Hot cross buns are soft, fluffy and sweet buns traditionally made during Easter, especially on Good Friday. These homemade buns are made with simple ingredients like flour, yeast, sugar, milk, egg and cinnamon. It has lots of dried and candied fruits added which has a soft and pillowy texture with a warm cinnamon flavour and a sweet icing cross on top.
Hot Cross Buns
Making hot cross buns has been on my mind for a long time, but somehow I kept forgetting about them. Every time Maha watches the rhyme " Hot cross buns, hot cross buns, one a penny, two a penny," I remember this recipe again.
So, I finally decided to make them at home and I'm so glad I did. They turned out soft, fluffy and delicious in every bite. I loved the buttery texture of the buns with all those dried fruits in them.
About Hot Cross Buns Recipe
Hot cross buns are traditional sweet buns made during Easter, especially on Good Friday. The cross on top is traditionally associated with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and gives these buns a classic look.
Even though we don't make hot cross buns at home, some popular Easter recipes made in my home town is this vattayappam and orappam.
The glaze over the buns was like cherry on top. It looks and taste so good. I made a bigger batch of the dough because I made my delicious cinnamon rolls recipe.
These homemade hot cross buns are perfect for Easter breakfast, brunch or as an evening snack. Serve them warm with butter, cinnamon vanilla milk, coffee, milk or jam and enjoy these soft, fluffy and delicious buns with your family. Meanwhile check my Easter bunny cake and Easter sweet bread.
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Bagels
Brioche Buns
Nutella Designer Bread
The buns are made with a soft yeasted dough using simple ingredients like flour, milk, sugar, eggs, yeast and cinnamon. The dough is kneaded, allowed to rise and then shaped into small buns. Once baked, they turn soft, fluffy and delicious with a lovely cinnamon flavour.
For this recipe, I have used royal icing to make the crosses on top of the buns. You can also use chocolate icing or try different variations with dried fruits, nuts and spices. For More interesting recipes, check my funnel cake and this cherry loaf cake.
These homemade hot cross buns are best served warm for breakfast or as an evening snack with a cup of tea, coffee or milk. They are so simple to make at home and taste especially fresh and delicious when served warm.
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Ingredients
- All purpose flour : I have used all purpose flour to make these hot cross buns. It gives the buns a soft, light and fluffy texture after baking.
- Sugar : these hot cross buns are sweet. So extra sugar is added.
- Milk : I used warm milk to activate the yeast and to make the dough soft and smooth.
- Dry yeast : I have used dry yeast to help the dough rise and make the buns soft and fluffy.
- Egg : Egg helps make the buns soft, rich and tender. It also adds richness to the buns.
- Ground Cinnamon : Cinnamon gives the hot cross buns the traditional aroma and flavour.
- Unsalted butter : Butter makes the buns soft and gives them a delicious buttery taste.
- Salt : A pinch of salt added to balance the sweetness and enhances the overall flavour of the buns.
- Dry Fruits: I used Raisins and tutti frutti are added for extra color, sweetness and add a chewy texture to the buns.
- For Egg Wash : A mixture of egg and milk is brushed over the shaped buns before baking. It gives the buns a beautiful golden color and shine on top.
- For icing : I used a combination of icing sugar, cornstarch, milk, lemon juice to make the thick royal icing that we use to pipe cross over the buns.
Step by Step Pictures
Dry Ingredients
1)Lets start by mixing dry ingredients. Take plain flour in a bowl.
2)Add some salt into it. The reason why we are mixing salt into the flour is, salt should never come in direct contact with yeast.
3)Add in ground cinnamon powder as well.
4)Mix this well, this is your dry ingredients. Set aside.
Make Wet Ingredients
5)Take melted butter in a mixing bowl.
6)Pour in luke warm milk. The milk has to be very warm and not hot.
7)Add in sugar. Hot cross buns are sweeter than regular buns. Mix well until the sugar is completely melted into the milk mixture.
Activating Yeast
8)Touch and see whether the temperature of the milk is luke warm. It has to be very warm, if it is hot then the yeast will die.
9)Once the mix is warm, sprinkle over the yeast and set aside for 5 mins.
10)It will get foamy, bubbly. Now the yeast is activated. Add in egg and mix well.
11)This is your wet ingredients.
Make Hot Cross Bun Dough
12)Now add in flour mixture which we mixer earlier that has salt and cinnamon. mix to form into a dough.
13) If the mixture is too sticky, you can add some flour if needed. Now add in the dried raisins, tutti frutti and mix into a soft dough.
14)This is your dough dotted with all dried fruits.
First Proof
15)Now cover the dough with a plate and let it rise on a warm spot for 1 hour or till it is doubled in size. I usually place this inside my oven with just the oven lights on.
16)Now you can see the dough has more than doubled in size. Some times it may take more time to rise specially in colder climates.
17)Once the dough has doubled in size. Punch out the air gently.
Shaping Buns
18)Now Divide the dough into 15 equal portions.
19)Take each portion of the dough and roll into a smooth ball.
Second Proof
20)Arrange the shaped balls in a parchment lined baking sheet and cover with a kitchen towel. Allow it to rise for 1 hour until the buns is doubled in size.
21)Now you can see the buns has risen well. In the last 10 min of rising, preheat oven to 190 degree C (374 degree F).
Egg Wash
22)Make egg wash by mixing egg with some milk until combined.
23)Use a pastry brush to brush this egg wash all over the buns.
24)This gives the beautiful golden sheen over the buns.
Baking Hot cross buns
25)Now you can see the buns are generously brushed with egg wash. Place the buns in to the preheated oven.
26)Now bake the buns in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until it is golden and shiny.
27)Remove the buns from oven and let it cool for 5 minutes in the baking tray. Now remove the buns from baking tray and place on a wire rack and cool it completely.
Make Royal Icing
28)When the buns are cooling prepare glaze or royal icing.
29)Add cornstarch into icing sugar.
30)Add in lemon juice.
31)Add in very little milk and mix.
32)The icing has to be thick. This is your eggless royal icing.
32)Fill a piping bag or ziploc bag with icing, snip the end off.
33)Make criss cross pattern over the cooled buns. Let the icing set for 1 hour.
34)Serve.
Expert Tips
- The milk should be warm. Very hot milk can kill the yeast.
- Place the dough covered in a warm place and allow it to double in size.
- Divide the dough evenly so all the buns bake equally at the same time.
- After shaping, allow the buns to rise again before baking.
- Allow the buns to slightly cool before piping the royal icing. Otherwise, the icing can melt and lose its shape.
- Add a little orange zest or nuts for extra flavour.
Storage and Serving
Store the cooled hot cross buns in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 4 days.
Serve these buns warm for breakfast, Easter brunch or as a simple snack. They taste delicious on their own or pair it along with a little butter, jam or your favorite spread.
FAQ
Q. Can I use Instant yeast instead of dry yeast ?
Yes, you can use instant yeast instead of dry yeast. Instant yeast can be added directly to the flour without activating it separately.
Q. Can I use whole wheat flour instead of maida ?
Yes, you can replace maida with whole wheat flour, but the buns may be slightly differ in texture and taste.
Q. Why did my buns not rise ?
This can happen if the yeast is not activated properly. Make sure the yeast is activated well and give the dough enough time to rise until it becomes double in size.
📖 Get Recipe
Hot Cross Buns Recipe (Easter Hot Cross Bun)
Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups All Purpose Flour (Plain Flour)
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup Unsalted Butter melted
- 1 tablespoon Dry Yeast
- 1¼ cup Warm Milk
- 1 large Egg
- ½ cup Granulated Sugar
Dried Fruits
- ¼ cup Seedless Raisins
- ¼ cup Tutti Fruity (Candied Fruits)
For Egg Wash
- 1 large Egg
- 2 tablespoon Milk
For Royal Icing (For Making Cross)
- 1 cup Icing Sugar | Confectioner Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 2 teaspoon Lemon Juice
- 1 tablespoon Milk
Instructions
- Start by mixing the dry ingredients. Take flour, salt and cinnamon in a bowl and mix well. Set aside.
- Melt butter and take it in a pan, add in milk, sugar and whisk well. Touch and see whether the temperature of the milk is luke warm. It has to be very warm, if it is hot then the yeast will die.
- Once the mix is warm, sprinkle over the yeast and set aside for 5 mins. It will get foamy, bubbly. Now the yeast is activated. Add in egg and mix well.
- Now add in flour and mix into a dough. If the mixture is too sticky, you can add some flour if needed. Now add in the dried raisins, tutti frutti and mix into a soft dough.
- Now cover the dough with a plate and let it rise on a warm spot for 1 hour or till it is doubled in size.
- Once the dough has doubled in size. Punch out the air and divide the dough into 15 equal portions. Take each portion of the dough and roll into a smooth ball.
- Arrange the shaped balls in a parchment lined baking sheet and cover with a kitchen towel. Allow it to rise for 1 hour until the buns is doubled in size.
- In the last 10 min of rising, preheat oven to 190 degree C (374 degree F). Also make egg wash by mixing egg with some milk until combined and set aside.
- Now take the proofed buns. Brush the top with egg wash and place the buns in to the oven. Now bake the buns in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until it is golden and shiny.
- Remove the buns from oven and let it cool for 5 minutes in the baking tray. Now remove the buns from baking tray and place on a wire rack and cool it completely.
- When the buns are cooling prepare glaze or royal icing. Take icing sugar, cornstarch in a bowl and mix well. Now add in lemon juice and milk and make it into a thick icing. It has to be thick.
- Fill a piping bag or ziploc bag with icing, snip the end off and make criss cross pattern over the cooled buns. Let the icing set for 1 hour.
- Enjoy hot cross buns with a cup of milk.
Shravs
Super yummmm !