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Hot Cross Buns for Easter

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 Hot sticky buns, fresh from the oven, studded with fruit and spice, with a cute little cross on top, these Hot Cross Buns are traditionally eaten on Good Friday, but are so good, you’ll want to make them more than once a year!

Hot sticky buns, fresh from the oven, studded with fruit and spice, with a cute little cross on top, these buns are traditionally eaten on Good Friday, but are so good, you'll want to make them more than once a year!

I love Easter. It’s rather a bigger deal in New Zealand than it is here in the USA. Good Friday is a public holiday, as is the Monday following. A 4 day weekend, with 2 of those steeped in a tradition that involves food? (yes, I know it’s a religious holiday and I am not religious, but still) Sign me up!

Every year my Mum would make or buy hot cross buns and we would devour them on Good Friday. I looked forward to eating these buns way more than the chocolate received on Sunday from the Easter Bunny!

I was reading a news story just the other day that New Zealanders consume 10 million (yes MILLION) hot cross buns in the weeks leading up to and including Easter. That’s a whole lot of buns…

These particular buns are soft, spicy and have raisins in them. Grocery stores are now selling them with no fruit, and adding chocolate chips instead – but as a hot cross bun PURIST, I say no to chocolate chips. And frosting crosses. They have to be made from a paste of flour and water… not frosting!

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16 hot cross buns right after baking

How to make Hot Cross Buns:

Stand Mixer  instructions

Dough

  1. Combine the dough ingredients in your stand mixer and knead for about 10 minutes.
  2. Add the spices, brown sugar and raisins, and knead until elastic and smooth.
  3. Let rise in a warm place for about an hour (dough will triple in size). 

Crosses

  1. In a small bowl, combine the flour and water until smooth.
  2. Transfer to a zip lock bag, seal. Snip off the corner and pipe the crosses onto the surface of the buns.
  3. Allow the buns to rise a further 30mins
  4. Bake in a preheated oven 400°F for 20-25 minutes (buns should be a golden brown)
Glaze
  1. Combine the sugar and water, and heat in the microwave or a saucepan until it forms a simple syrup.
  2. Remove buns from the oven and while piping hot brush over the sugar glaze.
  3. Cool on a rack.
  4. Devour (I like to split them open and spread butter on them)

Bread machine instructions

Dough

  1. Add all dough ingredients into the bread machine in the order as listed by the manufacturer.
  2. Set a timer for 20 minutes if your machine doesn’t have a fruit addition timer built in. Turn the machine on using “dough only” function.
  3. After 20 minutes, add the spices, brown sugar and raisins.
  4. When the dough cycle completes, remove the dough onto a well floured surface and divide into 16 roughly equal pieces. Roll them into balls, and place them on a baking stone (or cookie sheet lined with parchment). The balls of dough should touch each other.
Crosses
  1. In a small bowl, combine the flour and water until smooth.
  2. Transfer to a zip lock bag, seal. Snip off the corner and pipe the crosses onto the surface of the buns.
  3. Allow the buns to rise a further 30mins
  4. Bake in a preheated oven 400°F for 20-25 minutes (buns should be a golden brown)
Glaze
  1. Combine the sugar and water, and heat in the microwave or a saucepan until it forms a simple syrup.
  2. Remove buns from the oven and while piping hot brush over the sugar glaze.
  3. Cool on a rack.
  4. Devour (I like to split them open and spread butter on them)
 

 

Boy eating a hot cross bun

My sweet son, H enjoying 1 of the probably 8 buns he consumed

 

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Hot Cross Buns

 Hot sticky buns, fresh from the oven, studded with fruit and spice, with a cute little cross on top, these buns are traditionally eaten on Good Friday, but are so good, you'll want to make them more than once a year!
5 from 1 vote
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Course: Bread, Breakfast, brunch, Snack
Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 241kcal
Author: Kylee Cooks

Ingredients

Dough

  • 1 Tbs instant yeast rapid rise
  • 1 Tbs sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 cups bread flour 15oz
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour 5oz
  • 2 Tbs butter melted
  • 1 1/4 cups water (warmed to lukewarm not hot)
  • 1 egg lightly beaten

Addition to dough after 20 mins

  • 1 Tbs ground cinnamon
  • 1 Tbs pumpkin pie spice mixed spice in NZ/Australia
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 cup raisins

Crosses

  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup water

Glaze

  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 Tbs water

Instructions

Dough

  • Add all dough ingredients into the bread machine in the order as listed by the manufacturer.
  • Set a timer for 20 minutes if your machine doesn’t have a fruit addition timer built in. Turn the machine on using “dough only” function.
  • After 20 minutes, add the spices, brown sugar and raisins.
  • When the dough cycle completes, remove the dough onto a well floured surface and divide into 16 roughly equal pieces. Roll them into balls, and place them on a baking stone (or cookie sheet lined with parchment). The balls of dough should touch each other.

Crosses

  • In a small bowl, combine the flour and water until smooth.
  • Transfer to a zip lock bag, seal. Snip off the corner and pipe the crosses onto the surface of the buns.
  • Allow the buns to rise a further 30mins
  • Bake in a preheated oven 400°F for 20-25 minutes (buns should be a golden brown)

Glaze

  • Combine the sugar and water, and heat in the microwave or a saucepan until it forms a simple syrup.
  • Remove buns from the oven and while piping hot brush over the sugar glaze.
  • Cool on a rack.
  • Devour (I like to split them open and spread butter on them)

Notes

To make these without a bread machine Simply combine the dough ingredients in your stand mixer and knead for about 10 minutes. Add the spices, brown sugar and raisins, and knead until elastic and smooth. Let rise in a warm place for about an hour (dough will triple in size). Then follow from step 4.

Nutrition

Calories: 241kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 223mg | Potassium: 172mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 80IU | Vitamin C: 0.7mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1.2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @kyleecooks or tag #kyleecooks!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      • Wow! They’re a huge part of my childhood. My mother used to make them, but the grocery stores begin making them super early in New Zealand. I LOVE them.

      • Thanks Tania. We ate alllll of them in the space of 2 days. My 2 and 4 year olds were delighted by them! (the Husband and I literally hid some)

    8. I don’t think you can put an unheated baking stone (with the buns already on it) into a hot oven. It’s very likely to crack. And to put them on the pre-heated stone (all 16 of them) at once (even using a peel) would be very difficult.

      I’m sticking with the parchment-on-cookie sheet method.

      They’re presently doing their first rise (mixing bowl with dough hooks) . Really looking forward to the end result 🙂

      Reply

      • Hi Len! Thanks for stopping by.
        I actually DO put an unheated baking stone into a hot oven. It’s only likely to crack if I put a hot stone into cold water.
        Mine’s a Pampered Chef one, and the manufacturer instructions say this:

        No preheating—just place food on Stoneware and cook.
        Amazing heat retention.
        Nonstick “seasoning” builds up with every use: the darker it looks, the better it cooks!
        Microwave-, freezer- and conventional and convection oven-safe.

        Of course, you should always follow the instructions of your baking stone manufacturer, but I have not had a problem with putting my stone into my hot oven!

        Enjoy your buns!

      • They turned out perfect. Didn’t have the w.w. flour so went with 100% unbleached white A.P. so thanks for this recipe. The last (different source) recipe I tried turned out a dozen little lego blocks (ie not so good).

        Regarding your stone, you seem to have got a good one. I looked on amazon for that brand and in the comments found that around 50% of the people who bought it and followed those instructions had their stone crack (a lot around 3 months). The paper/pan route worked for me (as always).

        Again, thanks for this recipe. The buns taste like h.c. buns should taste 🙂

      • Thanks for looping back and letting me know how the recipe worked out! I’m really really happy they were good for you!

        Regarding the stone: I think it might depend on the piece. I use the large bar pan, and I LOVE it!

    10. I’ve never heard of these before but oh my word they look so good! Will definitely be on my to-do list! (I’m originally from Manila and Easter there is a massive deal. Most everyone takes the the week off. The country literally shuts down for Holy Week. I live in Toronto now where we only get Friday off )

      Reply

    19. I’ve never had a hot cross bun because Easter is always on Passover. Except this year! I know my inlaws won’t be having any, but I’m going to have to find a way to get one anyway.

      Reply

      • Just make them, Kate! (You don’t have to do the crosses if you are opposed), but it would be SUCH a shame not to have a … spicy raisin bun…

    21. We’ve never really eaten Hot Cross Buns for Easter, but I don’t know why not?! They look so happy and delicious and I love the symbolism. I think I’ll give these a try next week and I promise not to use chocolate chips 🙂

      Reply

      • You just gave me a cool idea. Might have to combine the nursery rhyme with the buns for my boys! (I’m so not doing green eggs and ham though)

    25. I made these today, Kylee! My crosses faded after baking in the oven so I (gasp!) piped on some after the fact with a powdered sugar/milk glaze. These tasted amazing – nice and soft and super fluffy. Thanks for the great recipe! 🙂

      Reply

    27. I’ve never made or even tried these… that needs to change! I could serve these in place of dinner and nobody would be asking where the ham was. Can’t wait to try these!

      Reply

    28. Oh I love hot cross buns so much, I somehow missed out last year (couldn’t find any good ones), and have vowed to make my own this year. This version sounds great will be giving it a go with the kids this weekend 🙂

      Reply

      • You should! You could always put something else in there… maybe craisins? currants? chopped dried apricots? (Unless you just hate dried fruit, of course).

    31. Okay, now I’m feeling like an Easter slacker. I have forgotten to make these for like the last 3 years and my bread machine (which I use to cheat and knead dough for me is still packed). I’ll have to give your version a try this weekend.

      Reply

    37. Your Easter weekend sounds pretty much the same as what we had in South Africa. It was typical for our community in Cape Town for almost everyone to prepare pickled fish and hot cross buns on Good Friday, regardless of whether they were Christian (friends and relatives) or Muslim (like us).

      My only attempt at hot cross buns as a teenager were (in my opinion) a disaster, although the rest of the family finished them off. Next time I have a bun craving I will try your recipe instead 🙂

      Reply

    38. I am so glad that you insist on the flour paste crosses, although “cute” is not a term I would use considering the symbolism? I, too, am not of a religious bent, but do decry the commercialization of so many of the “holy days” of those who are.

      I think I will give these lovely buns a go in my bread machine…have never made them before at home and eschewed the “sugar-icinged” ones on offer at the store.

      P.S. Loved my time in NZ in late 80s for the Orchid Conference in Auckland! Lovely country, lovely people!

      Reply

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