Hot Cross Buns
21 Reviews
How to make Hot Cross Buns
Who says Hot Cross Buns are just for Easter? Fresh out the oven, sliced and spread with butter, they're a true classic and great to enjoy any time of the day. Toast and spread with butter in the morning with a cup of tea, or cosy up on the sofa with a warm Hot Cross Bun on a wintery evening - sounds yummy, right?
Filled with fruit and piped with a white cross, replace your shop-bought buns with these delicious homemade buns - you won't regret it, promise.
What are hot cross buns filled with?
Hot cross buns are filled with lots of fruits and spices to give a warming, rich flavour to a basic dough base. Made with mixed spice, sultanas and fresh mixed peel, each zesty bite is full of flavour and a firm favourite sweet dough in our recipe book.
Can I eat hot cross buns hot or cold?
It doesn't matter - eat them however you feel comfortable! We prefer ours sliced in half then toasted with a slather of butter melting on each slice.
What is the white cross on hot cross buns made from?
The white cross is made from a thick flour paste made from plain flour, and it represents the cross which Jesus was crucified on.
What are hot cross buns called in the US?
In America, hot cross buns are called Easter buns or hot fruit buns.
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 500gAllinson's Strong White Bread Flour
- 7gAllinson's Easy Bake Yeast
- 275mlWhole milk
- 50gUnsalted butter (cold, diced)
- 1Medium free range eggs (beaten)
- 75gBillington's Unrefined Golden Caster Sugar
- 1 1/2 tspSalt
For the Toppings
- 2 tspMixed spice
- 75gSultanas
- 50gMixed peel
- 100gAllinson's Plain White Flour
- 50gApricot Jam
Method
Step 1
Bring the milk to the boil, then remove from the heat and add the butter. Leave the butter and milk mix to cool until it's lukewarm.
Then, mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a big bowl. Mix the milk and the beaten egg into the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon until it forms a dough.
Step 2
Tip the dough onto a lightly-floured surface and knead the dough for 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic (alternatively, use the dough hook attachment on your mixer).
Step 3
Lightly grease the mixing bowl with some oil. Put the dough back in, cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and leave to rise until doubled in size – up to 2 hours, depending on how warm your kitchen is.
Step 4
Sift the mixed spice over the dough, then knead in with the sultanas and mixed peel. Cut the dough into 12 even pieces (use weighing scales if you want to be precise). Roll each piece of dough into a ball and arrange on a baking tray lined with baking parchment, with space between the dough balls for them to grow.
Step 5
Cover the dough balls with a clean tea towel again and leave to prove until almost doubled in size again. Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan, gas mark 6).
Step 6
To start prepping for the crosses, mix the plain flour with 1 tbsp of water at a time to form a thick paste. Spoon into a piping bag (or into a plastic food bag, and snip the corner off).
Score a cross in the top of each bun with a small, sharp, floured knife and pipe crosses onto the buns in the cuts you made. Bake the buns for 12-15 minutes or until golden. You'll know when they are done by tapping the base of the buns - when they're properly cooked, they should sound hollow.
Step 7
Melt the apricot jam in a small pan, then sieve out the lumps of fruit. Brush the apricot glaze over the freshly-baked buns and then leave them to cool on a wire rack.