Hot Cross Buns

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Easter just wouldn’t be Easter without Hot Cross Buns. Soft, spicy rolls with a hint of orange, some dried fruit or chunks of chocolate and with an eponymous cross emblazoned over the surface. These buns will delight everybody, for breakfast, a mid-morning snack or an afternoon treat. Ideally, serve fresh and warm, as is or with butter; however, they are equally delicious toasted the next day and served hot with butter. Leftovers can also be used to make a rather fabulous bread and butter pudding – watch this space!

Allow plenty of time

They are not difficult to make but you do need to allow plenty of time for the dough to rise twice. Ideally start making them a good 4 – 5 hours before you want to eat them; whilst you need to be organised, most of the time is hands off, as the yeast does its thing.

Hot Cross Buns for Breakfast?

If you want them for breakfast, but don’t want to get up in the middle of the night, you can leave them in the fridge overnight at the point of the second rise and all you need to do in the morning, is let them come to room temperature, finish the rise, add the cross and pop them in the oven. Hot Hot Cross Buns for breakfast – what could be better? Detailed instructions in the recipe below.

How to make Hot Cross Buns

Collect all your ingredients together:

Dry ingredients:

• strong plain flour
• caster sugar
• mixed spice
• cinnamon
• fast action dried yeast
• fine salt

Wet ingredients:

• unsalted butter, melted
• milk
• egg
• orange rind
• vanilla extract

Optional add-ins:

• sultanas/currants/raisins, OR
• apple, peeled, cored and chopped into small cubes, OR
• dark/milk chocolate or chocolate orange

The crosses:

• plain/all-purpose flour
• water

The glaze:

• golden syrup

How to make these festive Easter buns:

1. Dry ingredients: weigh the dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook. Stir to mix.
2. Wet ingredients: measure the butter into a microwave safe jug and blitz to melt.
3. Add the remaining wet ingredients and mix thoroughly.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and roughly mix with a spoon.
5. Use your freestanding mixer with a dough hook to mix on a slow speed for 6 minutes. Alternatively, knead by hand for around 10 minutes.
6. Transfer into an oiled mixing bowl and cover. Leave to rise until doubled in size. This normally takes between 1- 2 hours depending on how warm it is. If the room temperature is cold, I put mine in the oven set on dough setting at 42^oC and it takes around 2 hours.
7. When it has doubled in size, knock the dough back with your hand and then remove the dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured work surface. Briefly knead.
8. Now add the add-ins: I use 2 different add-ins, chocolate and dried fruits, which I add separately. Divide the dough in half.
9. Flatten one half and add the chopped chocolate. Gently knead into the dough.
10. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts.
11. Knead each part into a ball shape.
12. Flatten the other half and add the add-ins. Gently knead into the dough.
13. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts
14. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts and knead each part into a ball shape. If there are any dried fruit on the surface, remove them and tuck them inside the centre of the dough on the underside. This is to avoid them burning and becoming bitter.

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Let the dough balls rise

1. Spread the dough balls out on lightly greased baking parchment on a baking tray.
2. Cover with cling film and leave to rise until doubled in size. This normally takes around an hour – 1 hour and 15 minutes. If the room temperature is cold, I put mine in the oven set on dough setting at 42^oC.

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Add the crosses and bake:

1. Mix the flour and water until smooth.
2. Transfer to a piping bag.
3. Pipe crosses onto the dough balls
4. Transfer to a hot oven and immediately reduce the temperature. Cook for 15 – 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
5. As soon as they come out of the oven, brush with hot golden syrup to glaze.
6. Transfer onto a cooling rack.

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Made this recipe?

If you make this recipe, do please tag me on instagram @daffodil_kitchen. You could also leave a comment in the box directly below the recipe.