Hot Cross Buns

Name: Traditional Hot Cross Buns
Prep time: 1 h 40 min
Cook time: 8 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 450g strong bread flour; ½ tsp salt; 2 tsp ground mixed spice; 1 tsp cinnamon; 50g unsalted butter, cut into cubes; 50g light brown sugar; 7g (1 sachet) fast-acting yeast; 1 egg; 210ml milk; 125g dried mixed fruit; 2 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour; 2 tbsp cold water; Glaze; 1 tbsp golden syrup (or corn syrup), gently heated, for glazing

Posted by Lisa | Sweet 2 Eat Baking on April 1, 2013

18 Comments // Leave Some Love

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These Hot Cross Buns are spiced with a sticky glaze and a traditional pastry cross. A traditional Easter classic British recipe which can be served any time of the year.

Happy Easter Monday! I hope you’re all having a lovely Easter with your families?

Or, perhaps you’re ill in bed puking your guts up because you ate too much chocolate yesterday? I’m ashamed to admit that was [almost] me this morning! But if you can’t have chocolate on Easter, when can you? 🙂

Fortunately, although I felt nauseous, I wasn’t actually sick and it wore off in an hour or so. ~~Then I went back for more chocolate.~~ *cough* 😀

But Easter isn’t all about the chocolate (and the obvious), there’s the Hot Cross Buns too. And who would forget about these delicately spiced sweet bread jam packed with fruit.

I’m such a fan of hot cross buns that it used to disappoint me each time the shops stopped selling these buns after Easter. But now the equilibrium has been restored because I can make them at home! *happy dance*

This is my first ever time making bread, and again another first timer with yeast. I’m delighted with the results, they’re equally delicious, if not better than shop bought. I just lack patience but lesson learnt.

Why was I ever terrified of using yeast? Answers on a postcard please. 🙂

Yield: 12

Traditional Hot Cross Buns

These Hot Cross Buns are spiced with a sticky glaze and a traditional pastry cross. A traditional Easter classic British recipe which can be served any time of the year.

Prep Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes

Ingredients

Buns

450g strong bread flour
½ tsp salt
2 tsp ground mixed spice
1 tsp cinnamon
50g unsalted butter, cut into cubes
50g light brown sugar
7g (1 sachet) fast-acting yeast
1 egg
210ml milk
125g dried mixed fruit

Pastry Crosses

2 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour
2 tbsp cold water
Glaze
1 tbsp golden syrup (or corn syrup), gently heated, for glazing

Instructions

To make the buns: Sieve the flour, salt, ground mixed spice and cinnamon into a large mixing bowl, then rub in the butter using your fingertips. Try to keep the air in the mixture when rubbing the butter in. Make a well in the centre of the mixture, then add the sugar and the yeast.
Beat the egg and add to the mixture with the tepid milk. Mix together to form a soft, pliable dough.
Onto a lightly floured surface, turn the dough out and carefully work the mixed dried fruit into the dough until well combined. Lightly need for 5 minutes, or until smooth and elastic.
Grease a large mixing bowl with butter or oil then shape the dough into a ball and place into the prepared bowl, cover with a clean tea (dish) towel and set aside in a warm place to prove for 1 hour.
Turn out the proved dough again onto a lightly floured surface and knock back the dough. Re-shape into a bowl again and return it to the bowl, covering again for a 30 minutes to rise.
Once risen, turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces, rolling each into a ball, then slightly flatten into a bun shape. Cover the buns again with the tea towel and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes.
Grease or oil a baking tray and transfer the buns to the tray then wrap the tray with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place for a further 40 minutes to rise. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 240°C/475°F/Gas Mark 8.
To make the pastry crosses: Mix the plain (all-purpose) flour with 2 tbsp of cold water to form a smooth paste.
When the buns have risen, remove the plastic wrap completely and either spoon or pipe the pastry cross mixture making a cross on each bun.
Bake the buns for 8-10 minutes, or until a pale golden brown.
To make the glaze: Once the hot cross buns are almost baked, gently heat the syrup in a small microwave safe bowl in 10-second bursts until gently heated and more fluid. Glaze the buns generously with a pastry brush as soon as they’re removed from the oven with the heated syrup.
Set aside to cool on a wire rack. Serve warm, cold, or toasted with butter and if desired, jam and cream.

Notes

For my Hot Cross Buns, I decided to use half sultanas (golden raisins) and half currants for my dried fruit as I love the extra sweetness and fruitiness of the sultanas, and do not like mixed peel in my Hot Cross Buns. However, you can substitute your dried fruit as you wish - adding some nuts and different fruits.

Tips:

Problems rising? Try these methods:

If you've recently used your laundry drier, try placing your Hot Cross Buns in the warm drier for a faster rise and prove. This can also work if your microwave is warm too.
If your oven has a bread or lower temperature setting, use that to rise and prove. My oven temperature has a bread rising temperature of 40°C/104°F.
Try boiling the kettle and filling up a large bowl with boiling water, then place it in a confined space (such as the microwave or oven). The heat and steam from the water should be enough to get the yeast activated.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 218Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 116mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 1gSugar: 9gProtein: 6g

Traditional British Hot Cross Buns Recipe by Sweet2EatBaking.com | A delicately spiced sweet bread, jam packed with fruit. An Easter classic

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Posted by Lisa | Sweet 2 Eat Baking on April 1, 2013

18 Comments // Leave Some Love

18 Comments on “Hot Cross Buns”

Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet — April 2, 2013 @2:03 am Reply

I love these buns! And your cookies look so super fun, Lisa! Hope you had a fabulous weekend!
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust — April 2, 2013 @2:06 am Reply

YUM Lisa. (And that was kind of me too...)
Sinea Pies — April 2, 2013 @2:43 am Reply

Love Hot Cross Buns, Yours are so pretty, I'm going to pin them. ♥
Jess @ OnSugarMountain — April 2, 2013 @3:03 am Reply

Lisa these are so cute! A Happy Belated Easter to you as well! I'm still in a ham-coma heehee but these hot cross buns look perfect for breakfast :D
Happy Valley Chow — April 2, 2013 @4:28 am Reply

Such a wonderful Easter tradition. I absolutely love hot cross buns, can't wait to try your recipe!

Happy Blogging!
Happy Valley Chow
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) — April 2, 2013 @1:36 pm Reply

Holy cow, those look amazing!! Nice Easter tradition. Can't go wrong with buns ever!
Charlotte Moore — April 2, 2013 @9:06 pm Reply

What is strong bread flour???
Choc Chip Uru — April 2, 2013 @10:51 pm Reply

Buns or cookies, you rock that hot cross flavour :)

Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Kelly // The Pretty Bee — April 3, 2013 @1:16 pm Reply

Yum, those look delicious!
Jennie @themessybakerblog — April 4, 2013 @11:54 pm Reply

I'm ashamed to admit how much chocolate I consumed over the weekend. These buns look amazing!
Hayley @ The Domestic Rebel — April 10, 2013 @1:01 am Reply

Holy hot cross buns! I wanttttt these in my face, Lisa!
Sharlene — April 21, 2013 @7:34 am Reply

Wow these look crazy yummy!! I'm going to have to try making the cookies!!!! Just found you from nifty thrifty things linky party :) x
Sharlene — April 21, 2013 @7:34 am Reply

Wow these look crazy yummy!! I'm going to have to try making the cookies!!!! Just found you from nifty thrifty things linky party :) x
Char — April 16, 2019 @6:59 am Reply

These look great! Was wondering if anyone out there has tried the recipe! I would like to try it this good Friday!

Hot Cross Buns