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Traditional Hot Cross Buns
5 from 119 votes

Traditional Hot Cross Buns

Traditional Hot Cross Buns are sweet yeast rolls studded with currants, candied orange and lemon peel, and lightly spiced with mixed spice and cinnamon. Soaking the dried fruits in hot tea or apple juice plumps them and infuses flavor before they’re kneaded into a soft, elastic dough. The buns rise until doubled, then are shaped and baked, resulting in tender, sweet buns with a warming spiced note and accented by bright citrus peel.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
18 mins
Additional Time
2 hrs
Total Time
2 hrs 33 mins
Servings: 12
Calories: 272 kcal
Course: Breakfast, Snacks, Brunch
Cuisine: British

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup currants or raisins, dried
  • 1/4 cup candied orange peel click link for recipe, **homemade STRONGLY recommended for the BEST ever flavor!, diced
  • 1/4 cup candied lemon peel click link for recipe, **homemade STRONGLY recommended for the BEST ever flavor!, diced
  • 1/4 cup black tea can substitute apple juice, hot
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons instant yeast
  • 2 teaspoons mixed spice
  • mixed spice click link for recipe, **homemade recommended for the best flavor!, homemade
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • lemon zest of one
  • 1 1/4 cups milk room temperature
  • 1/4 cup butter , room temperature
  • 1 egg , room temperature
  • 1 egg room temperature, yolk

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Pour the hot tea or apple juice over the dried fruits, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit for about an hour until the fruit has absorbed the juices.  This can be done well in advance such as the day ahead or overnight.
  2. Place the flour, sugar, yeast, spices, salt and lemon zest in the bowl of a stand mixer and stir to combine. Add the eggs, butter, and milk. Use the dough hook to knead the mixture into a smooth and elastic dough, about 5 minutes. Add the dried fruit and continue to knead the dough another 2 minutes or until the fruit is incorporated.Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover loosely with plastic wrap and place it in a warm place to rise until doubled in size. I like to briefly heat the oven to 80-90 degrees F (not any hotter!), place the dough inside the oven, and close the door to rise. Rising time will vary depending on the temperature.  Give it at least one hour but it might take closer to 2 hours.
  3. Punch down the dough and divide it into 12 equal pieces.For each piece into a ball and place it on a lined baking sheet.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let them rise in a warm place for up to another hour until they're puffy and nearly doubled in size.Halfway into the rise preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.Baking Options:You can either place the buns closer together on the baking sheet so that once they're baked you'll need to pull them apart to separate them from each other and they will be more square-shaped.  This is how they often come packaged in the store. Or you can space them farther apart so that you have distinctly separate and round buns (my personal preference).
  4. The next step is to pipe or place crosses on top of each bun.Piping Options: You have a few options for making the cross symbol on top: 1) Make a small batch of shortcrust pastry (follow this recipe for the shortcrust pastry), form it into thin strips and lay them in a cross pattern on top of the buns before baking.  2) Make a paste out of flour and water and pipe crosses on the buns (combine 1/4 cup flour with about 3 tablespoons of water to make a thick, gluey paste.  Use more or less water as needed.  Place the paste in a sandwich bag and cut off a corner of the bag to squeeze the paste into a cross shape onto the buns, or use a pastry bag.).  3) Make a sugar icing and pipe crosses on the buns after they're baked and cooled (combine 1 cup powdered/confectioner's sugar with 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and 3 teaspoons milk, give or take, to form a thick "pipeable" icing).Bake the buns on the middle shelf for 15-20 minutes until they're a deep golden brown and they sound hollow when you tap them on the bottom.
  5. Next glaze the buns as soon as they come out of the oven while they're hot.Glazing Options:You have a few options for the glaze:  1) Make a glaze with 1/4 cup water and 1/4 sugar by placing the ingredients in a small saucepan, bring it to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes, and brush it over the hot buns when they come out of the oven.  2) Heat 3 tablespoons of golden syrup in a small bowl in the microwave and brush it over the hot buns.  3) Gently melt some apricot jam in the microwave and brush it over the hot buns.After glazing the buns let them cool.Serve the buns while they still slightly warm or cooled.  Slice the buns and spread with butter, clotted cream, jam, or honey.These will keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days.  Leftover buns are best eaten sliced and toasted.

Nutrition Information

Calories 272kcal (14%) Carbohydrates 48g (16%) Protein 7g (14%) Fat 6g (9%) Saturated Fat 3g (15%) Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5g (3%) Monounsaturated Fat 2g (10%) Cholesterol 43mg (14%) Sodium 248mg (10%) Potassium 191mg (4%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 8g (16%) Vitamin A 203IU (4%) Vitamin C 1mg (1%) Calcium 50mg (5%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 272

% Daily Value*

Calories 272kcal 14%
Carbohydrates 48g 16%
Protein 7g 14%
Fat 6g 9%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5g 3%
Monounsaturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 43mg 14%
Sodium 248mg 10%
Potassium 191mg 4%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 8g 16%
Vitamin A 203IU 4%
Vitamin C 1mg 1%
Calcium 50mg 5%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.