Hot Cross Buns
Soft, fluffy, and filled with plump raisins and warm spices, these homemade Hot Cross Buns are a classic yeast bread recipe you’ll love baking at home!
Servings: 15 buns
Calories: 226kcal
Ingredients
Fruit
- 1 cup (145 g) raisins or currants
- ½ cup (120 g) water, warmed to 105°F to 115°F
Dough
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 2 ¼ teaspoons (1 packet) instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 5 pieces, softened
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- 3 ½ cups (437.5 g) all-purpose flour, divided
- 1 tablespoon orange zest, about 1 small orange, zested
Cross Paste
- ½ cup (62.5 g) all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons water
Glaze
- 2 tablespoons apricot jam
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
Fruit
- Place raisins in a medium bowl. Pour warm (105°F to 115°F) water over the raisins and let them soak for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Drain the raisins completely and gently pat them dry with a paper towel. Set aside.
Dough
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add milk, yeast, granulated sugar, brown sugar, butter, vanilla, eggs, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and 1 cup flour. Mix on low speed for about 30 seconds.
- Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the remaining 2 ½ cups flour along with the drained raisins. Mix on low speed for about 2 minutes until the ingredients are combined.
- Increase to medium speed and knead for an additional 5 minutes. The dough should be soft, slightly tacky, smooth, and elastic, and it should pull away from the sides of the bowl while kneading. (Avoid adding extra flour unless the dough is sticking heavily to the bowl after several minutes of kneading.)
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, turning once to coat all sides. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours*, or until the dough has roughly doubled in size.
- Gently deflate the dough. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch metal baking dish.
- Divide the dough into 15 equal portions (about 2.5 ounces or 70 grams each).
- To shape, flatten each portion slightly, then pull the edges toward the center and flip the dough seam-side down. Cup your hand over the dough and roll in small circular motions to create surface tension. The top of each bun should feel smooth and slightly tight.
- Place shaped buns in the lightly greased baking dish. Cover loosely and let rise for 45 to 60 minutes, or until the buns are puffy and touching lightly. When gently pressed, the dough should slowly spring back.
- When the buns are nearly finished with their second rise, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Cross Paste
- Mix flour and water until smooth. Consistency should be thicker than pancake batter and able to hold its shape when piped. Transfer to a piping bag or a zip-top bag with the corner snipped.
- Pipe straight lines across rows, then perpendicular lines to form crosses.
- Bake rolls for 20 to 24 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Internal temperature should reach 190°F to 195°F in the center of the bun.
Glaze
- In a small bowl, combine apricot jam and water. Heat in the microwave in 20-second increments (stirring in between), until warm and spreadable.
- Brush the glaze evenly over the top of the warm buns.
- Let cool at least 20 minutes before serving.
Notes
*If your kitchen is cooler than 70°F, rising may take closer to 2 hours. The dough should appear puffy, and when lightly pressed with a fingertip, the indentation should slowly spring back but remain slightly visible.
Nutrition
Serving: 1hot cross bun | Calories: 226kcal