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.
Servings Prep Time
15buns 30minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
25-30minutes 2 3/4hours rising time
Servings Prep Time
15buns 30minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
25-30minutes 2 3/4hours rising time
Ingredients
Buns
Crosses
Syrup
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
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.

Share this: