The Best Soft Hot Cross Buns Recipe

An easy hot cross buns recipe for the fluffiest, soft hot cross buns. Filled with spices and fruit, these hot cross buns can be made by hand or in a mixer. 

Easter is the perfect time to make this soft hot cross buns recipe, as this is the traditional time for these easter buns. Though these deliciously spiced fruit buns would be a treat to enjoy all year round, it’s fun waiting all year in anticipation to make them. 

The History of Hot Cross Buns 

Hot cross buns are common fare in the UK, NZ, Australia, and India. They are eaten traditionally on Good Friday to mark the end of Lent. 

The hot cross bun is filled with spices and fruit and marked with a cross, symbolic of when Jesus was crucified. However, as well as Christian ties, hot cross buns have also been linked to the Pagan Saxons, who were said to bake cross buns in honor of the goddess Eostre. 

Here's a sourdough hot cross buns recipe you might like too!

Traditional Hot Cross Buns Recipe - The Spices and Fruit  

Hot cross buns always contain fruit and spices and yeast dough. The spices in this recipe include ground cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg and cloves.

The fruit in this hot cross bun recipe includes raisins, orange zest and juice, and lemon zest. The raisins are soaked in orange juice first to slightly plump up before being added to the dough. 

The fruits used can be swapped or added to if you wish - Candied citrus peel, sultanas, dried apples, currants, chopped apricots, and cranberries work well too. 

Soft Hot Cross Buns Recipe Flour, Yeast and Dough

The dough for the hot cross buns is simple to put together, though it needs plenty of time to be kneaded.  For this recipe, an all-purpose flour is used, one with a protein level of around 11% is best. A bread flour could also be used. If kneading by hand, flour with a higher protein level is easier.

It can be kneaded by hand or in a bench mixer, but bear in mind that the dough starts off quite sticky, so it needs a long period of kneading time. A high hydration dough, kneaded to perfection is what will make superior fluffy hot cross buns. 

The yeast

The yeast used in this recipe can be instant yeast or active dried yeast. Instant yeast will rise faster than active dried yeast. Whichever one you use, it needs to be viable. Usually, the instant yeast sachets are pretty full-proof, but sometimes active dried yeast can lose viability.

To test the viability of yeast before beginning, warm the milk (to around 95-104°F / 35-40°C) and mix in the yeast along with one tablespoon of the sugar. Leave it to sit for 5-10 minutes first. If it becomes foamy, it's good to go.

Kneading by hand 

Kneading by hand can be done but it requires a bit of elbow grease. Begin the mixing of the hot cross bun dough in a bowl with a fork until it is mixed into a shaggy dough. Tip it on to a clean bench to knead it further. 

A slap and fold method is easiest for a wet dough like this - slap the dough down hard on the bench and pull it forward quickly, and repeat. Using swift motions can stop the dough from sticking to your hands too much. It will be very sticky but don’t be tempted to add more flour. Soon you will begin to feel strength gather in the dough. After around 15 minutes of kneading, check to see if the gluten has developed enough with the window pane test. 

Windowpane test 

Let the dough rest for 5 minutes. With clean hands, grab a small piece of dough and see if you can stretch it out slowly without tearing it, until it is so thin it is almost see-through. If the dough tears very easily the gluten has not been developed enough. 

Overnight Hot Cross Buns or Same Day Hot Cross Buns - Baker’s Schedule. 

This recipe can be an overnight hot cross buns recipe or a same-day hot cross buns recipe, depending on what works best for you. Here is the baker’s schedule with the two options.

Day 1

• Mix and knead the dough.
• Proof the dough until doubled or place the dough in the fridge overnight to rise slowly.
• Shape the hot cross buns and let them double.
• Bake and glaze

Day 2 - if the dough was refrigerated overnight

• Remove the dough from the fridge
• Shape the hot cross buns and let them double in size.
• Bake and glaze 

The Hot Cross Buns Method 

The dough

In a saucepan or in the microwave, warm the orange juice. Take it off the heat and add in the raisins.

Leave them to sit and hydrate while the dough is mixed.

In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add yeast, sugar, flour, salt, spices, milk and egg.

Turn the mixer on low and combine until it forms a thick but slightly sticky dough.

Add in the room temperature butter and keep mixing until the butter has been incorporated.

Turn the mixer on medium speed and keep it mixing until the sticky dough starts to strengthen and come together and pull away cleanly from the sides of the bowl. This can take around 15 minutes.

Proper gluten development will allow you to stretch the dough so thin you can almost see through it. This is called the 'window pane effect. To test this, leave the dough to rest for 5 minutes before grabbing a small piece and stretching it. 

Drain the raisins and add them to the dough along with the fruit zest.

Mix it together to incorporate the raisins. If doing this by hand, you will notice this brings extra moisture back into the dough.

Don’t worry, just keep kneading it gently until the raisins are incorporated. Using wet hands can help.

Proofing the dough

Pull the dough out of the bowl onto a bench and form it into a ball. Place the dough ball into a clean bowl and cover it with a lid or plate, or a damp tea towel, and let it proof in a warm spot for 1.5- 2 hours until doubled in size. 

If making overnight hot cross buns, the dough can be covered and placed in the refrigerator overnight to rise slowly.

Shaping the dough

Pull the dough onto a clean bench and cut it into 9 even pieces (use a scale for exact measurements).

Use your hands to form each piece into a tight ball. Line a 10 x 10-inch square baking dish with parchment paper.

Step 7 - Place each ball into the baking tray, then cover with a damp tea towel and let them rise until just doubled in size. You can create a warm rising spot by gently preheating an oven to 104°F/40°C, turning the oven off, and placing the dough buns in there.

Baking the Buns

Mix the ingredients for the crosses, then pipe the crosses onto the buns.

Bake the buns until golden brown. While the buns are baking, mix together the glaze ingredients.

Brush the hot baked buns with glaze the moment they come from the oven. Leave the buns to cool for about 20 minutes before eating.

Hot Cross Bun Troubleshooting

Is your hot cross bun dough not rising? Your yeast may not be viable anymore. If you want to test the viability of your yeast before beginning, warm the milk (to around 95-104°F / 35-40°C) and mix in the yeast along with one tablespoon of the sugar. Leave it to sit for 10 minutes first. If it becomes foamy, it's good to go.

Why are my hot cross buns dense? Adding too much flour is usually the cause of this. Though it's tempting to add more flour to a sticky dough, try and refrain! A higher hydration dough makes a much lighter bun.

How can I store hot cross buns? Hot cross buns can be stored covered at room temperature for up to three days, or they can be frozen for up to three months.

How are hot cross buns best eaten? On the day they are made, they are best fresh with a pat of butter. On the following days, they can be toasted or warmed lightly in the oven.

Related recipes

Why not learn how to make cultured butter and serve alongside these hot cross buns?

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Full Recipe

The Best Soft Hot Cross Buns Recipe

Yield: 9

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Additional Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours 45 minutes

A traditional hot cross buns recipe for the fluffiest, soft hot cross buns. Filled with spices and fruit, these hot cross buns can be made by hand or in a mixer.

Print

Ingredients

Dough

• 240g (1 cup) warm milk (95-104°F / 35-40°C)
• 2 teaspoon instant or active dried yeast
• 75g (⅓ cup + 1 Tablespoon) brown sugar
• 450g (3 3⁄4 cups**) all-purpose flour
• 2 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon allspice
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 large egg
• 60 g (4 ½ Tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

Fruit

• 140g (1 cup) raisins
• Juice and zest of 1 orange
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest

Crosses

• 50g (⅓ cup + 1 Tablespoon) all-purpose flour
• 50g (just under ¼ cup) water

Glaze

• 50g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
• 2-3 tablespoon boiling water

Instructions

1. To test the viability of yeast before beginning, warm the milk and mix in the yeast along with one tablespoon of the sugar. Leave it to sit for 5-10 minutes. If it becomes foamy, it's good to go.
2. In a saucepan, warm the orange juice until simmering. Take it off the heat and add in the raisins. Leave them to sit and hydrate while the dough is mixed.
3. Add the yeast, milk, remaining sugar, flour, salt, spices, and egg in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Turn the mixer on low and combine until it forms a thick but slightly sticky dough. Add in the room temperature butter and keep mixing until the butter has been incorporated.
4. Turn the mixer on medium speed and keep it mixing until the sticky dough strengthens, comes together, and pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl. This can take around 10-15 minutes. Proper gluten development will allow you to stretch the dough so thin you can almost see through it. This is called the 'window pane' effect. To test this, leave the dough to rest for 5 minutes before grabbing a small piece and stretching it.
5. Drain the raisins and add them to the dough and the fruit zest. Mix it to incorporate the raisins. If doing this by hand, you will notice this brings extra moisture back into the dough. Don’t worry, keep kneading it gently until the raisins are incorporated.
6. Pull the dough from the bowl onto a bench and form it into a ball. Place the dough ball into a clean bowl, cover it with a lid or plate or a damp tea towel, and let it in a warm spot for 1.5- 2 hours until doubled in size. If making overnight hot cross buns, the dough can be covered and placed in the refrigerator overnight.
7. After proofing, pull the dough onto a clean bench and cut it into 9 even pieces (use a scale for exact measurements). Use your hands to form each piece into a tight ball. Line a 10 by a 10-inch square baking dish with parchment paper.
8. Place each ball into the baking tray, then cover with a damp tea towel and let them rise until doubled in size. You can create a warm rising spot by gently preheating an oven to 104°F/40°C, turning the oven off, and placing the dough buns in there.
9. Preheat the oven to 350°F/ 180°C standard oven. Mix the ingredients for the crosses into a paste. Scoop it into a piping bag with a small tip and pipe the crosses onto the buns.
10. Bake the buns for approximately 25-30 minutes until golden brown. While the buns are baking, mix the glaze ingredients. Use a pastry brush to brush the hot baked buns with glaze when they come from the oven. Leave the buns to cool for about 20 minutes before eating.

Notes

An all purpose flour with a protein level of around 11% is best. Bread flour could also be used. If kneading by hand, flour with a higher protein level is easiest.

**The cup sizes given are for US cups. Note that these are smaller than metric cup sizes. For best results, use grams.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 9 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 405Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 37mgSodium: 218mgCarbohydrates: 78gFiber: 3gSugar: 29gProtein: 9g

This recipe is written using grams as the main measurement.

If you don't have a kitchen scale US* cup equivalents are also included, however, using a kitchen scale to measure grams will give the best, and most consistent results. *US cup sizes are smaller than metric cup sizes.