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A Hot Cross Bun on a plate with more in the background.
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5 from 1 vote

Hot Cross Buns

Hot Cross Buns are a traditional bread for Good Friday. They're a yeasted bread, flavored with dried fruits and spices, and then finished with a piped cross on top before serving.
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time12 minutes
bread rising2 hours
Total Time2 hours 52 minutes
Course: Bread
Cuisine: Any
Keyword: Good Friday bread, Hot Cross Buns
Servings: 16
Calories: 178kcal
Author: Susan Pridmore

Ingredients

Buns

  • 1 ½ packages active dry yeast
  • 1 cup 2% milk
  • ¼ cup honey
  • 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour (15.7 ounces)
  • 1 ½ teaspoon orange zest
  • ½ teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup mixed dried fruit I use a combination of currants, dates, and cherries
  • Olive oil

Glaze

  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tablespoon milk ideally whole milk

Icing

Instructions

  • Warm the milk to 105 -110˚ F. Stir in the honey and add the yeast. Stir vigorously, and set aside to allow the yeast to bloom, about ten minutes.
  • In the bowl of a standing mixer, using the whisk attachment, whisk the flour, orange zest, lemon zest, salt, and spices together.
    Create a well in the flour mixture, and pour in the melted butter, foamy yeast and milk mixture, and eggs.
    Using the dough hook, begin to mix on the lowest speed of the mixer. Once the liquid begins to be absorbed by the flour, increase the speed of the mixer to a moderately low speed until the liquid is completely absorbed and the dough becomes soft and elastic (about five to seven minutes).
    Once the dough can be stretched several inches without breaking, it’s ready for it’s first rise. Just add the cup of dried fruits with a few turns of the dough hook and you’re done with this step.
  • Pro-tip: A great way to test the elasticity of the dough is by removing the dough hook from the mixer, dipping it into the bottom of the dough, and stretching it upwards. If the dough readily snaps, it’s not elastic enough.
  • Lightly oil a bowl or container large enough to accommodate the dough rising and scrape the dough into it. Lightly cover with plastic and place it in a warm, draft-free place in the kitchen.
    Allow the dough to double, about ninety minutes.
  • Pro-tip: It can be a challenge to find a great spot for bread to rise. Here's what I do. Warm up a cup of water in the microwave, tuck it into the back corner. Set the covered bowl of dough next to it, and close the door. Now you have the perfect warm incubator to allow the yeast to grow undisturbed.
  • Lightly flour a workspace, and transfer the dough onto it. The dough will be sticky, so lightly flour the surface and your hands before working with it. Knead it a couple of times to start to shape it into fat sausage.
    Cut it in half with a bench scraper or sharp knife. Cover one of the halves with plastic while you work with the other half.
  • Roll the dough into a sausage roll, and cut into eight equal pieces. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and mold the eight pieces into balls the size of a small lime, flouring your hands as needed.
    Place the dough rounds about one inch apart on the prepared baking sheet, cover loosely with plastic, and repeat with the other half of the dough.
  • Cover all the dough rounds with plastic and place in a warm, draft-free place in the kitchen for the second rise. Allow the buns to rise for thirty to forty-five minutes. They should be starting to touch each other.
    Preheat the oven to 400˚F.
  • Mix together the egg yolk and milk in a small bowl for the Glaze. Remove the plastic from the mounds. Lightly baste their tops with the yolk and milk mixture. Bake for twelve to fifteen minutes, or until the buns are lightly browned and feel firm to the touch. Remove, place on a cooling rack, and allow to cool slightly.
  • Combine the Icing ingredients in a small bowl to form a paste. Spoon into a small Ziplock baggie, snip off a very small tip from one of the corners, and pipe white crosses on the tops of the buns. Allow to firm up, about thirty seconds.
  • Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 1bun | Calories: 178kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 4.7g | Fat: 4.4g | Saturated Fat: 2.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1.2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 44.3mg | Sodium: 164mg | Potassium: 90.4mg | Fiber: 1.3g | Sugar: 8.3g | Vitamin A: 155.9IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 35.7mg | Iron: 1.5mg