Hot Cross Buns Recipe
User Reviews
5
Hot Cross Buns Recipe
Description
The recipe starts by soaking golden raisins in rum or apple juice to plump them and infuse flavor. The dough combines all-purpose flour with warm milk, butter, eggs, and a blend of warm spices including cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg, along with orange zest for bright citrus notes. Instant yeast is activated with sugars and warm milk to create a frothy sponge, which is added with the dry and wet ingredients into a stand mixer for thorough mixing and kneading. The dough is kneaded until smooth and elastic, then left to rise until doubled in a warm place.
After rising, dough balls are shaped and allowed a final proof before crosses made from a flour, sugar, water, and vanilla paste are piped across the buns’ tops. Baking produces golden brown rolls with the signature cross on top. A confectioners' sugar glaze adds a subtle sweetness and shine.
These buns are typically consumed fresh or toasted with butter, jam, or preserves. They can be stored chilled up to five days, and leftover buns toast well for renewed texture and flavor. Accurate flour measurement and gentle kneading contribute to a soft, tender crumb essential to hot cross buns.
The recipe allows substitutions such as gluten-free flour blends and recommends using a stand mixer for reliable kneading. The cross design is applied before baking with a thick batter piped onto the buns.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup rum or apple juice
- 1 ½ cup golden raisins or dark raisins
- 3 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 4 1/2 cups (540 g) all-purpose flour or bread flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves ground
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
- 1 1/4 cups milk warm
- 6 Tablespoons butter room temperature
- 2 large egg plus 1 egg yolk (save the white for the top
Egg Wash:
- 1 egg white
- 1 tablespoon milk or water
For Crosses:
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon sugar granulated white
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Glaze:
- 1/2 cup confectioners sugar sifted
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
- Combine the rum and raisins together in a bowl and heat in the microwave until very hot. Allow to sit for 15 minutes.
- In a bowl, combine the yeast, brown sugar, granulated sugar and the warm milk. Stir well and let sit till frothy. (If it doesn’t get frothy, your yeast is dead and you will need to begin again with new yeast.) If your yeast is fresh, you can skip this step altogether and move to step 3.
- Add the yeast, brown sugar, white sugar, flour, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, salt and orange zest to the bowl of a stand mixer and combine.
- Add the liquid ingredients, milk, butter and eggs to the mixer and mix with the paddle until combined. Add the raisins and rum and combine.
- Using the dough hook attachment, knead the dough for about 5 minutes on 2 speed. The dough is ready when it is stretchy and smooth.
- Gather the dough in your hand and form a ball, then place back in the bowl. Cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap. Place in a warm place and let it rise till doubled in size, about an hour.
- Spray a baking pan with cooking spray. Remove the dough and divide into two equal pieces, divide each piece into 6 equal pieces, or 12 total. (You can make smaller rolls and make 18 rolls.)
- Take each piece of dough and roll it into a ball, then place in the pan.
- Combine the egg yolk and milk and brush over the tops of the rolls. Cover with a tea towel and let rise until doubled.
- Mix the flour, sugar, water and vanilla together in a small bowl. Place in a piping bag with a small circle piping tip, or use a ziplock bag instead. Then clip off the very end of the bag to create a very small hole.
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Starting near the bottom of one side of a roll, slowly pipe a small line across the roll to the bottom of the other side. Turn the roll to make a cross and pipe another line across the roll making the X in the middle. Repeat piping over each roll.
- Place the pan in the oven and bake for 20 minutes until the rolls are golden.
- In a small bowl, combine the confectioners sugar, milk and vanilla.
- Remove and allow to cool for 10 minutes, then spoon the glaze over the rolls.
Notes
- Measure flour by spooning lightly into cup, then level for accurate dough consistency.
- Use a stand mixer with dough hook for even kneading, or knead by hand about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Soak raisins in rum or apple juice until plump to enhance flavor and moisture.
- Pipe a thick flour paste cross over unbaked buns for the traditional design before baking.
- Store baked buns in an airtight container refrigerated for up to 5 days.
- Toast leftover buns to refresh texture, and serve with butter, jams, or jellies.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 12Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 546 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 546kcal | 27% |
| Carbohydrates | 104g | 35% |
| Protein | 14g | 28% |
| Fat | 9g | 14% |
| Saturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 49mg | 16% |
| Sodium | 467mg | 19% |
| Potassium | 339mg | 7% |
| Fiber | 4g | 16% |
| Sugar | 27g | 54% |
| Vitamin A | 269IU | 5% |
| Vitamin C | 2mg | 2% |
| Calcium | 75mg | 8% |
| Iron | 5mg | 28% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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