This classic Hot Cross Buns recipe is a must for Easter! Soft, lightly sweetened, and finished with a bright orange sugar glaze, these buns have the cross baked right in the dough for a traditional touch.
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Our family’s favorite Easter treat, these sticky-sweet Hot Cross Buns, are too good to save for just one season—we enjoy them all year! Soft and fluffy, they’re packed with plump raisins and spiced with orange, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves for the perfect bite.
This traditional recipe bakes the cross directly into the buns rather than applying it after cooling, which is perfect because we add a sweet orange syrup glaze to the cooled buns. The glaze makes the buns shiny and fruity, and yes, it also makes them sticky.
If you love the spiced and orange flavors, try making cranberry orange scones and spiced orange cranberry bread, too!
- Type of recipe: Bread
- Cooking method: Baked, requires 90 minutes to rise dough
- Skill level: Intermediate, involves kneading and rising dough
- Flavors: Spiced, citrusy
- Textures: A hearty, bakery-style yeast roll with a rich, chewy texture and a firm yet tender crumb
Hot Cross Bun Ingredients
- Bread Flour: Forms the structure of the dough, allowing the buns to rise and hold their shape. King Arthur bread flour is my preferred flour to use.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the overall flavor.
- Yeast: Leavens the dough, helping the buns rise and become light and fluffy.
- Brown sugar: Adds sweetness and a subtle molasses flavor that complements the spices.
- Pumpkin pie spice: Provides the warm, spiced flavor characteristic of hot cross buns. You can also use equal amounts of ground nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. Try this pumpkin pie spice.
- Butter: Adds richness and creates a tender texture.
- Large Egg: Adds richness and helps bind the dough for a smoother texture
- Raisins (or other dried fruit): Add bursts of sweetness and texture to each bite.
- Orange zest: Infuses the dough with a bright citrus aroma and flavor.
- Milk: Hydrates the dough to form a smooth and pliable consistency.
- Flour, milk, and sugar: Create a thick paste to pipe the signature cross design, which bakes into a soft, decorative accent.
- Water, orange juice, and sugar: Combine to create a glossy, sweet coating that enhances the flavor and appearance of the buns. You can also skip the orange juice and just use a simple syrup mixture as your glaze. It will still give you that sticky sweetness that we love, but the pumpkin spice will be the dominant flavor.
How To Make Hot Cross Buns
Step 1. In the bowl of your stand mixer, stir the flour, salt, brown sugar, yeast and pumpkin pie spice until combined.
Add the butter in small amounts and mix on low speed until the flour mixture is the consistency of sand.
Step 3. Add the raisins and stir until evenly distributed. Add the orange zest and stir until combined. Note: if your raisins are large, just take some scissors and cut them into smaller pieces.
Step 2. Place the milk and two tablespoons of water in a heat-proof measuring cup or bowl and warm in the microwave for one minute. It should be about 110 degrees. Whisk in the egg to combine and the juice of half the orange.
Add the warm milk mixture to the flour bowl and beat at medium speed until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl and is soft and only slightly tacky to the touch.
Step 4. Shape the dough into a ball and return it to the lightly oiled mixing bowl. Cover and set in a warm place to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Step 5. Next, divide the dough into 24 equal portions, each approximately 1.5 ounces in weight.
Step 6. Roll each portion into smooth, round balls and evenly space them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover the dough with a towel and place it in a warm spot for 30-45 minutes for the second rise.
Step 6. Whisk the flour, milk, and sugar in a small mixing bowl until you get a paste resembling royal icing. Place the flour mixture into a piping or Ziploc bag and snip the corner. Pipe a cross over the top of the buns.
Bake for 15-20 minutes in your preheated oven. The buns will be browned on top. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes.
Step 7. Making the glaze. While baking the buns, make the glaze by mixing sugar, water and orange juice in a small saucepan. Place the pan over a burner set to medium heat and cook until the sugar is dissolved. Let cool for 10 minutes, then brush the syrup over the warm buns and serve immediately.
What To Pair With Hot Cross Buns
Hot cross buns are great on their own but can be enjoyed in various ways. Here are some pairing suggestions:
- Spreads: Enhance their flavor with butter, cream cheese, fruit preserves, or strawberry jam.
- Accompaniments: Serve alongside fresh fruits like berries or a fruit salad for a refreshing contrast.
- Beverages: To complement their spiced sweetness, pair with a cup of honey ginger tea, coffee, or hot chocolate.
- Add these buns to your St. Patrick’s Day meal of Irish Dublin Coddle for a sweet side.
FAQ’s
Store leftovers in a covered container or zipper bag at room temperature for up to 3 days. After that, the buns may become stale and might need a quick warm-up in the microwave to soften.
Yes, you can freeze the baked buns. Place them in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw them at room temperature when ready to eat.
It’s best to freeze the buns before glazing them. When ready to serve, thaw them at room temperature, brush on the glaze, and serve immediately.
Yes, you can. Shape the buns after the first rise to freeze the unbaked dough, freeze them on a lined baking sheet, then transfer them to an airtight container. When ready to bake, let them thaw and rise for 3–5 hours before following the recipe.
You can, but bread flour produces the best results, providing more elasticity and strength for the dough.
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Hot Cross Buns
Ingredients
For the buns:
- 4 cups Bread flour
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup butter diced
- 1 each zest of 1 orange
- 1 cup raisins or any other dried fruit
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons water
- ½ orange juiced
For the cross topping:
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
For the glaze:
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
Instructions
How To Make The Hot Cross Buns Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir the flour, salt, active dry yeast, brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice for 1 minute or until combined.
- Add the diced butter in small amounts and mix on low speed until the flour mixture is the consistency of sand. Then, mix in the raisins and orange zest. Note: if your raisins are large, just take some scissors and cut them into smaller pieces.
- Place the milk and water in a heat-proof measuring cup or bowl and warm in the microwave for one minute, it should be about 110 degrees, then whisk in the egg and the juice from half an orange.
- Next, add the warm milk mixture to the flour mixture and beat on medium speed until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl and is soft, and only slightly tacky to the touch.
- Shape the dough into a ball, and place it back into the mixing bowl that has been lightly oiled. Cover, and set in a warm place to rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- Divide the dough into 24 equal portions. Each portion will be approximately 1.5 ounces in weight. Roll each portion into small balls.Place the dough evenly spaced onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover the dough with a towel and place in a warm spot for 30-45 minutes for the second rise.
Making The Cross Icing
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk the flour, milk and sugar together until you get a paste. It will resemble royal icing. Place the flour mixture into a piping bag or a ziploc bag and snip the corner and pipe a cross on each roll.
- Preheat the oven to 400° while the dough is rising.
Baking and Glazing Instructions
- Bake for 15-20 minutes in your preheated oven. The buns will be browned on top. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.
- While the buns are baking, make the glaze by mixing sugar, water and orange juice in a small saucepan. Place the pan over a burner set to medium heat and cook until the sugar is dissolved. Let cool for 10 minutes, then brush the syrup over the warm buns and serve immediately.
Storage
- Store leftovers, covered or in a zipper bag, at room temperature for up to 3 days. At that point, the buns will be stale and may require a bit of a warm up in the microwave to soften.
Notes
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Nutrition
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Hello there, I’m Jere’
From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending. Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place, and I am glad to be here at One Hot Oven® sharing sweet and savory family-friendly recipes for your cooking and baking inspiration.
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