✨ Hot Cross Buns Recipe 🍞🍇
Soft, fluffy, and lightly spiced buns filled with juicy raisins and topped with the classic cross — perfect for breakfast, tea time, or festive baking! 🤎✨
🧺 Ingredients
🍞 For the Dough
- 4 cups (500 g) bread flour or all-purpose flour
- 2¼ tsp (1 packet) instant yeast
- ¼ cup (50 g) sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 1 cup (240 ml) warm milk
- ¼ cup (60 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 egg
- 1 cup raisins or currants
- Zest of 1 orange (optional) 🍊
✝️ For the Cross
- ½ cup (60 g) flour
- 5–6 tbsp water
✨ For the Glaze
- 2 tbsp apricot jam or honey
- 1 tbsp warm water
👩🍳 Instructions
1️⃣ Make the Dough
In a large bowl, mix together:
- flour
- yeast
- sugar
- salt
- cinnamon
- nutmeg
Add:
- warm milk
- melted butter
- egg
Mix until a soft dough forms.
Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth, soft, and elastic.
Add raisins and orange zest during the final minute of kneading.
2️⃣ First Rise
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl.
Cover and let rise for 1–1½ hours or until doubled in size.
3️⃣ Shape the Buns
Divide dough into 12 equal pieces and shape into smooth balls.
Arrange them in a greased or lined baking tray, slightly touching each other.
Cover and let rise again for 30–45 minutes until puffy.
4️⃣ Pipe the Crosses
Mix flour and water into a thick paste.
Transfer to a piping bag or zip bag and pipe crosses over each bun. ✝️
5️⃣ Bake
Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 20–25 minutes or until deep golden brown. 🔥
6️⃣ Glaze
Warm the apricot jam or honey with water.
Brush over the hot buns for a beautiful shiny finish. ✨
