Hot Cross Buns are an Easter/Springtime tradition for us. In the past I would always buy them, but last year, I decided to make them… and they were DELICIOUS!
If you are not familiar, Hot Cross Buns are a spiced sweet bun made with currants and other dried fruits and marked with a cross on the top. In many countries, they are traditionally eaten on Good Friday, but are now popular all year round, especially in the spring.
In many historically Christian countries, these buns are traditionally eaten hot or toasted during Lent, beginning on the evening of Shrove Tuesday (the evening before Ash Wednesday) to midday Good Friday, with the cross standing as a symbol of Christ’s Crucifixion.
This recipe is a bit of a compilation of many that I found, we like these buns with currants and mixed peel. However, feel free to mix it up as most dried fruits would work very well. Just be sure they are chopped to the approximate size of a raisin.
The buns are all lined up in the pan and ready for the second rising.
Hot from the oven and covered in the sugary glaze.
The finished product, ready to be eaten…YUM!
- For the Dough -
- ¾ cup warmed milk {Heat to between 105 and 110 degrees F}
- 4 teaspoons dry yeast
- ⅓ cup white sugar
- 3¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup currants
- ½ cup mixed diced peel
- For the Glaze
- ½ cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons water
- For the Icing
- ¾ cup icing sugar, sifted
- Approximately,1 tablespoon milk, may need a little more.
- For the Dough -
- In a small bowl, dissolve 2 tbsp of the sugar in the warm milk. Sprinkle in yeast; let stand for 10 minutes or until frothy.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, fitted with a paddle attachment, blend together remaining sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Make a well in the centre.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together.the eggs and vegetable oil.
- Attach the dough hook (or if mixing by hand use a wooden spoon).
- Add the eggs and oil mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix.
- Add the milk and yeast mixture. Mix until a soft, slightly sticky, dough forms.
- Using the dough hook or by hand on lightly floured surface, knead for 5 - 7 minutes (dough will be smooth and elastic)
- Towards the end of kneading, add the currants and mixed peel and knead in.
- Place dough in greased bowl, turning to grease all over.
- Cover with clean tea towel, let rise in warm draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Turn out the risen dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently shape dough into a log and divide into 12 even pieces.
- Shape each piece into a ball.
- Evenly space the balls (3 across and 4 down) in a greased 9-x-13-inch pan, Cover the pan with a tea towel and let rise for 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Uncover the buns and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a golden brown on top. Glaze while in the pan and still hot from the oven.
- For the Glaze -
- In a small saucepan, stir together sugar and water. Cook over medium heat until dissolved; brush over buns. Let buns cool in pan.
- For the Icing -
- Stir icing sugar with milk until an until a thick, smooth consistency.
- Using a piping bag fitted with a small round tip, pipe cross on top of each COOLED bun.
As always, if you have any questions at all, feel free to ask and I will do my very best to answer them.
Do you make or buy Hot Cross Buns for Easter/Spring?
What Easter or springtime traditions do you have?
JoJo says
I have never had a hot cross bun before although I see them in the supermarket. Glad you said what was in them.
brett says
oh gosh, i haven’t had real hot cross buns in forever!! YUM!
Monica Parlee says
They sound a bit more complicated to make than they actually are Brett, give them a try, they are delicious!
Oak Lawn Images says
They look so yummy. The ones in the stores don’t even come close to how good the homemade ones are. I know there will be delicious.
Monica Parlee says
These really are very good Kathy, so soft and not at all dry.
Elizabeth Matthiesen says
I love hot cross buns, warm with melting butter dripping off them. My mother used to bake them at Easter and her recipe was very similar, though she used a pancake mix for piping the crosses on the top and it was baked with the buns.
Monica Parlee says
OK Elizabeth, your “melting butter dripping off them” has my mouth watering…lol. You are correct, there is indeed a version that bakes the cross right into the bun.
Shannon says
Delicious!!! Can’t wait to have these again this year :)
Monica Parlee says
Shannon, if you want, we can make them this weekend!
Lynda Cook says
I should try and make these, they are my favourite, but I already know mine won’t look as good as yours..lol
Monica Parlee says
Lynda, the recipe sounds complicated but it’s not difficult. Just take it one step at a time and your’s will be just as nice looking or better than mine!
Nena Sinclair says
I love hot cross buns! I’ve made my own buns before, but not hot cross buns. I’ll have to give it a try! Thanks for sharing!
Monica Parlee says
You are very welcome Nena. These are fairly easy to make, hope you give them a try!
Darlene Schuller says
oh my mouth was watering looking at these… mmm thank you so much.