Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
These Hot Cross Buns are delicious and perfect for Easter and Spring brunch. They have a sweet dough with run-soaked fruit and topped with a classic, white icing for the cross. (makes 12-14 buns)
Table of contents
Hot Cross Buns
Hi Everyone, every time spring rolls around, I have hot cross buns on my mind. Growing up, I would get them from the grocery store or bakery for most of my life.
A few years ago, I thought, since they mean so much to me, why not try making them from scratch?
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (57 grams) orange juice
- 1 cup (156 grams) rum-soaked dried fruit, like raisins, golden raisins, currants, candied citrus peel, etc.
- 1 ¼ cups (283) whole milk, at room temperature
- 2 large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk, save the egg white for topping
- 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- ¼ cup (53 grams) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves or allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 ¾ teaspoons (11 grams) fine kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 4 ½ cups (540 grams) unbleached, all-purpose flour
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg white (from the list above)
- 1 tablespoon (14 grams) milk
White Icing, for the cross
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (128 grams) confectioner's (powdered) sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine kosher salt
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Recipe Attribution
This recipe is inspired by "Easy Hot Cross Buns" from King Arthur Baking.
If you like this recipe, let us know in the comments below at the end of the post. Thank you for reading and following along!
Hot Cross Buns
These Hot Cross Buns are delicious and perfect for Easter and Spring brunch. They have a sweet dough with run-soaked fruit and topped with a classic, white icing for the cross. (makes 12-14 buns)
Ingredients
For the dough
- ¼ cup (57 grams) orange juice
- 1 cup (156 grams) rum-soaked dried fruit, like raisins, golden raisins, currants, candied citrus peel, etc.
- 1 ¼ cups (283) whole milk, at room temperature
- 2 large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk, save the egg white for topping
- 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- ¼ cup (53 grams) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves or allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 ¾ teaspoons (11 grams) fine kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 4 ½ cups (540 grams) unbleached, all-purpose flour
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg white (from the list above)
- 1 tablespoon (14 grams) milk
White Icing, for the Cross
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (128 grams) confectioner's (powdered) sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine kosher salt
Instructions
- The night before soak the fruit in rum in a lidded container in the fridge or sitting on the counter. Microwave hack: If you can not do this the night before, you can combine the fruit and rum in a microwave-safe container, microwave until it's just warm, and set aside to cool to room temperature.
- Line a 10-inch or 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Home Chef Tip: Scrunch up the parchment paper under water, squeeze out the water, and press it to the shape of the pan. Doing this will make the parchment paper "hug" the shape of the pan better.
- Mix the dough: In a large mixing bowl, add all the dough ingredients and mix together (including the egg). Mix the dough until it's soft and stretchy. It should be pretty sticky. Tip: Oil your hands so that the dough doesn't stick to your hands. Cover and let the dough rise for 1 hour in a warm spot. The dough will get puffy when ready but might not double in size.
- Form the buns: Divide the dough into 12-14 dough balls (about 3.75 ounces each; about â…“ cup approximately). Again, you can grease your hands with oil to prevent the dough from sticking. Arrange the dough balls evenly in the prepped baking pan. Cover with a clean, damp kitchen towel, or beeswax wrap and let them rise for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Make the egg wash: Mix the egg white and the milk and using a pastry brush, gently brush it over the top of the buns.
- Bake: Bake the buns in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, which should be golden brown when done. When they are done, remove the buns from the baking pan and transfer them to a wire cooling rack.
- Make the icing: In a small mixing bowl, add the icing ingredients: the confectioner's sugar, pure vanilla extract, and fine kosher salt. When the buns are completely cooled, pipe the icing over the top in a cross shape on each bun.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 366Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 79mgSodium: 283mgCarbohydrates: 65gFiber: 3gSugar: 24gProtein: 9g
Please note that the Calculated Nutrition is an estimate at best. If you make this recipe and love it, remember to stop back and give it a 5-star rating – it helps others find the recipe!
- First published: 4/6/2024
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