Buttery Hot Cross Buns Recipe (Soft Fluffy)
The holidays is here and so is our easy buttery hot cross buns recipe that are super soft and fluffy. These iconic UK inspired buttery sweet hot cross buns are the perfect addition to celebrate Thanks giving, Christmas, New Year, and Easter.
Dating back to the 12th century, hot cross buns were traditionally served during Easter. These soft and fluffy sweet rolls are packed with raisins and currants, with the just the right amount of cinnamon and nutmeg to spice things up. Let’s get started!
Hot Cross Buns Recipe In Grams:
- 480 grams all purpose flour
- 62 grams water
- 60 grams rum, cognac, apple or pear juice
- 4 grams salt
- 70 grams granulated sugar
- 10 grams instant yeast or 30 grams fresh bakers yeast
- 120 grams milk
- 100 grams whole eggs
- 113 grams butter room temperature
- 80 grams sultana raisins
- 80 grams currants
- 6 grams cinnamon
- 2 grams lemon zest
- 3 grams nutmeg
Hot Cross Bun Recipe In Volume Measurements:
- 4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup grams water
- 1/4 cup rum, cognac, apple or pear juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup or 5 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 large whole eggs
- 8 tablespoons or 1/2 cup butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup sultana raisins
- 1/2 cup currants
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Hot Cross Buns Recipe Without Yeast:
- 4 cups (480 grams) all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (62 grams) water
- 1/4 cup (60 grams) rum, cognac, apple or pear juice
- 1 teaspoon (4 grams) salt
- 1/3 cup (70 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) baking powder
- 1/2 cup (120 grams) milk
- 2 large eggs (100 grams) whole eggs
- 8 tablespoons (113 grams) butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup (80 grams) sultana raisins
- 1/2 cup (80 grams) currants
- 1 teaspoon (6 grams) cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) nutmeg
Hot Cross Buns Glaze Recipe In Grams:
- 100 grams eggs
- 30 grams milk
Hot Cross Buns Glaze Recipe In Volume Measurements:
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons milk
Traditional Hot Cross Buns Crossing Paste Recipe In Grams:
- 120 grams all purpose flour
- 120 grams water
- 36 grams vegetable oil
Traditional Hot Cross Buns Crossing Paste Recipe In Volume Measurements:
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Hot Cross Buns Icing Sugar Crossing Recipe In Grams:
- 125 grams icing sugar
- 3 grams natural vanilla extract
- 1 gram of salt
- 25 grams milk
Hot Cross Buns Icing Sugar Crossing Recipe In Volume Measurements:
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
- dash of salt
- 5 teaspoons milk
What is the difference between traditional hot cross buns crossing paste and hot cross buns crossing with icing?
The difference is, traditionally the cross on top of the hot cross buns is made with flour, water and oil with no sugar and is applied before baking allowing the crossing to bake into the dough. If you want the crossing portion to be sweet you can use the icing sugar recipe and then apply after baking once the hot cross buns cool down.
How to Make Perfect Hot Cross Buns?
Follow the instructions below and you’ll be on your way making the best perfect hot cross buns ever, we promise!!!
Instructions on How To Prepare the Hot Cross Glaze:
- Add the eggs and milk into a bowl and beat using a whisk or fork until well combined. Set aside.
Option 1: Instructions on How To Prepare the Traditional Hot Cross Crossing Paste:
- Add the flour, water and oil into a mixing bowl with paddle attachment, you can also use a hand held mixer. Mix or beat the ingredients together until a smooth batter is formed.
- Add the mixture into a piping bag, tight and set aside.
Option 2: Instructions on How To Prepare the Hot Cross Crossing With Icing:
- In a mixing bowl add the icing sugar, salt, vanilla and milk and mix together until smooth.
- Transfer icing into piping bag and put aside.
Instructions:
- Line a baking pan with parchment paper.
- Place the raisins and currants into a bowl and add the cognac or rum, apple or pear juice, toss them together and set aside.
- Add the flour, salt, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, eggs, milk, water, lemon zest, butter and instant or fresh yeast into a mixing bowl with a hook attachment. If you want to your hot cross without yeast just replace the yeast with baking powder.
- Mix on low speed setting 4 on Kitchenaid mixing machine for 4 minutes then increase the speed to setting 6 and mix until the dough comes together and is fully developed.
- Add in the soaked raisins and currants and mix on slow speed setting 4 until well combined.
- Remove dough and place into large greased bowl.
- Cover and let it ferment for 2 hours or until it doubles in size.
- Remove the dough and place onto a floured working surface and scale each piece at 50 grams (1.8 ounce) you will end up with 24 pieces.
- If you don’t have a scale, divide the dough into 4 equal parts and roll each piece into a 12 inch log.
- Cut 6 pieces from each rolled dough log and round into a ball. Repeat until all the hot cross dough is divided and rounded.
- Place the shaped dough pieces onto baking tray separating them about 1/2 inch apart. Depending on how big your baking tray is, you need to use two.
- Cover the tray with plastic and let the dough proof at room temperature for 90 minutes or until it doubles in size.
- If your using the no yeast recipe, cover and set aside until ready to glaze.
- Preheat your oven to 365 °F (185°C).
- Glaze the top and sides of the dough balls with the egg and milk mixture.
- Option 1, If you want to crossing to be baked into the dough then Pipe the traditional hot cross crossing paste into a cross shape on top of each bun.
- Place into preheated oven and bake for 16-18 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
- Remove from oven and let it cool before transferring to wire rack.
- Option 2, after the hot cross buns have cooled you can pipe the icing into a cross shape onto top of each roll.
How To Package And Store Your Hot Cross Buns:
You can store your hot cross buns in zip lock bag or air tight container. If left at ambient temperature they will be good for 4-5 days. You can also refrigerate them them for up to 7 days or freeze them approximately 3 months.
How to Reheat Hot Cross Buns?
To reheat your hot cross buns simply place them into a preheated oven 365 °F (185°C) and bake for about 3-5 minutes. If your reheating from frozen state, bake them for 8-10 minutes from frozen state.
Buttery Hot Cross Buns Recipe (Soft Fluffy)
Ingredients
Hot Cross Buns Recipe In Grams:
- 480 grams all purpose flour
- 62 grams water
- 60 grams rum cognac, apple or pear juice
- 4 grams salt
- 70 grams granulated sugar
- 10 grams instant yeast or 30 grams fresh bakers yeast
- 120 grams milk
- 100 grams whole eggs
- 113 grams butter room temperature
- 80 grams sultana raisins
- 80 grams currants
- 6 grams cinnamon
- 2 grams lemon zest
- 3 grams nutmeg
Hot Cross Bun Recipe In Volume Measurements:
- 4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup grams water
- 1/4 cup rum cognac, apple or pear juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup or 5 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 large whole eggs
- 8 tablespoons or 1/2 cup butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup sultana raisins
- 1/2 cup currants
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Hot Cross Buns Recipe Without Yeast:
- 4 cups 480 grams all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup 62 grams water
- 1/4 cup 60 grams rum, cognac, apple or pear juice
- 1 teaspoon 4 grams salt
- 1/3 cup 70 grams granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons 30 grams baking powder
- 1/2 cup 120 grams milk
- 2 large eggs 100 grams whole eggs
- 8 tablespoons 113 grams butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup 80 grams sultana raisins
- 1/2 cup 80 grams currants
- 1 teaspoon 6 grams cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon 2 grams lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon 3 grams nutmeg
Hot Cross Buns Glaze Recipe In Grams:
- 100 grams eggs
- 30 grams milk
Hot Cross Buns Glaze Recipe In Volume Measurements:
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons milk
Traditional Hot Cross Buns Crossing Paste Recipe In Grams:
- 120 grams all purpose flour
- 120 grams water
- 36 grams vegetable oil
Traditional Hot Cross Buns Crossing Paste Recipe In Volume Measurements:
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Hot Cross Buns Icing Sugar Crossing Recipe In Grams:
- 125 grams icing sugar
- 3 grams natural vanilla extract
- 1 gram of salt
- 25 grams milk
Hot Cross Buns Icing Sugar Crossing Recipe In Volume Measurements:
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
- dash of salt
- 5 teaspoons milk
Instructions
Instructions on How To Prepare the Hot Cross Glaze:
- Add the eggs and milk into a bowl and beat using a whisk or fork until well combined. Set aside.
Option 1: Instructions on How To Prepare the Traditional Hot Cross Crossing Paste:
- Add the flour, water and oil into a mixing bowl with paddle attachment, you can also use a hand held mixer. Mix or beat the ingredients together until a smooth batter is formed.
- Add the mixture into a piping bag, tight and set aside.
Option 2: Instructions on How To Prepare the Hot Cross Crossing With Icing:
- In a mixing bowl add the icing sugar, salt, vanilla and milk and mix together until smooth.
- Transfer icing into piping bag and put aside.
Instructions:
- Line a baking pan with parchment paper.
- Place the raisins and currants into a bowl and add the cognac or rum, apple or pear juice, toss them together and set aside.
- Add the flour, salt, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, eggs, milk, water, lemon zest, butter and instant or fresh yeast into a mixing bowl with a hook attachment. If you want to your hot cross without yeast just replace the yeast with baking powder.
- Mix on low speed setting 4 on Kitchenaid mixing machine for 4 minutes then increase the speed to setting 6 and mix until the dough comes together and is fully developed.
- Add in the soaked raisins and currants and mix on slow speed setting 4 until well combined.
- Remove dough and place into large greased bowl.
- Cover and let it ferment for 2 hours or until it doubles in size.
- Remove the dough and place onto a floured working surface and scale each piece at 50 grams (1.8 ounce) you will end up with 24 pieces.
- If you don’t have a scale, divide the dough into 4 equal parts and roll each piece into a 12 inch log.
- Cut 6 pieces from each rolled dough log and round into a ball. Repeat until all the hot cross dough is divided and rounded.
- Place the shaped dough pieces onto baking tray separating them about 1/2 inch apart. Depending on how big your baking tray is, you need to use two.
- Cover the tray with plastic and let the dough proof at room temperature for 90 minutes or until it doubles in size.
- If your using the no yeast recipe, cover and set aside and until ready to glaze.
- Preheat your oven to 365 °F (185°C).
- Glaze the top and sides of the dough balls with the egg and milk mixture.
Option 1, If you want to crossing to be baked into the dough then Pipe the traditional hot cross crossing paste into a cross shape on top of each bun.
- Place into preheated oven and bake for 16-18 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
- Remove from oven and let it cool before transferring to wire rack.