot cross buns on a wire rack.
Serving & Storing the Hot Cross Buns
Serve them warm or cold, with a slathering of butter and jam.
In my humble opinion, these hot cross buns are best warm out of the oven. That’s the whole attraction of making your own, isn’t it?
Store in an airtight container at room temperature, or freeze to reheat another time. They are also great when they are toasted the following day for breakfast.
These fragrant buns are so worth the time that they take to make. They are light and airy, and oh-so-delicious! Dough In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt, cinnamon, mixed spice, nutmeg, sugar, and yeast. In a mixing jug, stir together the milk, egg, butter, and vanilla essence well. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the well. Mix using a fork, until thoroughly combined. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead for about 5 minutes. If the dough starts to stick, add just a little bit more flour. Place the raisins/sultanas in a bowl and sprinkle over about 1T flour, mixing the raisins until they are all lightly coated. Knead the raisins into the dough for about 5 minutes, until the dough is soft and slightly stretchy. If some raisins fall out whilst kneading, just stick them back in. Rise One Roll the dough into a ball and place into a very lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a tea towel, and allow to rise in a warm place for about 45-90 minutes, or until at least doubled in size. Rise Two Grease or line with baking paper a medium-sized tray or dish. Once the dough has risen, punch it down gently to deflate it. Scrape it out onto a lightly floured surface, then divide into 12 pieces using a sharp knife. Roll the dough pieces into balls using your hands, then line up in the tray/dish. Cover the tray/dish with a tea towel and allow to rise for an additional 20-30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Crosses In the meantime, mix together the flour and water in a small bowl or mug. You want a consistency like a thick pancake batter. Add more water or flour if needed. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag, and cut a small hole at the end. When the buns have risen for a second time, pipe lines through the middle of them, first horizontally, then vertically. To save time, do one long line through all of them, rather than doing each bun individually. Baking & Cooling Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until the buns are brown on top, and underneath. Allow the buns to cool for about 10 minutes in the tray. In the meantime, mix together the hot water and apricot jam and brush over the tops of the buns for that glossy finish. Finish cooling the hot cross buns on a wire rack. Serve warm or cold with a slathering of butter. Store in an airtight container at room temperature, or freeze to reheat another time. They are great when they are toasted the following day. You can add more of the spices if you like a stronger flavour in your hot cross buns. For sweeter buns, you can also add more sugar or more sultanas/raisins.
Hot Cross Buns
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading...Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
If you enjoy making these, you should also try out my sweetcorn rolls, or apple cinnamon buns.
