Light and fluffy Hot Cross Buns made from scratch. These beautiful Easter buns are made using instant dried yeast and are filled with juicy dried fruit, fresh orange zest and warm spices. My step-by-step instructions make them easy for beginner bread makers!
Got Hot Cross Bun fever? Time to make your own! It’s that time of year again when Hot Cross Buns grace our supermarket and bakery shelves. But nothing beats making these beautiful Easter buns from scratch.
While it may be a little more time-consuming than say a batch of Mini Egg Cookies, there is nothing more therapeutic than making bread from scratch.
Fresh out of the oven, these Hot Cross Buns are light and fluffy on the inside and shiny and golden on the outside.
Filled with plump, juicy fruit, fresh orange zest and a handful of spices, they’re a flavour-packed Easter treat.
Why you will love this recipe
- Soft and fluffy: These Hot Cross Buns are soft and light – no dry bread here!
- Plenty of fruit: They’re packed with juicy soaked dried fruit.
- Feeds a crowd: My recipe makes 12 large buns. They’re freezer friendly too.
- Easter celebrations: Perfect for Easter celebrations, Good Friday lunch or even the lunchbox!
I just had to thank you for this amazing hot cross bun recipe. This recipe brought me such wonderfully tasty buns that had a beautiful rise and were light and fluffy.
– Tessa
What are Hot Cross Buns?
Hot Cross Buns are spiced bread buns traditionally enjoyed over Easter.
They’re filled with dried fruit, brushed with a sweet sugar glaze and are marked by a signature flour cross on the top.
These days they’re many different variations, but typically Hot Cross Buns are filled with sultanas or raisins and flavoured with warm spices like cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.
Recipe testing
I’ve been making and tweaking this Hot Cross Bun recipe for years – they’re an Easter tradition in my house – and I’m finally sharing my tried and true version. Based on my favourite (and oh-so-popular) Cinnamon Roll recipe, these bread buns are made using instant dried yeast.
The bread itself has dried fruit, orange zest and a handful of spices to ensure they’re anything but bland. And it’s an enriched dough made with butter and milk.
Over the years, I’ve slightly reduced the flour to create a lighter bun – no dense, dry buns around here thanks. And I’ve also played around with the quantity of fruit and spices.
To make these buns extra special, I love to use our hack for juicy fruit from my ultimate Fruit Cake recipe – soaking the dried fruit in juice before adding it to the buns. This ensures the fruit is extra moist and flavourful.
A simple sugar glaze makes these Hot Cross Buns complete. The final touch is a generous slathering of butter when they’re fresh from the oven. I just love these sweet buns!
Ingredients
While most of these ingredients are pantry staples, there are a few key ingredients you’ll need for this Hot Cross Bun recipe.
Here’s a breakdown of the key ingredients, including any substitutions you can make.
- Instant yeast: I’ve made and tested these buns using instant yeast. You do not typically have to bloom instant yeast but I do anyway. It’s a quick and easy way to double check your yeast is active and hasn’t expired. If you prefer to use active dry yeast, you might need to check the packet or look at an online conversion to get the right amount.
- Plain flour: Or all purpose flour.
- Spices: To avoid a dry or bland hot cross bun, I recommend adding plenty of spices. I like to add cinnamon, nutmeg and even a bit of ginger.
- Dried fruit: You can use sultanas, raisins or mixed dried fruit of your choosing, as long as it adds up to 1 cup.
- Fruit juice: Use your favourite juice to soak your dried fruit first to ensure they’re extra plump and juicy. You could use fresh orange juice from the oranges or store-bought apple juice.
- Orange zest: Adding fresh orange zest gives so much flavour to the buns.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to make Hot Cross Buns
This bread bun recipe is made using instant yeast. I’ve included instructions for making these Hot Cross Buns using a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, but you can absolutely make these by hand if you don’t have one.
Follow the recipe as written and simply stir the dough using a spatula until it comes together enough for you to knead it gently by hand.
Here’s a quick overview of how to make them, but the full instructions are included in the recipe card below.
1 Soak the fruit
To ensure these buns are filled with plenty of plump, juicy fruit, I recommend soaking the dried fruit in juice first. We use this same technique in my Fruit Cake recipe and it works a treat.
- In a large bowl, add fruit and juice. Microwave it for 1 minute or until warm.
- As it cools, the fruit will hydrate and become plump. Leave for 15 minutes and then discard the juice and leave the fruit to cool.
2 Make the dough
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- Add yeast to warm water to check it’s fresh and ready to use.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, spices and orange zest. Melt together milk and butter – you can use the microwave or the stove top.
- To start, mix together sugar, salt, eggs, melted butter and milk, flour and spices. Finally, add dried fruit. Start to mix.
- Add yeast and water. Mix until soft dough comes together.
- Knead on a lightly floured bench until smooth.
- Cover and leave to prove for 1 hour. After their first rise, the dough should double in size.
3 Shape the dough
- Shape the dough into 12 equal-sized balls. The easiest way is by weighing the dough and dividing it by 12. I find that each bun will need to be around 85-90 grams of dough.
- Gently roll each bun into a smooth ball on the bench using the palm of your hand.
- Place on a baking tray lined with baking or parchment paper in four rows of three, leaving space in-between each bun.
- For their second rise, let the buns rest for 30 minutes or until they are touching. Then it’ll be time to add the flour cross before baking.
4 Add the flour cross
The trademark of a traditional Hot Cross Bun is the white cross on top of each bun. This crisscross pattern is made using a simple mixture of flour and water. The thick paste is then piped over the buns after they have proofed, but before they are baked.
- Sift flour into a small bowl. Add water and stir until smooth. Transfer flour mixture to a piping bag fitted with a small tip.
- Pipe a straight line over the buns, horizontally and then again, vertically to form a cross on each one.
- Bake buns in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown on top.
5 Brush with sugar glaze
The final, but crucial step in making a beautiful Hot Cross Bun is the sugar glaze. This is a simple sugar syrup made from sugar and water.
- Heat the water and sugar together on the stove until the sugar is dissolved.
- Use a pastry brush to generously glaze the buns while they are still warm from the oven.
Alternatively, you could also brush the buns with warmed marmalade or apricot jam!
Frequently asked questions
No, this step is optional. But I think it’s worth it for the added moisture it gives to the fruit. However, if you are short on time or don’t have juice, you can absolutely just add the dried fruit as it is.
Yes. You can use sultanas, raisins or mixed dried fruit of your choosing, as long as it adds up to 1 cup total. After you make this version, you might even want to experiment with different mix-in’s like chocolate chips, lemon zest or dried blueberries or cherries.
Hot cross buns are best eaten on the day they are made but you can freeze them. Once completely cooled, cover buns in plastic wrap and freeze. To defrost, heat in the microwave for 20-30 seconds until warm.
If your Hot Cross Buns are dry, tough or dense, it could be the result of adding too much flour to your dough. I highly recommend using a baking scale to measure out your flour. Also, be careful not to add too much extra flour when kneading and shaping your dough. Keep an eye on your buns in the oven as over-baking them will also cause them to dry out.
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Let’s Bake
Hot Cross Bun recipe
Light and fluffy homemade Hot Cross Buns made from scratch.
Ingredients
Hot cross buns
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) warm water
- 2 and 1/4 teaspoon instant dried yeast
- 490 grams (3 and 1/2 cups) plain flour or all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
- 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- Zest of 2 oranges, finely grated
- 225 grams (1 and 1/4 cup) dried fruit (see notes)
- 80 ml (1/3 cup) orange juice or apple juice
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) full fat or whole milk
- 60 grams (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
- 75 grams (1/2 cup) caster sugar or granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
Flour cross
- 45 grams (1/3 cup) plain flour or all purpose flour
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) water
Sugar glaze
- 50 grams (1/4 cup) caster sugar or granulated sugar
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) water
Instructions
- To start
Line a 9 by 13 inch baking pan or oven tray with baking or parchment paper and set aside. - Add warm water to a small bowl and sprinkle yeast over the top and leave for a few minutes to react.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and orange zest.
- Soak fruit
In a heatproof bowl, add dried fruit and juice and stir. Heat in the microwave for 1 minute and then stir. Cover the bowl of fruit with a large plate and let it sit for at least 15 minutes. Fruit will soak up the juice and become plump. - Discard any juice in the bottom of the bowl. Place dried fruit on a paper towel and pat dry. Leave to cool.
- Melt milk and butter
Add milk and butter to a small saucepan and place on a low heat, stirring, while the milk warms and the butter melts. - Once the butter is melted, remove the milk mixture from the heat. If it is hot to the touch, leave to cool for a minute or two. You want the milk to be warm but not hot. Also, check your yeast has reacted and started to bubble a little on the edges.
- Make dough
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add sugar, salt and eggs. Add milk and butter mixture and flour and spices. Add dried fruit. Start to beat on low speed. - Add yeast mixture, water and all, and continue to mix on medium speed until a nice soft dough forms. Once the dough comes together, remove it from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured bench.
- Lightly flour your hands and knead the dough by hand for a few minutes or until it is soft and smooth. Add a little extra flour to the bench and/or your hands if it gets a little too sticky to work with – but add it sparingly as we want the dough to be nice and light.
- Let dough rise
Bring your dough into a ball and place in a large mixing bowl that has been lightly greased with butter or oil. Cover with plastic wrap and leave it to rise for approximately 1 hour or until it’s doubled in size. - Shape dough
Next, gently push the air out of your dough using your fist. Then take the dough out of the bowl and knead gently for a minute on a very lightly floured surface before cutting it into 12 even-sized balls of dough (approximately 85-90 grams of dough). - Gently shape into balls and then place on prepared pan in four rows of three. Leave space in between each roll. Once they rise again, they should be touching.
- Let dough rest
Cover with cling wrap and leave to rise for at least 30 minutes. Or until they have all joined together and almost doubled in size. - Preheat oven to 200 C (390 F) standard / 180 C (355 F) fan-forced.
- Make flour paste
Sift your flour into a small bowl. Add water and stir until smooth. Transfer your flour mixture to a piping bag fitted with a small tip and pipe a straight line over the buns, horizontally and then again, vertically to form a cross on each one. - Bake buns
Bake buns for approximately 18-20 minutes or until golden brown on top. - Make sugar glaze
Just before the buns are ready, start making the sugar glaze. Add your sugar and water to a small saucepan and place on a medium heat until sugar has completely dissolved. As soon as the buns are ready, remove them from the oven and then immediately brush them with the sugar glaze. Alternatively, you can brush them with warmed apricot jam or marmalade.
Notes
Instant yeast: I tested this recipe using instant yeast. It does not need blooming and can be added straight into the dough. However, I prefer to add it to warm water as instructed in step 1 to double check it’s fresh and alive before continuing. If you want to use a different type of yeast, check online for a reliable conversion.
Dried fruit: You can use sultanas, raisins or mixed dried fruit of your choosing, as long as it adds up to 1 cup total.
Fruit juice: Use your favourite juice to soak your dried fruit first to ensure they’re extra plump and juicy. You could use fresh orange juice from the oranges or store-bought apple juice. Soaking the fruit is optional: If you do not want to soak the fruit first, you can simply add your dried fruit and zest to the dough when you add the flour and spices (do not add the juice).
By hand: I’ve included instructions for making these Hot Cross Buns using a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, but you can absolutely make these by hand if you don’t have one. Follow the recipe as written and simply stir the dough using a spatula until it comes together enough for you to knead it gently by hand.
Shaping the dough: The easiest way to shape the dough evenly into 12 balls is by weighing the dough and diving it by 12. I usually find that each bun will need to be around 85-90 grams of dough.
Sugar glaze: Alternatively, you could also brush the buns with warmed marmalade or apricot jam!
Storage: Hot cross buns are best eaten on the day they are made. Keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature or cover in plastic wrap and freeze. To defrost, heat in the microwave for 20-30 seconds until warm.
Nutrition Information
Tessa says
Hi Jess, I just had to thank you for this amazing hot + bun recipe.
I am traditionally a sourdough baker, but have never had success with the sourdough buns but this recipe brought me such wonderfully tasty buns that had a beautiful rise and were light and fluffy.
So easy and ready to eat within a few hours.
You are my go to baker and have had wonderful success with so many of your recipes. Thank you so much.
Jessica Holmes says
This makes me so happy to hear Tessa! I’m so glad you achieved such light, fluffy buns! Thank you so much for sharing.
Izzy says
Hi!
Would i be able to make these but replace the cinnamon and ginger with cocoa powder and the fruit with chocolate chips to make chocolate hot cross buns instead? They look incredible but would like to try different variations to take to a family gathering xx
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Izzy, I haven’t tried making a chocolate version. It could be worth a try though! I think the way you suggested could work nicely.
Esther says
Could this recipe work to susbtitute the dry fruit for chocolate? Any typs? 🙂
Jessica Holmes says
Absolutely! Just add 1 cup of chocolate chips instead of the fruit (and don’t add any juice.)
Sewuese says
Great recipe thanks love it
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you liked them!
Julie says
Hi, I’m new to this site, I’ve made the blondies and brownies and they are amazing. I was wondering if you had a recipe for white chocolate and raspberry hot cross buns, we bought them last year but I would like to make them. Many Thanks
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Julie, so glad you’ve enjoyed my recipes. I don’t have a recipe for choc raspberry hot cross buns but they sound so delicious!
Nona says
This is a great recipe! I have never made anything like this before but found the instructions really well written, even though I didn’t know what I was doing, it all made sense in the end. I didn’t do the sugar glaze and halved the sugar and even doing that my sweet toothed family still really enjoyed them! Thanks for making this available.
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you enjoyed them Nona! Thank you for your kind review!
Nirvana says
Hi. Do you think that leaving out the ginger powder would have much effect on the flavor? We are in lockdown at the moment so I wouldn’t want to go out just to get that one ingredient. I do have fresh ginger but I think that might be too strong? Thanks!
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Nirvana, no it’s totally fine to leave out the ginger! The cinnamon and nutmeg will make up for it. Hope you enjoy them!
Natalie says
Don’t have a bread machine, what adjustments do I need to make? Recipe lookes lovely.
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Natalie! You don’t need a bread maker to make these hot cross buns. Just follow the recipe and you should be fine ☺️
riz says
This recipe looks very yummy. Im gonna make one today. Can i use mixed fruits instead of raisins? My boyfriend is ot a big fan of raisins.
Jessica Holmes says
Yes you definitely can! ☺️
Josh says
These were so much better then the supermarket ones!
Jessica Holmes says
Amazing, glad you enjoyed them!