• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Start here
  • Baking 101
  • Recipes
  • Shop

The Bake School

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Start here
  • Baking 101
  • Recipes
  • Shop
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Start here
    • Baking 101
    • Recipes
    • Shop
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Bread recipes

    Published on: March 28, 2019 by Janice; Updated on: February 25, 2023 6 Comments

    How to make hot cross buns for Easter weekend

    406 shares
    • Facebook122
    • Yummly
    • Email
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Homemade maple-glazed hot cross buns on parchment-lined baking sheet on marble surface

    Learn how to make homemade traditional hot cross buns for Easter weekend with this easy recipe. The bread dough is flavoured with raisins, candied citrus peel, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. This dough is kneaded in the mixer making this hot cross buns recipe easy because you don't have to knead the dough by hand.

    Piping a cross with flour+water paste on hot cross buns with raisins before baking
    Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
    Jump to:
    • What are they?
    • Why they call them hot cross buns
    • Ingredients
    • Use your stand mixer to knead the dough
    • Special tools
    • Baking temperature
    • Substitutions & making this recipe without raisins
    • Variations
    • How to store hot cross buns
    • Serving suggestions
    • Frequently asked questions
    • 📖 Recipe

    What are they?

    Hot cross buns are a sweet, spiced fruit bread made from an enriched yeast dough. That means the bread dough is enhanced with rich ingredients like eggs, milk, sugar, and butter. You will also find in this bread category, brioche, maple brioche buns, stollen bread, stollen buns, chocolate babka bread, chocolate babka buns, and even Turkish coffee cardamom buns).

    Why they call them hot cross buns

    Apparently hot cross buns are an old Anglican tradition. The buns have a cross piped onto them in reference to Good Friday. Hot cross buns are served to mark the end of Lent, specifically on Good Friday, though these days, they are enjoyed Easter weekend, and in some parts of the world, bakeries sell them at other holidays, like Christmas.

    I always spend Easter weekend with my family, and we always have hot cross buns and tea in the afternoons. I try to make these hot cross buns from scratch every spring because they are a favourite. As they bake, the scent of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves fills the house.

    Ingredients measured out to make hot cross buns from scratch.

    Ingredients

    Traditional hot cross buns are made from an enriched dough and has a few characteristics:

    1. enriched bread dough: made from all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, yeast, milk, melted butter, and eggs
    2. inclusions: dried fruit, and/or candied citrus peel, like sultana raisins, golden raisins, currants, candied orange peel, candied lemon peel, or citron peel. These add-ins are mixed into the dough before the first rise
    3. sweet spices, like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. Hot cross buns would taste great with cardamom too!
    4. a cross, which can be piped on at two different stages:
      1. to add the cross before baking, make a simple flour and water paste and pipe it on BEFORE baking the hot cross buns. Personally, I tend to pipe on a flour paste mark before baking because I like to toast my hot cross buns and I don't think toasters and icing sugar paste go well together.
      2. to add the cross after baking, make a sweet white glaze from icing sugar and water and pipe on AFTER baking the hot cross buns, when they have cooled. 
    5. glaze: I use maple syrup, but any melted apricot jam or apple jelly would work too!

    The combination of candied citrus peel and raisins, alongside the mixture of spices, is what makes hot cross buns so special. I truly believe that these are better than any bun that you buy in a store. Trust me.

    Please see recipe card for exact quantities.

    Hot cross bun dough with raisins before rising in a clear glass bowl

    Use your stand mixer to knead the dough

    The secret to stress-free bread baking is to use the dough hook of your stand mixer. This is what I do for the easy brioche bread recipe too. This hot cross buns recipe is easy because I made the dough with a KitchenAid mixer (the big 6-quart pro model or the smaller Artisan mixer works too—I've tested this recipe in both!). Sure, you could knead hot cross buns dough by hand. Works like a charm! I guess I'm a little lazy, but I've had a lot of success kneading dough with a mixer, so I don't do that by hand anymore.

    Hot cross buns dough before rising.Hot cross buns dough after rising.

    Special tools

    Besides needing a stand mixer with a dough hook to knead the bread dough, you will also need:

    • a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients and a liquid measuring cup with a pouring spout (to avoid spills)
    • a pastry cutter (also called a bench scraper) to divide the dough easily
    • a piping bag with a small opening or a 4–6 mm round piping tip.
    • two half sheet pans lined with parchment paper
    • a digital instant-read thermometer like a Thermapen to check the internal temperature of the buns to verify they are baked properly
    Traditional hot cross buns dough is shaped into buns before rising a second time.

    Baking temperature

    I baked the buns at 350ºF, as recommended by the original recipe, but I think next year, I might try 325ºF because some of the raisins were a little overdone at that high a temperature.

    Substitutions & making this recipe without raisins

    Hot cross buns are a must every year for Easter weekend. They are also a great way to use up the leftover raisins and candied peel from Christmas past so that you can start fresh around the holiday season. That being said, if you don't like raisins, make this recipe without them, and replace the raisins with the same volume of dried cranberries or dried cherries!

    If you don't have any candied citrus peel, feel free to skip it and replace it with the same volume of raisins (if you like raisins) or use something else, like chopped crystallized ginger.

    Another great idea: replace the raisins with dark chocolate chips for chocolate hot cross buns.

    Piping flour paste onto hot cross buns with a piping bag after rising but before baking

    Variations

    • Glaze options:
      • Maple syrup. It coats the buns in a sticky, flavourful, shiny glaze.
      • Donna Hay uses a gelatin glaze (a mixture of powdered gelatin hydrated in cold water) brushed onto the hot buns which melts the gelatin. This works extremely well, but it's bland and doesn't do anything for the buns except making them shine
      • Neutral glaze is what bakeries would use. It's a flavourless sweet commercial glaze that comes in a tub
      • Melted apricot jam or apple jelly will also work here, but again, the finish will be a little sticky
      • Simple syrup is another great glaze option for you to try and a traditional glaze for babka, actually!
    Homemade hot cross buns before baking.Hot cross buns on a sheet pan after baking in the oven.

    How to store hot cross buns

    This recipe makes 12 hot cross buns which can seem like a lot or even too much for some families. Personally, I live alone, so I use my freezer to store these when I make this recipe and if I don't have the opportunity to share them with others:

    • slice open half the buns they have cooled
    • freeze them in a single layer on a parchment-lined sheet pan
    • transfer to a freezer bag to store long-term

    If you follow these steps, you should be able to store your hot cross buns for several months. When you want to have a bun, take one out of the freezer and toast it in a toaster, a toaster oven, or in a preheated oven. Slathered with lots of salted butter, nobody will realize the buns were frozen!

    A baking sheet of round homemade hot cross buns with raisins and glazed with maple syrup

    Serving suggestions

    Serve hot cross buns split in half, with salted butter, orange marmalade, or even maple butter or dulce de leche.

    Toast leftovers in a toaster oven or in a regular oven to warm them up.

    More Easter baking recipes

    The Easter baking season is short but sweet. It's a great opportunity to explore baking with carrots and also leftover Easter chocolate, incorporating Mini Eggs into Easter brownies and blondies!

    • Mini Eggs cookies cooling on a wire rack.
      Easy Mini Eggs cookies
    • Mini Egg bars cut into squares and served on small plates with a glass of milk on the side and a bowl of Mini Eggs.
      Mini Eggs blondies
    • Brownies decorated with Easter eggs cut into squares to serve.
      Easter brownies with Mini Eggs
    • Freshly baked carrot muffins being served on plates with butter.
      Moist carrot muffins

    Frequently asked questions

    What if my dough is too slack or wet?

    Add more flour and knead it in. Add up to 60 grams (½ cup) at a time to avoid adding too much flour. Too much flour will lead to dense, tough buns.

    How do I know when hot cross buns are baked in the middle?

    Your best bet for determining if your buns are properly baked is to use a digital instant-read thermometer. For buns made with eggs, milk, and butter, meaning enriched bread, the internal temperature should be 180–190°F (82–88°C) when baked.
    The buns will be golden brown, but not dark when baked. The glaze is brushed on when the buns come out of the oven and it will make the colour pop and make the buns shine.Using a digital thermometer to check the internal temperature of hot cross buns to make sure they are baked through before taking them out of the oven.

    📖 Recipe

    Hot cross bun on a pink plate split open and served with butter.
    Save Recipe Saved! Print Pin
    5 from 1 vote

    Easter hot cross buns

    Prevent your screen from going dark
    This Easter recipe for homemade hot cross buns makes 12 big beautiful buns flavoured with a mixture of cinnamon, raisins, and candied peel. The buns are brushed with maple syrup just after baking which gives them a gorgeous shiny, sweet finish.
    Course Breakfast
    Cuisine British
    Keyword Easter hot cross buns, hot cross buns, hot cross buns recipe
    Prep Time 30 minutes
    Cook Time 25 minutes
    Rising time 2 hours
    Total Time 2 hours 55 minutes
    Servings 12
    Calories 246kcal
    Author Janice

    Equipment

    • 5-quart KitchenAid Artisan mixer
    • Sheet pan
    • Piping bags
    • Thermapen

    Ingredients

    Bun dough

    • 11.25 mL (2¼ teaspoon) instant yeast, 1 packet or 8 grams
    • 50 grams (¼ cup) granulated sugar
    • 375 mL (1½ cups) milk (2 %), warmed to ~95°F
    • 530 grams (4¼ cups) bleached all-purpose flour, you may need 60 grams (½ cup) extra flour if the dough is too sticky so have it ready!
    • 50 grams (¼ cup) granulated sugar
    • 13.75 mL (2¾ teaspoon) ground cinnamon
    • 2.5 mL (½ teaspoon) ground nutmeg
    • 2.5 mL (½ teaspoon) ground ginger
    • 2.5 mL (½ teaspoon) Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt
    • 1.25 mL (¼ teaspoon) ground cloves
    • 58 grams (¼ cup) unsalted butter, melted
    • 1 (1) large egg(s), room temperature
    • 240 grams (1⅔ cups) sultana raisins, or a mixture of golden raisins and sultanas (or whatever I have in the cupboard)
    • 55 grams (⅓ cup) candied citrus peel, mix of orange and lemon

    Cross dough

    • 65 grams (½ cup) bleached all-purpose flour
    • 80 mL (⅓ cup) water
    • 5 mL (1 teaspoon) canola oil
    • 2.5 mL (½ teaspoon) granulated sugar

    Glaze

    • 60 mL (¼ cup) pure maple syrup

    Instructions

    • In a 2 cup measurer (or a small bowl), stir together the first three ingredients (yeast, 50 grams sugar, and milk). Set aside to “bubble and grow” as you measure out the other ingredients.
    • In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the flour, yeast and milk mixture, 50 grams sugar, spices, salt, melted butter, and egg. Mix on low for a minute until the ingredients are well mixed. Add the raisins and candied peel, and mix again to combine everything. Cover the bowl with a towel and let sit for 10 minutes.
    • Switch to the dough hook attachment and knead the dough in the mixer on low speed (speed 2) for about 10 minutes (this is essential to get a good bun texture). Halfway through kneading the dough, check on it. The dough should not stick too much to the sides of the bowl and should have formed a ball in the bowl, wrapped around the hook. It should feel slightly tacky when you press it with your fingers. If it’s too wet and not forming a cohesive ball of dough, you may add up to 60 grams (½ cup) of extra flour. If it's too dry, sprinkle some water, and continue beating.
    • Form the dough into a ball and place it in a greased, large bowl (rolling it in the bowl to grease the dough). Cover the bowl with saran wrap.
    • Let rise until the dough has doubled in size, in a warm, draft-free location, like in the oven with just the light turned on.
    • Line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper. 
    • Punch the dough down slightly, form a log. Divide the log into 12 pieces (about 120 grams dough per bun). Roll each piece into a ball and place on the prepared pans, staggered.
    • Cover the pans with saran wrap and let the buns rise until they have doubled (about an hour at room temperature).
    • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
    • Prepare the cross dough: To form the crosses, mix the flour, water, oil, and sugar. Using a piping bag fitted with a round piping tip (6 mm tip), pipe thinly onto the top of each bun just before baking. The dough should be thin enough to pipe, but thick enough not to spread too much.
    • Bake the buns on the middle racks for 25 minutes, or until the buns are deep golden colour. If you are unsure, use a thermometer to check the middle: for buns made with eggs, milk, and butter, meaning enriched breads, the internal temperature should be 180–190°F (82–88°C) when baked. I've gone as high as 212 ºF or 100 ºC without problems.
    • Remove the buns from the oven and brush with maple syrup a couple of times as they cool (note that as the buns cool, the maple syrup will form a sweet sticky glaze on the buns). Serve the buns when they are slightly warm, with salted butter. You can reheat them in the oven the next day.
    Give backIf you enjoy the free content on this website, say thank you!
    Tried this recipe?Mention @bakesomethingawesome or tag #bakesomethingawesome!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 246kcal

    More Bread recipes

    • A jar of active sourdough starter that has been fed and doubled in size.
      Sourdough starter
    • A cinnamon raisin bun on a black plate being eaten, with a cup of coffee on the side.
      Cinnamon rolls with raisins
    • A round braided boule of Christmas fruit bread on a board, sliced.
      Fruit bread
    • Cinnamon buns on parchment paper being frosted with cream cheese frosting using an offset spatula
      Crock-Pot cinnamon rolls
    406 shares
    • Facebook122
    • Yummly
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Baking resources

  • Baking conversion charts
  • Baking ingredients and pantry staples
  • Baking substitutions
  • Common baking conversions
  • Choosing baking pans
  • How to measure ingredients for baking
  • Mixing methods
  • Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Cake Duchess says

      April 23, 2011 at 1:17 am

      Hi Jan-Thank you for stopping by my blog:)These buns look delicious and are wonderful for Easter. I wish you a very Happy Easter:)

      Reply
    2. baking.serendipity says

      April 23, 2011 at 5:06 pm

      Your buns look fantastic! I love you Easter traditions and that you incorporated baking into them this year 🙂 PS: I have a fun giveaway going on right now...stop by and check it out!

      Reply
    3. Tiffany says

      April 24, 2011 at 9:57 pm

      Gorgeous! Happy Easter!

      Reply
    4. Jan says

      April 25, 2011 at 2:15 am

      Thanks and Happy Easter everyone!

      Reply
    5. Cooking Rookie says

      April 26, 2011 at 2:06 pm

      What a wonderful breakfast recipe!
      Love the photos :-). I am looking for the "follow" button.

      Thanks for stopping by my blog.

      Reply
    6. Andrew says

      April 07, 2023 at 3:38 am

      Great recipe! I cut down on the fruit but maybe that’s my British tastes.

      I found that the cross came out slightly tough - could it be because I used unbleached flour?

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    This is a picture of Janice Lawandi

    Hi, I'm Janice! I am a baking-obsessed recipe developer with a PhD in Chemistry who writes about baking and the science of baking.

    More about me →

    Give back

    If you enjoy the free content on this website, consider saying thank you!

    Eggless chocolate cake

    Chocolate layer cake with cream cheese frosting and chocolate sprinkles on a cake stand.
    Learn to make an eggless chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting!

    Bake with rhubarb

    • Strawberry jam with rhubarb smeared on a piece of toast on a plate.
      Strawberry rhubarb jam
    • Freshly baked rhubarb crumble ready to be served.
      Rhubarb crumble
    • Rhubarb raspberry upside down cake on a parchment lined round black tray, cut into a few slices with a cake lifter under a slice
      Rhubarb raspberry upside-down cake
    • Serving rhubarb muffins on plates with a side of butter.
      Rhubarb muffins with sour cream and streusel
    • Let's bake with rhubarb-best rhubarb recipes roundup
      What to bake with rhubarb
    • Bluebarb or blueberry rhubarb crumble with a marzipan oat crumble topping in a blue baking dish with a fluted edge
      Blueberry rhubarb crisp with marzipan crumble

    Bake with berries

    • Toast served with homemade strawberry jam and butter on a pink plate.
      Strawberry jam
    • Serving apple and blueberry crumble with scoops of vanilla ice cream on plates.
      Apple and blueberry crumble
    • A plate of blueberry scones served with butter.
      Scones with blueberries
    • A jar of homemade blueberry jam with a spoon.
      Blueberry jam
    • Slices of fruit tart served on black dessert plates.
      Fruit tart
    • Pavlova cake filled with whipped cream, lemon curd, and raspberries being served.
      Pavlova

    Baking conversions

    Buy the baking conversion charts NOW!

    How to poach pears

    Poached pears on an enamelware plate.
    This easy poached pears recipe is simple and you can use the poached fruit for salads, appetizers, and desserts!
    This is a picture of Janice Lawandi

    Hi, I'm Janice! I am a baking-obsessed recipe developer with a PhD in Chemistry who writes about baking and the science of baking.

    More about me →

    Give back

    If you enjoy the free content on this website, consider saying thank you!

    Eggless chocolate cake

    Chocolate layer cake with cream cheese frosting and chocolate sprinkles on a cake stand.
    Learn to make an eggless chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting!

    Bake with rhubarb

    • A perfect slice of rhubarb pie, ready to be served.
      Rhubarb pie without strawberries
    • Perfectly golden brown orange blossom rhubarb bostocks are made from frangipane and baked in the oven until golden brown
      Rhubarb bostock with frangipane & rhubarb jam
    • unmolding orange rhubarb cakes with cornmeal from mini loaf cake pan
      Mini orange cornmeal cakes with rhubarb
    • Multigrain waffles with roasted rhubarb | bakeschool.com
      Roasted rhubarb with multigrain waffles
    • Rhubarb pumpkin seed cake after baking | kitchenhealssoul.com
      Moist rhubarb cake
    • A plate of scones with rhubarb served with jam.
      Rhubarb scones

    Bake with berries

    • Framboisier cake
    • Three ice cream strawberry shortcakes on small dessert plates on white marble surface
      Ice cream strawberry shortcake
    • A raspberry shortcake with homemade biscuit, whipped cream, and berries on a pink plate with a fork with black matte handle
      Raspberry shortcake
    • A jar of homemade strawberry red currant jam with a spoonful on the side and the metal band
      Strawberry and red currant jam
    • A raspberry chocolate tart garnished with star-shaped cookies and fresh rapberries.
      Chocolate raspberry tart
    • A heart-shaped pan of raspberry brownies.
      Raspberry brownies

    Baking conversions

    Buy the baking conversion charts NOW!

    How to poach pears

    Poached pears on an enamelware plate.
    This easy poached pears recipe is simple and you can use the poached fruit for salads, appetizers, and desserts!

    Footer

    If you enjoy the free content on this website, consider saying thank you!

    Buy Me a Pound of Butter

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Meet Janice
    • FAQ
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and conditions
    • Accessibility
    • Press

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Services
    • Portfolio

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    COPYRIGHT © 2023 · THE BAKE SCHOOL