Okay, seriously you guys, Hot Cross Buns. Can we just talk about that smell when they’re baking? Like, pure magic, right? Forget those squishy things in plastic bags at the store – no comparison. Making them yourself? SO. MUCH. BETTER. Yeah, yeast sounds kinda cheffy and maybe a bit scary, but honestly? It’s mostly just… waiting. And the payoff? These incredibly soft, spicy, fruity little buns of happiness? Totally worth looking like you wrestled a bag of flour.
I fiddled with this recipe forever because sometimes they’d come out kinda dense, or not spicy enough, you know? But this one? This is it. The one that makes everyone go “Ooooh!” when you bring ’em out. They’re fluffy, they’ve got just the right amount of cinnamon and stuff, sweet little raisins (or whatever fruit you like!), and that shiny glaze? Forget about it. You just gotta try making them. Your house will smell ridiculously good.
Quick Cheat Sheet:
- Takes like 20 mins maybe to mix up? Ish?
- Then waiting… like an hour, hour and a half for the first rise. Go have some tea.
- Baking’s fast – 20-25 mins.
- Makes about a dozen buns. Perfect amount.
Alright, Whatcha Need? Raid Your Kitchen!
(Seriously, it’s mostly basic stuff…)
- The Dough Bits:
- Flour: Regular all-purpose stuff, 3 ½ cups.
- Milk: ¾ cup. Whole milk = yum, but whatever you got. Gotta be warm though! Like, comfy warm, not hot!
- Sugar: Just ¼ cup.
- Yeast: Active dry yeast, 2 ¼ teaspoons. Please check the date! Dead yeast is the saddest.
- Salt: 1 teaspoon. Yep, salt in sweet stuff, makes it taste better.
- Spices!: 1 tsp Cinnamon, ½ tsp Nutmeg, ¼ tsp Cloves. This is the soul right here. Smell it! So good.
- Zest: An orange or lemon – about 1 tablespoon of the bright outside bit. Wakes everything up!
- Butter: 2 tablespoons, melted. Makes ’em soft.
- Egg: 1 large one.
- Dried Fruit: ½ cup – raisins are classic, but cranberries, chopped apricots, whatever! Your buns, your rules!
- For the Cross Thingy:
- Flour: ¼ cup.
- Water: Few tablespoons. Just enough to make a paste.
- For the Shiny Top Coat:
- Honey or simple syrup: Couple tablespoons, warmed up a bit maybe? Or apricot jam, thinned with a splash of hot water – that’s tasty too!
*(Swaps? Sure! Plant milk/butter & flax egg for vegan vibes. GF flour works okay-ish, texture’s just a bit different. Don’t stress!) *
Let’s Do This Thing! Baking Hot Cross Buns:
(Okay, deep breath. It’s gonna get messy. It’s gonna be fun.)
- Yeast Juice: First up, warm that milk. Seriously, just warm. Stick your finger in – comfy? Good. Hot? Let it cool down! Pour it in a little bowl, stir in a tiny pinch (like 1 tsp) of the sugar, then sprinkle the yeast over it. Now walk away. 5-10 mins. If it gets foamy/bubbly, awesome! It’s alive! If it looks exactly the same… RIP yeast. Start again with a fresh packet. Don’t bake with dead yeast, okay? It’s just sad bread then.
- Mix It Up: Big bowl time. Dump in the flour, the rest of the sugar, salt, all those lovely spices. Give it a quick whisk. Make a well in the middle. Pour in the melty butter, crack the egg in, dump in the bubbly yeast stuff, add the zest. Stir stir stir. Use a spoon, use your hands (get messy!), until it’s all just kinda hanging together in a shaggy blob. Looks weird? Perfect.
- Knead It Like You Mean It: Flour your counter. Plop the dough blob down. Now, knead! Push, fold, turn. For like 8-10 minutes. Yeah, it’s a mini workout. Put on some music! You want it to go from sticky and weird to smooth and kinda stretchy. Like nice soft play-doh. If you poke it, it should slowly spring back. (Stand mixer folks? Dough hook it for 7-8 mins. Easy mode!). This kneading part? Super important for fluffy buns, so don’t cheat!
- Fruit Smoosh-In: Pat the dough out flat-ish. Sprinkle the dried fruit all over. Fold the dough over, kinda tucking the fruit in. Knead it just a little bit more, maybe 30 seconds? Just to get the fruit mixed through without totally mangling it.
- Nap Time #1: Grease another bowl (or wash the one you used). Put the dough ball in, flip it so it’s lightly greased all over. Cover it up. Stick it somewhere warm-ish. Not hot! Just… cozy. For 1 to 1.5 hours. Go watch an episode of something. It needs to double in size, basically. It’ll look HUGE.
- Shape ‘Em: Gently poke the air out of the giant dough ball. Divide it into 12 pieces. Try to make ’em roughly the same size so they bake evenly. Roll each piece into a little ball. If they look kinda lumpy or weird, who cares? They’re homemade! Plop them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Give ’em a little space.
- Nap Time #2 (Short One!): Cover the tray again, loosely. Let ’em sit somewhere warm for another 30-45 minutes. They’ll puff up nicely. Almost there!
- Operation Cross: While they’re puffing, mix the ¼ cup flour with 2-3 tablespoons of water. You want a thick paste, kinda like glue. Maybe thicker. Add water super slowly! Put it in a little baggie, snip a tiny corner off. Carefully squeeze lines across the tops of the buns, then lines the other way. Crosses! They might look wonky. It’s FINE. They taste the same!
- Get Baking!: Oven to 375°F (190°C). Bake those beauties for 18-22 minutes. They’ll turn golden brown and your kitchen will smell like actual heaven. Seriously.
- Gloss ‘Em Up!: Soon as they’re out, while they’re still hot hot hot, brush the tops with your warmed honey/syrup/jam stuff. Gently! This makes ’em shiny and irresistible. Let ’em cool on a rack for at least a few minutes before you attack. Molten fruit burns are no joke!
What About Leftovers? (Ha! If there are any…)
- Counter: Hot Cross Buns = Best eaten ASAP. But they’ll survive a day or two in a sealed container.
- Freezer: Totally! Wrap ’em solo once cool, freeze ’em. Good for a few months when a craving hits.
- Reheat: Nuke for 10 secs for soft. Oven/toaster oven for a few mins at 350°F (175°C) to crisp the top slightly. Yum.
Go Crazy! Make ‘Em Yours!
- Chocolate chips? Do it.
- Extra orange zest? Always a good idea.
- Nuts? Why not!
- Hate cloves? Leave ’em out!
Seriously, You Can Totally Do This.
Making Hot Cross Buns feels like this big accomplishment, you know? It’s just… nice. Cozy. Delicious. Way better than store-bought. So give it a try! Don’t worry about perfection, just have fun with it.
And hey, tell me if you make them! Did they work? Did you invent a new flavor combo? Lemme know down below! Happy baking, guys!
Recipes You May Like
Hot Cross Buns
Soft, spiced Hot Cross Buns with raisins and citrus zest—perfect for Easter brunch or cozy baking days. Make your kitchen smell like heaven!
Ingredients
- Flour: Regular all-purpose stuff, 3 ½ cups.
- Milk: ¾ cup. Whole milk = yum, but whatever you got. Gotta be warm though! Like, comfy warm, not hot!
- Sugar: Just ¼ cup.
- Yeast: Active dry yeast, 2 ¼ teaspoons. Please check the date! Dead yeast is the saddest.
- Salt: 1 teaspoon. Yep, salt in sweet stuff, makes it taste better.
- Spices!: 1 tsp Cinnamon, ½ tsp Nutmeg, ¼ tsp Cloves. This is the soul right here. Smell it! So good.
- Zest: An orange or lemon – about 1 tablespoon of the bright outside bit. Wakes everything up!
- Butter: 2 tablespoons, melted. Makes ’em soft.
- Egg: 1 large one.
- Dried Fruit: ½ cup – raisins are classic, but cranberries, chopped apricots, whatever! Your buns, your rules!
- Flour: ¼ cup.
- Water: Few tablespoons. Just enough to make a paste.
- Honey or simple syrup: Couple tablespoons, warmed up a bit maybe? Or apricot jam, thinned with a splash of hot water – that’s tasty too!
Instructions
- Yeast Juice: First up, warm that milk. Seriously, just warm. Stick your finger in – comfy? Good. Hot? Let it cool down! Pour it in a little bowl, stir in a tiny pinch (like 1 tsp) of the sugar, then sprinkle the yeast over it. Now walk away. 5-10 mins. If it gets foamy/bubbly, awesome! It’s alive! If it looks exactly the same… RIP yeast. Start again with a fresh packet. Don’t bake with dead yeast, okay? It’s just sad bread then.
- Mix It Up: Big bowl time. Dump in the flour, the rest of the sugar, salt, all those lovely spices. Give it a quick whisk. Make a well in the middle. Pour in the melty butter, crack the egg in, dump in the bubbly yeast stuff, add the zest. Stir stir stir. Use a spoon, use your hands (get messy!), until it’s all just kinda hanging together in a shaggy blob. Looks weird? Perfect.
- Knead It Like You Mean It: Flour your counter. Plop the dough blob down. Now, knead! Push, fold, turn. For like 8-10 minutes. Yeah, it’s a mini workout. Put on some music! You want it to go from sticky and weird to smooth and kinda stretchy. Like nice soft play-doh. If you poke it, it should slowly spring back. (Stand mixer folks? Dough hook it for 7-8 mins. Easy mode!). This kneading part? Super important for fluffy buns, so don’t cheat!
- Fruit Smoosh-In: Pat the dough out flat-ish. Sprinkle the dried fruit all over. Fold the dough over, kinda tucking the fruit in. Knead it just a little bit more, maybe 30 seconds? Just to get the fruit mixed through without totally mangling it.
- Nap Time #1: Grease another bowl (or wash the one you used). Put the dough ball in, flip it so it’s lightly greased all over. Cover it up. Stick it somewhere warm-ish. Not hot! Just… cozy. For 1 to 1.5 hours. Go watch an episode of something. It needs to double in size, basically. It’ll look HUGE.
- Shape ‘Em: Gently poke the air out of the giant dough ball. Divide it into 12 pieces. Try to make ’em roughly the same size so they bake evenly. Roll each piece into a little ball. If they look kinda lumpy or weird, who cares? They’re homemade! Plop them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Give ’em a little space.
- Nap Time #2 (Short One!): Cover the tray again, loosely. Let ’em sit somewhere warm for another 30-45 minutes. They’ll puff up nicely. Almost there!
- Operation Cross: While they’re puffing, mix the ¼ cup flour with 2-3 tablespoons of water. You want a thick paste, kinda like glue. Maybe thicker. Add water super slowly! Put it in a little baggie, snip a tiny corner off. Carefully squeeze lines across the tops of the buns, then lines the other way. Crosses! They might look wonky. It’s FINE. They taste the same!
- Get Baking!: Oven to 375°F (190°C). Bake those beauties for 18-22 minutes. They’ll turn golden brown and your kitchen will smell like actual heaven. Seriously.
- Gloss ‘Em Up!: Soon as they’re out, while they’re still hot hot hot, brush the tops with your warmed honey/syrup/jam stuff. Gently! This makes ’em shiny and irresistible. Let ’em cool on a rack for at least a few minutes before you attack. Molten fruit burns are no joke!
Notes
You can use plant-based milk and vegan butter and a flax egg to make these buns fully vegan.
Swap out the dried fruit or spices to suit your taste make them your own
These buns are best fresh but will keep in an airtight container for a couple of days.
Freeze extras individually once cooled. Just reheat in the oven or microwave whenever the craving hits!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 bunsAmount Per Serving:Calories: Approximately 220 per bun
No Title
There was no call for a cup of milk after the yeast mix. My dough was very dry so added 1/2 cup but should have been a whole cup. Salt should have been 1-1/2 tsp. Otherwise turned out okay. May try again.
Response from Quicktime Recipes
Don’t worry at all about the first try; it’s completely normal for unexpected things to happen when trying any new recipe for the first time. We’ve all been there! The most important thing is to enjoy the process and not give up. 😊
No Title
Ok, ok, my bad. It came back. lol. I was worried earlier that the cross disappear, but when the bread start browning, WOW, ITS THERE. They look so pretty. Now , I’m happy. Thnak you. Cant wait to taste it.
Response from Quicktime Recipes
Hi Marisa,
I was so happy to read your comment and see that you tried my recipe! Thank you so much for your time and kind words. I’m really glad you liked the bread and that the final result was satisfying, especially after the beautiful cross-shaped shape appeared at the end! I hope the taste exceeded your expectations.
No Title
My bread is still in the oven, It’s smells good but the cross disappeared. It spread out. So I guess I’ll do it again with powedered sugar & cream cheese once cooled.