Hot Cross Buns Recipe (Soft, Spiced & Glazed!)
Hot cross buns turn out soft spiced buns containing sultanas and a simple flour-and-water cross, with the finishing touch of a shiny apricot glaze. They’re soft inside, golden on top, and the ideal thing to eat while still warm with butter.
Their spiced, sweet softness is refreshing after all the crisp sweetness of biscuits. The orange zest gives them a homemade bakery smell that feels extra special.
The classic cross on top is done with a fast flour paste, and the apricot glaze will give that beautiful shine (and slightly sticky-sweet finish) as soon as they come out of the oven.
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- With a tender, soft crumb and a rich yet slightly sweet dough
- Warm spices + orange zest for bakery-style coziness
- Simple homemade cross that bakes up nice and neat
- Easy apricot glaze for shiny, bakery-quality look
- Perfect as a breakfast, brunch or tea time snack
Ingredients
Dough
- 4 1/4 cups bread flour (640g)
- 3 (9 g) teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
- 1/2 cup caster sugar (110 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon powder
- 2 level teaspoons allspice or mixed spice
- 1 1/2 cups warm milk (375 ml)
- 1 egg (room temperature)
- 3 1/2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, cooled (50 g)
- Zest of 1–2 oranges
- 1 1/2 cups sultanas (210 g)
Crosses
- 1/2 cup flour (75 g)
- 5 tablespoons water
Glaze
- 1 tablespoon apricot jam
- 2 teaspoons water
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Bread flour: Makes for a chewier, taller bun. If you only have all-purpose flour, that should be fine — but the buns might turn out a little softer and not quite as tall.
- Caster sugar: Granulated sugar is good enough.
- Instant yeast: If using active dry yeast, dissolve it in the warm milk with a pinch of sugar (until foamy) first, then go ahead.
- Mixed spice/allspice: Employ whatever you’ve got. in US households, pumpkin pie spice is a great subsitute.
- Sultanas: Substitute raisins, golden raisins or a combination with dried cranberries.
- Orange zest: Lemon zest will do, too, for a different note of citrus.
- Apricot jam: Substitute with orange marmalade or honey for glazing.
How to Make Hot Cross Buns
- Mix the dry ingredients
- In a large bowl, mix the bread flour, yeast, sugar, salt cinnamon and mixed spice.
- Stir in the wet ingredients + sultanas
- Stir in warm milk, egg, melted butter and orange zest. Combine until they form a sticky dough, then stir in the sultanas.
- Knead and first rise
- Knead until the dough is no longer coarse and springy. Turn dough over in a greased bowl, cover it, and let rise until doubled.
- Divide and shape
- Turn the flour onto a lightly floured surface. Then divide into equal portions then roll to form smooth balls.
- Arrange in the pan
- Put the balls of dough in a parchment-lined baking dish, leaving some room between them.
- Cover and proof until puffy.
- Pipe the crosses
- Combine cross flour and water until you have a thick, pipeable paste. Pipe lines in one direction across the buns, then pipe them in the opposite direction to form crosses.
- Bake
- Bake until golden brown and no longer moist.
- Glaze
- Heat the apricot jam with water and brush over the hot buns for a glossy shine.
Expert Tips
- It should be warm, not hot: You want the milk to be warm to the touch — about 100 degrees so that it activates the yeast but does not kill it.
- Let the melted butter cool before using it — warm, but not hot, so it wont shock the yeast or cook the egg.
- Sprinkle in half the sultanas once the dough has formed, to ensure they are well dispersed.
- To ensure even sized buns, you can weigh the dough pieces before rolling.
- If the cross paste is too runny, add a little more flour; if it is too thick, mix in a few drops of water.
- Don’t overbake: Pull them when they’re golden and set; they’ll remain soft.
- For more tenderness, tent the pan loosely in foil during the last few minutes if the tops brown too quickly.
- Brush glaze over buns while they are hot so that it melts a bit and sets into a glistening coating.
Storage & Freezing
- Fridge: Keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Allow to come to room temp or warm up slightly before serving.
- Leftover storage: Keep your fully cooled buns in a plastic bag and store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Thaw: If frozen, thaw at room temperature and warm in the microwave for a few seconds or in a slow oven to soften up.
Variations
- Use chocolate chips in place of the sultanas for an even sweeter take.
- Stir in chopped dried apricots or dates
- Add the chopped pecans or walnuts and mix.
- Sub lemon zest rather than orange zest
- Add a pinch of nutmeg, or ground cloves for more intense spice
Hot Cross Buns
Soft spiced buns with sultanas, a simple baked cross, and a shiny apricot glaze. Perfect warm with butter.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a large bowl, whisk together bread flour, yeast, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and mixed spice.
- Add warm milk, egg, melted butter, and orange zest. Mix to form a dough, then stir in the sultanas.
- Knead until smooth and elastic. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled.
- Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Shape into smooth balls.
- Arrange dough balls in a parchment-lined baking pan. Cover and proof until puffy.
- Mix cross flour with water into a thick paste. Pipe lines across the buns, then pipe lines the other way to form crosses.
- Bake until golden brown and cooked through.
- Warm apricot jam with water and brush over hot buns. Cool slightly, then serve.
Nutrition
Video
Notes
- If the cross paste spreads too much, add a little extra flour; if it won’t pipe, add a few drops of water.
- Swap sultanas with raisins, golden raisins, or dried cranberries.
- Pumpkin pie spice works well if you don’t have mixed spice.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!FAQs
Can I replace bread flour with all-purpose?
Yes. You may find the buns a little less chewy and a bit softer, but they’ll still be great.
Why didn’t my dough rise?
Common culprits include milk that was too hot or yeast that is not active. Make sure the dough is also rising someplace warm.
How can I be sure the buns are baked through?
They should be golden and when you tap the top, they will feel set. If you give the top a gentle tap, it should sound slightly hollow.
Can I prepare the dough in advance?
Yes. Cover and refrigerate overnight after the first rise. Return it to (or close to) room temperature, shape, proof and then bake.
What can you substitute for mixed spice?
In America I get away with pumpkin pie spice very well. You can also use allspice + cinamon.
Do I have to glaze them?
No, but the glaze gives them a glossy shimmer and a bakery flourish. You can also brush with honey.
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Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
