I vaguely remember her speaking. But mostly, I just nodded, making the appropriate uh-huh noises while savoring every bite of the fresh hot cross buns she had baked up for us. Of course, she had to teach me how to make them, and now I make them for Lenten and any time the craving hits.
Complete Your Easter Celebration
Hot Cross Buns are traditionally for Good Friday, and homemade comes out far better than what you can buy at the store. If you try this recipe, I’m sure you’ll never even look at store-bought ones again. Another plus of homemade over store-bought bread is the unforgettable aroma of baking bread that fills your kitchen.
Easy Hot Cross Buns Ingredients
Yeast – Not only does this raise the dough, but it’s also deliciously yeasty. Make sure your water is about 105℉/40℃ to dissolve your yeast because hotter than that will kill it. Milk – This ingredient adds texture and a gorgeous golden color when baked. Egg – Another texture and color enhancer for your buns that also helps the rising process. All-Purpose Flour – The foundation for most bread, cakes, and cookies. You can replace it with a gluten-free all-purpose mix if you wish. Orange Zest and Spices – Something about orange zest and spices is super comforting. It adds tangy flavor and a holiday feel to whatever you’re making. Lemon zest also works. And a few drops of orange extract will fill in if you don’t have zest. Adding a ¼ teaspoon of ground cardamom is mighty tasty, too. Raisins or Currants – Dried fruit improves sweetness and fabuliciousness in baked goods. Dried cranberries, apricots, and blueberries are incredibly good, too.
Flour Paste
Flour, Water, and Sugar – This mixture sticks to the hot buns for the cross. The flour keeps the sugar from melting and ruining your design.
Sugar Glaze
Warm Milk and Sugar – Warm some milk so that sugar can dissolve easily in it. Then brush it carefully over the hot cross buns as soon as they come out of the oven.
How to Make Hot Cross Buns
Make the Dough Make the Flour Paste Make the Glaze
Recipe Variations
As traditions evolved, many variations of hot cross buns are rising in popularity nowadays. You may want to try:
Chocolate or White Chocolate Chips are a great addition to these fabulous buns. Just add them at the same time you add the raisins. Nuts – Chopped almonds, walnuts, and pecans add the perfect crunch and flavor. Hot Cross Cinnamon Rolls – Replace this bun recipe with my favorite cinnamon rolls, then add the cross right before you put them in the oven.
Tips and Tricks
Refrigerate the unbaked buns for up to 24 hours, then let them come to room temperature before baking. Be patient and let your dough rise long enough. The temperature and humidity can significantly affect your rise time. Add water one tablespoon at a time to your cross paste, so it doesn’t get runny. If you accidentally put too much water, add a little flour to fix it.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Making hot cross bun dough a day or two ahead improves the flavor tremendously because the yeast can work overtime. Heck, I’ve even made the dough a week early and kept it in an airtight Tupper, and it was awesome. When you’re ready to bake, let the dough come to room temperature for about half an hour, then proceed with the instructions to form the buns. You can also form the buns, let them rise, and flash freeze them on a baking tray. As soon as they’re frozen solid, store them in a large freezer ziplock for up to three months. You can put them directly into a preheated oven and bake them for about five minutes longer than the recipe says.
Perfect Hot Cross Buns Pairings
People traditionally eat Hot Cross Buns on Good Friday. Baked salmon or blackened catfish with shrimp sauce would be the perfect entree. Then cream cheese mashed potatoes and a green bean casserole for the ideal sides.
More Easy Baked Treats
Honey Wheat Rolls Irish Soda Bread No-Knead Bread Whole Wheat Bread Cinnamon Raisin Bread
So whether you’re baking hot cross buns for a memorable holiday or just craving something sweet and soul-satisfying, this is a fantastic recipe. It’s also versatile, so you can swap the spices and dried fruit. Let me know in the comments below how it goes.
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”TtXFeQHL” upload-date=”2018-08-06T19:57:54.000Z” name=”Hot Cross Buns Recipe” description=”Hot Cross Buns Recipe – Soft, tender and lightly spiced brushed with sweet syrup and filled with juicy raisins. Absolutely delightful anytime!” player-type=”collapse” override-embed=”false”] This blog post was first published in March 2017 and has been updated with an additional write-up, photos, and a video.
