Hot Cross Buns are synonymous with my childhood memories of Easter. These fruit speckled spiced buns were a Good Friday staple at my house. My mother would purchase a dozen on the day, never before Good Friday, never after, and they were supposed to last us through Easter Sunday. Three whole days of enjoying them plain, slicing and serving with butter, cheese and accompanied by a cup of tea or coffee.

Traditionally Hot Cross Buns are piped with a simple flour and water mixture to form the cross. The ones from my childhood were piped with icing crosses, which, if I’m being perfectly honest were my favourite part of the buns. I certainly fancied the sweetest part!  As an adult I think I have more of an appreciation for the whole package. The spices combined with the fruit, the sticky glaze, the soft spongy bun….these are all the characteristics I enjoy about Hot Cross Buns.

What Fruit should I use in Hot Cross Buns?

Dried fruit is typically used in Hot Cross Buns, currants, raisins, sultanas. I’m of the opinion that when you’re the baker, use what you have on hand and use what you like. In this Hot Cross Bun recipe I also use candied citrus peel and cranberries. Now the ratio of fruit is totally up to you. I’ve made heavily fruited buns and I’ve made them more conservative. Sometimes I like my buns to have bits of fruit peaking through and then sometimes I prefer the tops to be more like a smooth traditional bun.

Hot Cross Buns Spices

Cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice and ginger are my preferred spices for creating a flavourful hot cross bun dough with lots of warmth and flavour.

Hot Cross Buns Glaze

Sugar glaze, honey or jam can all be used to glaze Hot Cross Buns. Of these three my favorite has to be jam- orange jam, and apricot jam. The jam gives a lovely sticky sheen to the buns which I really like.

Now there’s a lot of lore and legend around Hot Cross Buns. People believed that they had healing properties, as well as supernatural power. Hanging one in the kitchen was meant to offer protection and stave off kitchen fires. It was also believed that Buns baked on Good Friday could keep for an entire year and never go bad or mouldy. I don’t know who would want to eat a year old bun but I certainly wouldn’t want to try. Supposedly the oldest known Hot Cross Bun is 200 years old! A couple from Essex, England discovered a bun with a letter dating the bun to 1807.

Hot Cross Buns have managed to survive the years and is still an important Easter tradition today. It’s a tradition in my house and will continue to be so for many years. So there you have it….My Hot Cross Buns Recipe.

Hot Cross Buns

Recipe by Amelia Does DinnerCourse: Dessert, Oven BakedCuisine: British, Caribbean, New Zealand, Canadian, AustralianDifficulty: Easy

Prep time

2

hours 

Cooking time

15

minutes

Ingredients

• Dough

• 4 1/2 cups Bread Flour*

• 1 1/4 cups Whole Milk

• 3 tbsp. Butter

• 1/3 cup Sugar

• 1 tsp salt

• 2 1/2 tsp. Active Dry Yeast

• 1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp All Spice

• 1/2 tsp Grated Nutmeg

• Zest of 1 lemon

• Fruit

• 1 cup Dried fruit – raisins and sultanas

• 1/2 cup combined Cranberries, candied Citrus Peel

• 1/2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh Ginger

• 1/4 cup warm water for soaking

• Egg Wash

• 1 egg + 1tbsp. whole milk

• Glaze

• 2 tbsp. Orange Jam

• Icing Cross

• 1 cup Icing Sugar

• 3-4 tsp. whole Milk

Directions

• Add the dried fruit: sultanas and raisins to a bowl along with the warm water, allow to sit.
• Gently warm the milk – DO NOT BOIL then reserve 1/4 cup. Add the butter to the remaining 1 cup.
• Combine 1 tsp sugar, yeast* and 1/4 cup warm milk, cover and let sit for 5 mins.
• To a bowl add flour, salt, spices (excluding the ginger) and lemon zest. Whisk to combine.
• Add the wet ingredients: the milk butter combo and the egg to the flour mixture.
• Stir to combine then using hands push and move the mixture until all the ingredients are incorporated into a cohesive mass.
• Empty the dough unto the countertop or worksurface then knead for 5-10 mins or untill the dough is elastic and malleable. Cover and let rest for 10 mins
• Strain the fruit, then add the mixed peel, cranberries and chopped ginger.
• Roll the dough out into a rectangle, spread 3/4 of the fruit on top, lightly press the fruit into the dough.
• Fold the dough like a letter( bring the sides in and fold each side on to itself).
• Add the remaining fruit on top, press and flatten the dough gently, starting from once end, roll the dough up until it meets the other end (like a scroll).
• Place into lightly buttered bowl, cover and let rest for 1 – 1 1/2 hours or until it has doubled in size.
• Punch the risen dough to release the air then place the dough on the counter top and roll into a cylinder.
• Cut 12 equal pieces, form each into a ball, then place into a lightly buttered baking dish. Cover with a lightly oiled/buttered cling film.* Allow to sit for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 375F and brush the buns with the egg wash
• Bake for 15 mins, then brush with jam immediately out of the oven.
• Prepare the icing, place into a piping bag, then pipe the crosses on the buns, allow the crosses to set up.
• Enjoy them plain, with butter or cheese. These Hot Cross Buns are best on the day baked but will last in an airtight contain for up to 3 days.

Notes

• *YEAST : If using instant yeast, add straight in to the dry ingredients (without blooming) and add the milk and sugar used to bloom the active dry yeast in to their respective parts in the recipe.
• *ADVANCE PREP: When the dough balls are formed place them in the fridge to slowly rise overnight, then remove from the fridge 30 mins before you plan to bake them. Alternatively dough balls can be stored in an airtight, freezer safe bag for up to 3 months in the freezer and should be thawed overnight before baking the next day.
• *FLOUR: All purpose flour can be substituted for Bread flour