We love baking Hot Cross Buns every year at Easter time. It is one of those holiday traditions that we simply enjoy. This hot cross bun recipe yields a deliciously sweet bun, but not too sweet and is mildly spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. The offset of orange peel (or orange zest) pairs wonderfully with the spices.
Hot Cross Buns originated in 1361 when they were baked and given to the poor and homeless on Good Friday. The Hot Cross Bun is baked and eaten traditionally on Good Friday which marks the end of lent. The cross on the bun symbolizes the crucifixion of Jesus and the spices are symbolic of the spices used in the tomb. It symbolizes spring where everything comes anew after the winter. No matter the reason for baking them, it is a wonderful Easter treat! I like making them every Easter simply because they are delicious!
This recipe has a few steps to it and takes at least half of a day, but they are well worth all the work! These are great as sourdough hot cross buns and just as amazing (maybe even better) without sourdough! Either way, these are the best buns you will enjoy this Easter! These hot cross buns are soft and fluffy, with a chewy crust and taste especially yummy with the piped icing!
Let’s get started.
We are going to start with the first part. Put 2 tsp sugar and 2 tbsp yeast in a bowl and then add 1/2 cup warm water (though I usually add 2/3 cup warm water) and let proof, about 10 minutes. Add 2 cups warmed milk (not scalded or too hot or it will kill the yeast), and 1 cup sourdough starter if using.
Add 3 cups flour. You can use bread flour, all purpose flour, whole grain or a combination. You will have a very sticky dough.
Cover with parchment and a tea towel and place in oven (not preheated) for 1 hour to proof.
After an hour, the proofed mixture will look like this. In this batch, I have used sourdough starter and more red fife flour than all purpose flour. In the batch I show you below, I have used more all purpose flour than red fife and no sourdough starter. No matter which way you make them, the hot cross buns turn out fantastic! Now that this yeasty-dough mixture is ready, set it aside.
Now onto the next part of this dough. Cream together 1/2 cup butter with 3/4 cup sugar. Add 2 eggs and mix well. Add raisins, spices and salt. Add 1 to 2 tbsp orange zest or the peel from marmalade or citron peel. You can also add other dried fruit like cherries, currants, cranberries or no fruit at all.
Add 3 cups flour. Stir well. The mixture will be very stiff.
Now we are going to combine these two mixtures.
Pour half of the yeasty-dough into the butter mixture and stir well.
After mixing half the yeasty-dough mixture in, it will look something like this.
Add remaining yeasty-dough mixture.
Stir well. The dough will now look like this and be very sticky and rather hard to mix.
Add 1/2 cup flour and stir until stiff dough forms.
Turn dough onto floured surface.
Knead for a few minutes, adding flour if dough is too sticky. Knead until dough is no longer sticky, but will be a bit tacky. I never knead my dough until stretchy or pulls without breaking. When using whole grain flour, kneading too much will create a tough dough — I have learned a lot in my experiences of bread making!
Place dough into an oiled bowl. Oil top of dough slightly to prevent drying out.
Cover with parchment and tea towel once again and place in oven (not preheated) with light on for 1 hour.
This is the dough after an hour. Looks amazing and smells fantastic! I love making fresh bread.
Punch dough down. I actually just deflate slightly with my fingers.
Cut or rip dough into pieces and shape into buns. I just fold the top under, then sides under to form a bun, pinching the bottom and placing it in the greased pan. I try to handle as little as possible, otherwise a tough bun may result.
Time to proof the buns. Place parchment paper on and place in oven with light on to proof, about 30 to 45 minutes or until doubled in size.
These have risen beautifully. At this point, you can pipe the flour paste on in the shape of a cross (I mention it in a moment!). Some recipes say to cut a cross into the bun but this results in a deflated bun so I never slice the dough prior to baking. Time to bake! Bake at 350F for 28 to 35 minutes or until golden brown.
Once baked, remove from oven and let cool. Once cooled, pipe icing on.
These sourdough hot cross buns taste fantastic with jam like our homemade peach-rhubarb jam!
I have also made these without sourdough and with organic all purpose white flour with just a little whole grain flour and they turned out absolutely amazing!
Making the hot cross buns without the sourdough is much the same as with. First, combine yeast, sugar and warm water together. Let proof 10 minutes. Add warm milk and flour. Here, I have used 2 cups white organic flour and 1 cup red fife. Mix until sticky dough forms. Place in cold oven with parchment paper and a tea towel over bowl. Close oven door and leave oven light on. Let proof 1 hour.
After 1 hour, its time to make the creamed dough mixture. Cream butter, sugar and eggs together until creamy. Add salt, spices and flour. I have used 2-1/2 cups white flour and 1 cup red fife. Mix well. Add 1/2 yeasty-dough mixture to butter mixture and mix well. Add remaining and stir. Add a bit of flour if needed. Knead dough on floured surface, adding flour if needed. Knead until just tacky but no longer sticky. Place in oiled bowl and cover with parchment paper/tea towel and place in oven with oven light on for 1 hour. After 1 hour, the dough should have at least doubled. In this batch, the dough had risen for 1-1/2 hours and turned out beautifully!
Time to shape into buns! Cut or rip dough and form into a bun. We made 9 buns in the 9×9 pan and 12 in the 9×12 pan. Place in a greased pan and cover with parchment paper and place back in oven with oven light on, for 30 to 40 minutes. Buns will have at least doubled in size. If you would like a cross baked into the hot cross buns, combine flour and water together until a smooth paste forms. Place in a baggie or piping bag and pipe flour “paste” onto buns. I piped the flour “paste” onto one pan of buns and the other pan I left as is so I could just pipe icing on top instead! Bake at 350F for 25 to 35 minutes or until golden brown.
Once baked, let cool. This pan has the flour “paste” crosses baked into the buns. We also piped icing on top to eat!
The smaller pan, we simply piped icing on. We combined butter, icing sugar, vanilla and water to make a thick icing that could be piped on, similar to a buttercream.
These hot cross buns are amazingly soft and fluffy! We ate half the pan Good Friday!! But fresh bread is always best enjoyed right away anyways! Do these not look delicious!?!
We made this batch of hot cross buns on our Facebook page LIVE (which turned out to be in 4 parts) since these buns are to be enjoyed on Good Friday!
Watch Part 1 – Making the Dough here: https://fb.watch/4DIeEo6cRz/
Watch Part 2 – Making the Buns here: https://fb.watch/4DIdkRz3Rk/
Watch Part 3 – Getting Ready to Bake here: https://fb.watch/4DIc7pFxEe/
Watch Part 4 – Icing the Buns here: https://fb.watch/4DI7yBZSDl/
Hot Cross Buns
Yeasty-Dough Mixture:
2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp yeast
2/3 cup warm water
2 cups warmed milk of choice
3 cups flour of choice
*1 cup sourdough starter – optional.
Combine sugar and yeast in large bowl. Add warm water and let proof 10 minutes. Add warmed milk and flour. *If using sourdough starter, add with warmed milk and stir in before adding flour. Cover with parchment and a tea towel. Place in cold oven, close door and leave oven light on. Let rise 1 hour.
Dough:
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves
1 cup raisins or currants or dried fruit of choice
2 tbsp orange zest or citron peel or peel from marmalade
3-1/2 cups flour of choice
Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs and salt. Mix well. Add spices, dried fruit, orange peel/zest if using and flour. Mix well. Add the half the yeasty-dough mixture to the butter mixture and stir well. Add remaining yeasty-dough mixture and stir well. Add a bit of flour if needed. Turn out onto floured surface and knead until no longer sticky, and just tacky, adding flour if needed. Place in a large oiled bowl. Place parchment and tea towel over and place in oven with oven light on. Let rise 1 hour to 1-1/2 hours.
Shape into buns and place in a greased pan. Divide the dough between three 9×9 pans or one 9×9 pan and one 9×13 pan. Cover with parchment paper and place in oven once again with oven light on. Let rise 30 to 40 minutes.
Flour “Paste”:
Combine 1/4 cup flour with enough water to make a gluey paste. Pour into a piping bag or plastic baggie. Snip end and pipe vertically and horizontally on buns to create crosses. You can also omit this step.
Bake at 350F for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool.
Quick Creamy Icing:
2 tbsp (1/8 cup) butter
2-1/2 cups icing
1 tbsp vanilla
water
Combine butter, icing sugar, vanilla and enough water to form a thick creamy frosting/icing. Pour into a piping bag or plastic bag, snip end and pipe crosses onto cooled buns.
We hope you have enjoyed this recipe (and our videos) as much as we have! Share with us your hot cross buns!
