Soft and with a touch of spices and packed with dried fruit, hot cross buns are usually a Good Friday treat. Skip the cross marked on top and enjoy these buns year round
Every year, as Easter approaches my mind start thinking about different Eater bread recipes. Last year I’ve shared with you a recipe for Romanian Easter bread (Pasca) , Italian Easter bread (Pane di Pasqua) and Greek Eater bread (Tsoureki). Well, today we’re visiting the Great Britain to enjoy a cup of tea with their well know Easter bread – Hot Cross Buns.
If you have never made a hot cross buns, prepare yourself to have your kitchen filled with an irresistible aroma of fresh-baked bread, spices and sweetness. Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom added to the dough give these buns a nice spicy touch, while the sugar and the dried fruit bring sweetness.
I’ve read a few stories where the name actually comes from and it seems the most popular story is related to the Anglo-Saxons. The story says they were making the buns in honor of their goddess of light, Eostre, whose day was celebrating in Spring.
Other stories include a few superstitions. Hot cross buns baked and served on Good Friday do not spoil or mold during the year. Keeping a bun in your kitchen until next year to ensure all breads will rise and bake perfectly.
Other stories advice to keep a bun for medical purposes. Some say, if a piece of the bun is gives to a sick person, they will immediately recover.
There are so many stories, I have no idea which one is actually the real one, but it’s sure is fun reading about them. What’s better than reading, is actually making hot cross buns and enjoying them with a cup of tea.
Some recipes for hot cross buns suggest marking the cross before baking and filling it with a paste made from flour, water and shortening. Other recipes have the cross marked but filled right after they are baked with a sweet sugary filling. I prefer mine to be marked after they are baked and cooled.
You have to keep in mind when making the cross that the buns must be completely cooled. No warmth or the icing will melt.
Optional, if you prefer a darker color for your buns, you can brush them with egg wash (egg yolk mixed with few drops of water) before baking or if you prefer a sweet and shiny top, you can brush the buns with a sugar syrup as soon as you take them out of the oven.
My preference is to leave the buns plain. I do not brush them either with egg wash or sugar. The sugar added to the dough brings enough sweetness to the dough to give them a nice brownish color once baked.
Hot cross buns recipe
Yields 12 buns
Soft and with a touch of spices and packed with dried fruit, hot cross buns are usually a Good Friday treat. Skip the cross marked on top and enjoy these buns year round
20 minPrep Time
25 minCook Time
4 hrTotal Time
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Ingredients
Buns
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon spices ( I used a combination of cinnamon, ground cloves, cardamom and nutmeg. You can use whatever combination you prefer)
- 1/4 cup lukewarm milk
- 1 envelope dry yeast
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup butter, diced
- 1/2 cup raisins and currants combined
Icing
- 1 1/2 cups powder sugar
- few drops of water
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add the flour and spices. Make a well in the middle and pour in the 1/4 cup lukewarm milk.
- Sprinkle the dry yeast on top of the milk and let it rest at room temperature for about 5 minutes until the yeast is dissolved and bubbles appear at the surface.
- In a small saucepan, add the remaining 1 cup of milk along with the butter, salt and sugar. Cook over low heat, just until the butter has melted. Do not boil!!!
- Once the yeast has dissolved, attach the dough hook to the mixer and turn it on at the lowest speed.
- Slowly pour the warm milk.
- With the mixer on low speed, keep kneading the dough until all the flour is incorporated.
- Increase the mixer's speed to medium-low and let it knead the dough for 5 more minutes.
- With buttered hands, remove the dough from the mixer and gently fold in the raisins and cranberries.
- Shape the dough in a ball and place it in a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes or until doubled in volume.
- Once the dough has risen, divide it into 12 pieces.
- Shape each piece into a ball and place it on a baking sheet.
- Cover again with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 more minutes.
- Meanwhile heat the oven to 375F.
- Bake the buns in preheated oven for 22-25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove the buns from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.
- To make the icing, combine the powdered sugar with a few drops of water, enough to form a thick paste.
- Spoon the icing in a ziploc bag, cut a small corner and mark the cross on top of the cooled buns.
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If you liked these hot cross buns, you may also like
Romanian Easter bread (Pasca)
Italian Easter bread (Pane di Pasqua)
Greek Eater bread (Tsoureki)
FAQs
They're yeasted sweet buns filled with spices and various fruits such as currants, raisins, and/or candied citrus. They're decorated with a white cross representing the crucifix, either marked right into the dough or etched on top with icing. Hot cross buns are a traditional Easter food, typically eaten on Good Friday.
Why do Christians make hot cross buns? ›
HOT CROSS BUNS ON GOOD FRIDAY
They are symbolic of this significant day in the Christian faith when Jesus was crucified. Each bun is decorated with a cross made from flour paste, which represents the cross on which Christ died.
Why are my hot cross buns so heavy? ›
There could be a number of reasons why your hot cross buns turn out heavy or even hard. The most common reasons are as follows: Over kneading – this is more likely to happen if you use an electric mixer and dough hook. If you over knead dough it will break down the glutens and make the buns hard.
Why is my hot cross bun dough sticky? ›
Your dough can become sticky when you add too much water or the flour isn't suitable for the type of dough you are making. Over proofing or fermenting the dough can also result in the gluten structure weakening causing sticky dough.
How unhealthy are hot cross buns? ›
Hot cross buns contain a little fat from butter/shortening (around 5%) and are high in carbohydrate so consideration is needed around portion size for people with diabetes. Hot cross bun sizes vary a lot. For example, one commercial variety sold in a 6 pack contains 40g carbohydrate and 920 kJ (220 calories).
Can Muslims eat hot cross buns? ›
Your hot cross buns are made entirely out of vegetable products so there's no need for anyone to pray over the batter while the baker stirs in currants and citrus peel. The stamp on the package simply signals to Muslims that it's okay to eat those buns — not that someone prayed over them.
Why were hot cross buns banned? ›
Spiced buns were banned when the English broke ties with the Catholic Church in the 16th century. However, by 1592, Queen Elizabeth I relented and granted permission for commercial bakers to produce the buns for funerals, Christmas, and Easter. Otherwise, they could be baked in homes.
What is the pagan tradition of hot cross buns? ›
The origins of hot cross buns are shrouded in mystery, but historians believe they date back to the pagan traditions of ancient Britain. The Saxons used to bake buns marked with a cross during their spring celebrations to honour Eostre, the goddess of dawn and fertility.
When were hot cross buns banned? ›
In 1592, during the reign of Elizabeth I of England, the London Clerk of Markets issued a decree forbidding the sale of hot cross buns and other spiced breads, except at burials, on Good Friday, or at Christmas. The punishment for transgressing the decree was forfeiture of all the forbidden product to the poor.
Is it better to toast or microwave hot cross buns? ›
Microwaves are where hot cross buns go to die a merciless, miserable death. Toasting not only caramelises the sugars in the fruit, but it gives the bun flavour while trapping some moisture inside so you're not left with a dry rubbery mess.
The white topping on hot cross buns is typically a mixture of flour, water, and sugar. This simple yet versatile combination is known as a “cross paste” and is piped onto the buns before baking. Once the buns are in the oven, the paste sets and forms the iconic cross shape that gives these treats their name.
Should you eat hot cross buns hot or cold? ›
One of the greatest things about the trusty hot cross bun is that you can enjoy them hot or cold and sweet or savoury. Check out our favourite ways to enjoy the baked good below… Slice your buns and fill them with ice cream for sweet sandwiches – the kids will love this Easter treat.
How do you revive stale hot cross buns? ›
Revive your stale hot cross buns 😋
stale? water and heat them up for a few minutes in the oven, they will be as good as new!
How long should you let dough rise? ›
If your kitchen and/or counter where you knead the dough is cool, the dough will cool down also (even if you used warm water to make it). If your dough is kept at around 80°F, it should take between 1 and 1½ hours to rise double in volume.
Can you over knead dough? ›
The overworked dough will often feel tight and tough. This means that liquid molecules have been damaged and won't stretch properly, causing the bread to break and tear more easily. Conversely, a dough that is underworked will be harder to form into a ball shape.
What is the original hot cross bun? ›
Some historians maintain that the hot cross bun dates back to pre-Christian times when special currant bread was baked in honour of the Saxon goddess of spring, Eostre.
Do traditional hot cross buns have fruit? ›
A hot cross bun is a spiced bun usually made with fruit, marked with a cross on the top, which has been traditionally eaten on Good Friday in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, India, Pakistan, Malta, United States and the Commonwealth Caribbean.
Which fruit is traditionally seen in a hot cross bun? ›
What fruit is best to use for Hot Cross Buns? You can use whatever fruit you like in your Hot Cross Buns. I often just use sultanas or raisins and then some currants, but you can mix and match as you like with things like dried cranberries or dates.
Are traditional hot cross buns healthy? ›
And here's the thing – you have a dietitian's word for it – hot cross buns are neither unhealthy nor healthy – they're neutral. They're just a food. And you only eat and enjoy them at one time of the year, so there's absolutely zero point feel guilty about sinking your teeth into the perfect bun.
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