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.
I made these and they are absolutely devine. I’ll certainly be making them again.
Making these hot cross buns has become a tradition over easter weekend, but this year is rather short on time! Is it possible to make the dough in advance and freeze it so it can then thaw and baked at easter weekend without all the prep time?
You sure can!
Hi Chelsea, I have been using this recipe of yours for my hot cross buns for the last 5 years and I love it. Unfortunately we found out last year that my son has an egg allergy. Do you have a suggestion for how I might be able to make this egg free for him? Thanks in advance for any advise you might be able to share :)
You could lightly beat 3tbsp aquafaba to replace the egg x
I finally got around to making these after about 5 years of thinking about it. They are phenomenal! Thank you so much Chelsea!
Omg they worked!!! Superb. Soft and fluffy and sweet and crunchy all at the same time. Your tips were excellent. Thanks!!!
I have made this recipe for the last 3 years and LOVE it! I do have a question. I am going to make it tonight and wanting to get to the step where it has risen for 1-2 hours, then I punch it down and put it in the fridge. Is it possible to put in the fridge for more than 24 hours before bringing it out and shaping into the balls? For example, I will make the dough tonight (Friday), let it rise, put in the fridge and then bring it out Sunday afternoon to do the next steps. Should I decrease proof time if that is too long or might it be ok? Thank you!
I reckon you will still be fine for that.
Best ‘Hot Cross Buns’ ever. But the effort that goes into them?
Chelsea you’ve done it again- these have just come out of the oven and disappeared into tummies immediately. Easy to follow recipe and tips, another recipe of yours that will be a staple in our house- Thank you!
Just an amazing recipe Chelsea. I’ve made it for the last three years ????
Hey Chelsea
made your hot crossies today, delish. I was wondering what else you could use the superbooster for because it’s awesome. Normal buns etc
Hi Chelsea – thanks for sharing your wonderful looking and sounding hot cross buns recipe! I am stuck however in the first stages of making the super booster. I got my milk to 32c and added the sugar and active yeast but they didn’t dissolve. I assume the active yeast is meant to ferment? (this is my first time using it). I had my husband go and buy another lot in case it was something to do with the first lot of active yeast, but again I have the same problem. Can you please advise or anyone who might see this and know? Should the milk be hotter? Thanks for any advice, Bron ????
Sorry for the late reply! Yes eventually the mixture should froth up a little bit. Did it not do that? It takes a while sometimes.
I LOVE hot crossed buns but I’m always disappointed with home made ones.
This recipe is amazing. I’ll be making all my own from now on.
I had never made hot cross buns before. Have now made 3 batches. These are just the best. I have have had a bought one as good.
Would it be possible to substitute the Fruit for Chocolate Chips?
Yep!
Has anyone tried making them to rising stage in a bread machine? Using the dough option?
At 20 bucks for half a dozen HXBs, I turned to the legendary guru for a recipe (yes, you Chelsea Winter). Perfect result and happy family.
You rock
Wow, going to delete all other Hot Cross Bun recipes I have saved. This is above and beyond the best recipe I have tried and tasted. Definitely better than the bought buns, and BIGGER ????
Love this recipe and have made a few times, however this year I finished them late in the day so left them sitting in the last phase (made into buns on the baking tray ready for baking) ready to bake for breakfast the next morning. However, sadly they have all gone flat overnight. Would it have been a better idea to partly bake them, them finish them off in the morning for delicious fluffy buns ready for Easter Sunday breakfast?
It would be better to shape them onto a tray, put in the fridge overnight, then take them out in the morning around 2 hours before baking to allow them to rise.
Hi Chelsea,
How do I make the Superboost if I don’t have a microwave?
Cheers,
Emily
You can stand a just of milk in a bowl of hot water and stir until the milk reaches skin temperature x
Made these for my family twice now and have turned out very well! (I’m 15 btw) I do not like fruit hot cross buns but these tasted pretty good and my family loved them. Spent a whole day making them it was very enjoyable to make. I only discovered this amazing recipe after Easter, so I can’t wait until next Easter to make them for my extended family as well. For the fruit I used 1/2 cup saltanas, 1/2 raisins, 1/4 cup, and a 1/4 dried apricots.
I’m hoping that sometime in the future Chelsea will make a chocolate hot cross bun recipe.
Highly recommend making these.
Thanks for your comment! Have you tried this https://chelseawinter.co.nz/custardy-chocolate-hot-cross-bun-pudding/
Can I do the final prove overnight? I want them fresh for Easter Sunday breakfast in the morning.
Just made these and they turned out amazing!!! Thanks for another wonderful recipe Chelsea. Happy Easter 2022!!!
Am I crazy or is there no water amount there for the cross mix? Haha
I managed to add water til i thought it was good and it worked!
These hot cross buns are delicious and soooo worth the extra effort!
Hehe yes! I saw that and did the same thing. My consistancy was slightly too runny, but close enough :P
Hi! – Came here to ask the same question! I made these last year and they tasted amazing – but I had to guesstimate the water amount for the crosses and they just ran all over the buns like big splotches. I’m quite new to baking so please don’t judge, ha, it’s probably super simple – but could someone who is far more talented please put the exact amount of water I need to add for nice firm crosses? Thanks and Happy Easter! :-)
How much water are we supposed to put into the crosses mixture? Looks like it’s missing from this recipe.
3-4 tbsp x
To answer me own question,, YES they do!????
I made these with my 8 year old daughter. The family all commented that they were the best homemade Easter buns they’ve ever had. We used a cranberry, cherry, apricot and raisin fruit mix.
How much water should we add to the “crosses” dough, to make a paste?
3-4 tablespoons x
Does anyone know if these freeze well?
This is the best recipe ever, I tried to make using another recipe and they were hard rocks, I am so pleased with these buns, soft, tasty, perfect
Thank you for the recipe, I don’t have mixed spice, what can I use instead?
The mixed spice is really what gives the hot cross bun flavour x
Thank-you Chelsea. Fabulous recipe. Delicious. Will definitely be making these at Easter.
These are absolutely delicious and worth the wait. The recipe does take a while but its great for a rainy day. Definitely best eaten the day of or heated/toasted after that. Thanks Chelsea this recipe is a keeper.
Thank you Chelsea for such a great recipe. I followed your instructions step by step (except I had to soak my sultanas/currants in a bit of orange juice as I had no oranges) and the hot cross buns turned out perfectly. All the little tips about how the dough should look and what it will do were spot on. This will always be my ‘go to’ recipe now for hot cross buns. Thanks again!
Hi Chelsea,
I made these Easter weekend , the first hot cross buns I’ve ever made. Wow, I’m not sure if I’ll ever buy them again! Thanks so much! Just wondering if there’s a way you could do the super booster night before and leave it in fridge for slow prove ? Or just at room temperature like a poolish? Thanks
In the fridge x
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. Had a go at making these for the first time, and was successful which is very unusual for any first attempts I have! Cheers
Hi Chelsea
I made your hot cross buns this Easter and they are the best I’ve ever made. Great instructions and appreciated the hints too, thank you. I’m unlikely to use any other recipe going forward so would like to know which book the recipe is in so I can purchase it.
FYI I didn’t have orange juice, so in the spirit of Covid-19 lockdown, I improvised and used a few drops of orange oil in some boiling water instead. (I also hadn’t read the instructions to leave fruit overnight so used the boiling water to speed it up to use same day!) Amazing.
Raewyn
Hi Chelsea! Is it ok to prepare booster and use it the next day?
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