Traditional Hot Cross Buns

Traditional Hot Cross Buns

As a child I never really liked Hot Cross Buns. I hated biting into a bun and finding a raisin – it sent shivers through my spine. To this day, I’m still not fussed on biting into anything with raisins or sultanas. So when chocolate Hot Cross Buns started appearing in shops a number of years back, I was so pleased. Although not traditional, they won my heart and became a staple in our home at Easter. This recipe for homemade Traditional Hot Cross Buns is perfect for adapting.

In the ‘olden days’, bread was something that was baked as a staple in family homes every week. However, come Easter, Hot Cross Buns were the flavour of the day. You could smell the fragrant spices and yeast even before you entered the front door. You’d be so excited knowing Nana had mad a batch just in time for a delicious afternoon snack..

Although not difficult to make, they do take some time as you need to leave the yeast to activate, then leave the mixture to prove (or rise) and finally leave the buns to prove before finally baking.

Tips For Making The Perfect Traditional Hot Cross Buns

Read through these tips before starting to ensure you end up with the perfect Hot Cross Buns.

1. Make sure the milk is not too hot or you will kill the yeast – it is alive.
2. If you don’t see little bubbles or foam on the surface, throw that out and start again. The buns will not rise if the yeast has not activated.
3. Leave the mixture longer if it hasn’t doubled in size – it should keep rising
4. If it’s a cooler day you can place the mixture or the buns in your oven, set on the lowest possible heat. Turn the oven off after about 5 minutes though so you don’t cook the buns at this stage.

Make Hot Cross Buns 3 Ways:

Make the traditional recipe, or if you like this recipe, you may also like my Cranberry and White Chocolate Hot Cross Buns

By changing just a few of the ingredients from this Traditional Hot Cross Buns recipe, you could make Chocolate Hot Cross Buns (see notes below)

Enjoy!

Print Recipe

Nana's Traditional Hot Cross Buns

Traditional Hot Cross Buns made just the way Nana used to make. This recipe is perfect for using as a base for other Hot Cross Buns varieties, including Chocolate Hot Cross Buns and Cranberry and White Chocolate Hot Cross Buns. In fact use the recipe to make all sorts of Hot Cross Buns. You are only limited by your imagination.

Prep Time

30 minutes

Cook Time

25-30 minutes

Passive Time

2 3/4 hours rising time

Servings

buns

Ingredients

Buns

• 1 1/2 cups milk warmed to just a little warmer than skin temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tblspn dry yeast
• 4 1/2 cups plain flour
• 1/2 tspn salt
• 1/2 tspn nutmeg
• 1/2 tspn ground cloves
• 1/2 tspn cinnamon
• 2 eggs
• 4 tblspn butter softenned
• 1 cup raisins or sultanas

Crosses

• plain flour
• water

Syrup

• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup sugar

Prep Time 30 minutes Cook Time 25-30 minutes Passive Time 2 3/4 hours rising time Servings buns Ingredients Buns 1 1/2 cups milk warmed to just a little warmer than skin temperature 1/2 cup sugar 1 tblspn dry yeast 4 1/2 cups plain flour 1/2 tspn salt 1/2 tspn nutmeg 1/2 tspn ground cloves 1/2 tspn cinnamon 2 eggs 4 tblspn butter softenned 1 cup raisins or sultanas Crosses plain flour water Syrup 1/4 cup water 1/4 cup sugar

Instructions

1. Mix the dry yeast with the warm milk and sugar and set aside for 15 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients. After 15 minutes you should see small bubbles forming on the surface of the milk mixture. This is how you will know that the yeast has activated.

   
2. In the bowl of your mixer, add the flour, salt, spices and raisins (or sultanas). Mix until well combined
3. Add the eggs and softened butter into the yeast mixture and stir to combine.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with the dough hook until well combined. The mixture should be very soft and slightly elastic and should be starting to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

   
5. Tip the mixture out of the bowl only a very lightly floured clean surface and form into a ball. Oil a large bowl and place the ball of dough in the oiled bowl. Cover with plastic and set aside in a warm place for 2 hours until dough has doubled in size (see notes below)

   
6. Pre-heat oven to 180C (360F). Once mixture has doubled in size, tip out onto a lightly floured surface. Cut the mixture into 15 equal parts (see notes below) and roll into balls. Place the buns into an oiled and lightly floured roasting pan and cover with a damp tea towel. Set aside in a warm place for 45 minutes until doubled in size again.

   
7. To make the crosses, mix the flour with the water and pipe crosses onto the buns
8. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes until golden.
9. While the buns are cooking, make the syrup. mix the water and sugar together in a small saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring until dissolved. Boil slowly until syrup starts to thicken slightly.
10. Remove buns from oven and brush the syrup over the buns while still hot.

Recipe Notes

Chocolate Hot Cross Buns

To make Chocolate Hot Cross Buns:

1. Replace 1/3 cup of the flour (1/3 cup) with cocoa. You can use more cocoa if you want a richer hot cross bun
2. Replace the spices (nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon) with 2 tspn instant coffee - this will make the chocolate a bit richer.
3. Replace the raisins with an equal amount of dark chocolate bits
4. Don't make crosses out of flour and water. Instead, wait until buns are cooked and cooled and pipe crosses with melted dark chocolate

Cranberry and White Chocolate Hot Cross Buns

Find the recipe here, or:

1. Remove the spices and add 1/2 tspn vanilla extract
2. Replace the raisins with an equal amount of dried cranberries
3. Add 1 cup white chocolate bits
4. Don't make crosses out of flour and water. Instead, wait until buns are cooked and cooled and pipe crosses with melted white chocolate

Let me know in the comments how you go. I'd love to hear what other varieties you come up with.