Hot Cross Buns
It’s taken me a while to perfect a hot cross bun recipe – and boy, it was worth the wait! They’re not at all hard to make but like all good bread recipes, they take a little time. To get the buns super light and soft, you make a yeast ‘super booster’ at the start to get it all going. It adds a smidgeon more time to the process, but it’s so worth it. And you probably only make hot cross buns once a year, so what’s your rush? Just enjoy the magic of breadmaking and then stuff yourself with the spiced buttered deliciousness. (And yes, you can add chopped up dark chocolate instead of fruit, you naughty people!)
VEGAN VERSION: Use 1 tbsp ground flaxseed (linseed) soaked in 3 tbsp water instead of the egg, and firm coconut oil (chopped up finely) instead of butter.
GLUTEN-FREE: Sorry, but you can’t use GF flour for this one, it just won’t work. Try my gluten-free hot cross bun cakes instead.
Makes 16 buns
Prep time – 30 minutes, plus 3-4 hours rising time
Cooking time – 17-20 minutes
Ingredients
Super Booster
1 ¼ cups high grade white flour (or strong flour)
1 ½ cups milk
2 tbsp sugar
3 tsp active dried yeast (check expiry date)
Fruit
1 ½ cups raisins, sultanas, chopped apricots or a mixture
Zest and juice of 2 oranges (I like to strip the peel off with a peeler then chop finely)
Dough
3 cups high grade white flour (or strong flour)
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp mixed spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp salt
50g chilled butter
‘Super Booster’ (see recipe above)
1 free-range egg, lightly beaten
Glaze
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup reserved fruit liquid from above (make up with water if need be)
Crosses
½ cup flour
1 tbsp sugar
3-4 tbsp water
½ tsp baking powder
Method
Fruit
Heat the orange juice and zest in a small saucepan until hot. Add the fruit to a bowl or a resealable bag and pour the orange liquid in. Seal/cover and leave for an hour or so, or overnight. Drain the fruit in a sieve before using and reserve the liquid.
Super Booster
Add the first measure of flour to a large mixing bowl.
Add the milk to a heatproof bowl and microwave in 20 second increments until it reaches skin temperature – about 32c is ideal. If it gets too warm, just let it cool down to skin temp before using.
Add the sugar and yeast and whisk gently for 20 seconds or so.
Make a well in the flour and pour in the milk mixture, stirring to combine evenly. Cover with a clean damp cloth or a plastic bag, and leave somewhere draft-free* for about 45 minutes. It should be bubbling away nicely and puff up.
Dough
Once the superbooster has risen, add the second measure of flour, sugar, spices and salt to a large metal or plastic mixing bowl and stir. The bowl needs to be big enough for the dough to double in size in later.
Finely chop the chilled butter and add to the flour mixture along with the Super Booster mixture and egg. Stir with a wooden spoon to bring it all together into a rough dough.
Tip it out a clean benchtop you’ve cleared some space on. Start to knead – it will feel very wet and sticky at first and your hands will feel caked in dough. You can rub your hands in a little more flour to clean them, adding the crumbs back to the dough. Keep kneading and eventually, the dough will stop sticking to your hands and the bench so much. Don’t be tempted to add heaps of flour – a little bit at the start is OK, but a sticky dough will produce much better buns than a dry dough. My tip is to invest in a dough scraper to clean the bench as you go – it’s a lifesaver.
Knead firmly for 10 minutes – it needs to be very smooth and stretchy (see tips below). You should be puffed with a mild sheen of sweat by the time you’re done (it’s good fitness). I literally stand one leg and throw all my weight into it. Once it’s ready, leave to sit for 5-10 minutes to relax before adding the fruit.
Drain the fruit well in a sieve and tip on to the benchtop. Squash the dough out on top and knead it all together for another minute or so. It will feel slippery and weird to start with – just persist with gentle kneading and it will all come back together into a cohesive, very sticky dough eventually.
Add the dough back to the mixing bowl, pop a plastic bag on top and leave in a draft-free place* (see tips below) until it’s doubled in size – usually an hour or two – it depends on the temperature of the surroundings, among other things. It’s a visual clue, not a timed one.
[At this point, you can punch the dough right back down in the bowl so all the air is gone, then cover and refrigerate overnight. Then continue to the next step].
Tip the dough out on a clean benchtop and divide into 15-16 even pieces (you can weigh them if you have electric scales). Firmly roll (and I mean firmly – I use the bench and really roll it around hard with one hand) each portion until you have a fairly smooth ball.
Place the balls nearly touching on a baking tray/metal roasting pan/enamel roasting dish lined with baking paper (mine was about 30 x 20cm). My buns were pretty much touching start with, so all the buns joined up nicely as they rose. If you use a thin metal roasting pan with sides to support the buns as they rise, they will look more like mine in the photo.
Cover with lightly oiled clingfilm (or I prefer uncovered in the turned-off oven with the bowl of boiled water) and leave to rise again for another hour or so until puffed up into proper bun size – they don’t rise any more when cooking, like cakes do.
Preheat the oven to 180c regular bake.
Crosses
Only do this just before you pipe the buns, or the mixture goes claggy. Stir the flour, baking powder, water and sugar together with a fork to form a smooth paste. Add to a piping bag with a small round nozzle (or a snaplock bag with a tiny corner cut off). Pipe thin crosses on top of each bun.
Bake immediately in the middle of the oven for about 20 minutes – or until dark golden brown all over. You can turn the oven up to 200c for a couple of minutes if they aren’t browning.
Glaze
Use the reserved fruit liquid and any water needed to make up 1/3 cup of liquid total. Add this to a heatproof bowl with the sugar. Microwave on high for 1 minute then whisk to dissolve the sugar. Brush on top of the buns as soon as they come out of the oven.
You did it! Homemade hot cross buns! They won’t look perfect because it’s home baking and you can’t produce buns like the bought ones – nor should you want to. No matter what they look like, you’re an absolute legend and they will taste better to you that anything you’ve bought a shop.
If eating them more than half a day later, I’d toast them.
*Dough rising
There’s no set time for dough to rise, room temperature is usually OK in the warmer months. It will rise slowest in cold conditions and faster in warm humid conditions (ideal temperature is about 32c). Try placing a bowl or tray of just-boiled water in a turned-off oven and pop the covered dough in there with it. Shut the door and there will be enough warmth trapped in there to help it rise nicely. It’s worth noting that yeast dies at temperatures above 50c, so don’t be tempted to warm it up too much.
Tips
Kneading
Proper kneading at the start means a lighter bun at the end. Knead by pushing the dough away – literally stretching it out – downward and away from you with the heel of your hand, then grabbing it and bringing it and repeating. You’re stretching out the gluten strands in the flour so the dough can rise properly. At the end, try to stretch and coax a piece of the dough out into a ‘window’ with your fingers – when the dough is ready, it should stretch enough you can see light through a thin pane of ‘glass’. If it’s not ready, it will just tear. You’ll get there – just keep going until you do. It’s a good workout!
Using a machine
I prefer not to use a machine – it actually ends up taking longer to achieve the result you want. However, if you must, you can use the dough hook on the machine to start the kneading process. Use a low speed for 5 minutes. You’ll need to finish the kneading by hand for another 5-10 minutes to get the ‘window-pane’ result I’ve mentioned above, which is critical.
Hi Chelsea, thanks so much for this recipe! Pretty much my first time working with yeast without using a breadmaker! I’ve made them a couple times during lockdown and found that (for me) it takes about 6 hours from starting to the finished product, so we’ve eaten them for afternoon tea. My question is, if you wanted them for morning tea, can you do part of the process the day before? I’ve read about rising dough overnight in the fridge – is that possible for one of the rising stages with these? Thanks!
Yes, follow the recipe to just before the shaping stage. Knock the dough back and keep in a covered bowl in the fridge overnight x
I got so angry making these (impatient baker) but holy moley! The most delicious hot cross buns I’ve ever had. Thank you! Winner recipe x
I’ve just made these today, they were fantastic!!! Perfect spice and sweetness, lovely and light. YUM!!
Oh these are sooo good! Luckily in Lockdown I had time on my hands. So worth the mission. HAPPY EASTER ????
Hi Chelsea – Can I make the dough right up to the last stage and then leave and cook the following day? It has taken me way longer than I thought so I am hoping that these will be just as good if the dough can be left overnight and baked in the morning. if so do I leave the dough balls in the fridge overnight? thanks
Yes, follow the recipe to just before the shaping stage. Knock the dough back and keep in a covered bowl in the fridge overnight x
Just wanted to say thank you for the amazing recipe Chelsea. I am currently living in the US where you cannot buy hot cross buns and you made one homesick Kiwi family very happy!
Hi Chelsea, I have made these the past two years for breakfast on Good Friday. So, so, so good! This year my too little people will want to ‘help’ and I’d rather enjoy the process on my own, without getting up too early in the morning. Could I start the night before and finish off in the morning? When would be the best point in the recipe to do this?
I made these tonight but substituted the fruit for chocolate drops. ( We had everything except the fruit in our pantry, plus easter means chocolate so why not)
I added the juice of half an orange with 1cup baking chocolate drops at what should have been the fruit stage to ensure there was a bit of added moisture that would have come with the fruit.
They came out delicious and my family were very impressed. Thanks Chelsea!!
I am at the stage where the fruit is added. Can you put the next stage or stages on hold for tomorrow and if so where do you keep the mixture.
Yes, follow the recipe to just before the shaping stage. Knock the dough back and keep in a covered bowl in the fridge overnight x
Hi Chelsea,
I made these yesterday (used mango, sultanas and chocolate chips, was delicious!!)
I’m wanting to have them ready to eat earlier in the day, if I made them up to the last rise, left the dough balls in the fridge then took them out to rise the following morning, would the yeast still stay active?
Hey Chelsea! Due to lockdown in NZ I can’t get my hands on high-grade flour, would this still work with standard grade flour? Thanks so much :)
Yes, it will work x
Could you store the super booster in the fridge for a couple of days? I just realised I only have ingredients for a half batch and have already made the super booster ????♀️
Hi chelsea
If using instant yeast do you still make it up as a super booster with sugar etc and wait for it to rise or would you add all the ingredients together
Happy Easter! Fantastic recipe, made my buns yesterday and they were perfect. Was a bit concerned when I added the fruit, but it all came together as you promised ????
I saved the soaking juice and used it to make the glaze – added an extra layer of orangey goodness! Delicious!
Thanks for this majestic recipe. Made them this morning. I am an ex South African now in Germany and let me tell you I have been craving the perfect HCB for years. Your recipe hit the spot. Thank you and Happy Easter from Germany.
You’re a legend Chelsea! I’m so thrilled with the Hot Uncrossed Bun version I made today. Can’t believe how perfectly they turned out thanks to your recipe! Delicious :o)
Hi Chelsea
I’m in Poland and am having trouble finding the mixed spice. What is it made up of if I were to buy them separately?
They were fabulous. Spicy, flavoursome and well worth lock down for <3
WOW .. I just made these Im no chef but they are amazing
These buns were certainly a labour of love – but after the first bite, I knew it was all worth it. Delicious!!!
First time making these for wife today with baby on the way due on 20th May. Best Hot Cross Buns we’ve had to date! Thanks a Million Chelsea, the baby approved!
Ok I used the active yeast mix and it worked. These are amazing hotcross buns maybe a bit more spices next time but so yummy and soft thanks Chelsea
Amazing! So light and fluffy, had to substitute a few things (lockdown life!) 1/2 dates 1/2 sultanas and only had mandarins and a lemon instead of oranges. Also used plain flour, but man they are good! Happy Easter :)
I made these hot x buns today and they are perfect, soft, light and super tasty. Totally worth a little extra time and attention. Chelsea, you’re a genius !
Can I use coconut milk instead of normal milk as I’ve run out?
Can I make the dough and refrigerate overnight? Then continue with the remaining steps in the morning?
Can I use the yellow top Edmonds active yeast all purpose in this, thanks Michelle
Our family are having hot cross bun competition in lock down, from Whangarei to Papamoa, all the way to Brisbane! plenty of spare time to make hot cross buns ! Any tips for choc version?
Hi Chelsea, my family don’t like the fruit. What would I have to do instead to make chocolate chip ones?
Hey Chelsea! In this lockdown I only have standard flour, can I use this or will it not work? Or is there something I can add with the standard flour to make it work?
Hey Chelsea! In this lock down I only have standard flour, will it still work? Or can I add something along with the plain flour to make it work?
Hi Chelsea
My daughter is allergic to egg and milk. Do you have any suggestions to alter your recipe? Thanks a mil
Hi chelsea
Can you explain the instructions about the metal or plastic bowl
Can you use ceramic or porcelain?
Hi Chelsea
Can you explain why the metal or plastic bowl instruction. Can you use a ceramic or porcelain bowl ?
Hi Chelsea, in lockdown and only have almond milk, can I use this instead of the ordinary milk? Thanks!
Which mixed spice do you use? MasterFoods has cinnamon, Allspice and nutmeg. Gregg’s has coriander, cinnamon, pimento, ginger, cassia, nutmeg and cloves.
Hi, was wondering what the average time for the booster to rise is?
Thank you – looking forward to seeing how these work out.
Lockdown troubles.. Will plain flour work?
I’m planning on making these for the first time tomorrow but I don’t have any oranges if I leave that out do I still need to soak the fruit in warm liquid or skip that step all together. Thank you
Hi Chelsea, how would I go about making these into chocolate buns please? How much chocolate chips/cocoa powder would I add?
Hi Chelsea.
Want to make fresh hot cross buns for Easter Sunday, can I do all the steps up until adding the fruit and kneading on Saturday and finish them off on Sunday morning?
I’m little confused with the timing?
Cheers,
This really is an excellent recipe, thanks Chelsea – slow food, for sure, but very worth it. About a decade ago I gave Hot Cross Buns an inaugural effort with the Edmonds cookbook, what a fail – turns out that recipe is notorious for being crap! Put me off making these for years. Owing to the current Lockdown, I couldn’t find High-Grade/Bread flour anywhere, so made them with organic white spelt…not quite as ‘bouffy’ as I’d like, but a wonderful flavour and texture, and yeah, better [to us] than anything we could buy. My husband got a packet of Hot Cross Buns from Pak n’ Save yesterday as a backup, just in case my efforts today flopped dismally – I think they can stay in the freezer.
If I want to start these tonight for tomorrow morning, at what stage should I leave the process overnight? If it is at the “till doubled in size” stage, should I leave it on the bench or put it in the fridge?
I’m looking forward to trying this recipe out. It gets such rave reviews. My mother used to make huge, soft hot cross buns but I’ve never quite managed anything like hers.
Hi is it possible to make this into chocolate hot cross buns? What would the sub be please?
Chelsea my friend made hot cross buns and when she put on the glaze it crystallised! Why do you think this happened?
Made these today and they are wonderful, just wondered if any stages can be done in advance the night before?
Wow the first time I have ever made hot cross buns . What fun . It’s has taken me most of the day but when in lockdown what else is there to do . Thanks so much for sharing
Hi I only have Surebake active yeast mixture will this work . Have not been able to get any others due to lockdown.
Hi Chelsea,
Can I substitute the milk with almond milk instead? Or half milk half cream? I ran out of blue milk and don’t really wanna go queue up in the supermarket! Help pls!
Hi Chelsea, is it possible to swap the brown sugar for raw sugar or another type? I would like to make these for Easter but not too keen to head to the supermarket for just 1 item during the lockdown. Thank you
Hi, I am very tempted to make these but would like to know if there is a way to turn them into Chocolate Hot Cross Buns for Mr6 who doesn’t appreciate the traditional version :)