Description
Classic Hot Cross Bun brings British Easter tradition straight to kitchen counters with sweet spiced dough marked by iconic cross. Warm, fragrant pastries connect families through generations of delightful baking memories you’ll treasure.
Ingredients
Scale
Bread Ingredients:
- 3 cups (720 milliliters) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 3 tablespoons (45 grams) butter
- 3/4 cup (180 milliliters) warm water
Spices and Sweet Additions:
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) white sugar
- 3/4 cup (120 grams) dried currants
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Supplementary Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon powdered milk
- 3/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (60 grams) confectioners sugar
- 2 teaspoons milk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg white (for glaze)
Instructions
- Combine flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in a large mixing bowl, creating a uniform dry mixture.
- Pour lukewarm water into the dry ingredients, then incorporate beaten eggs and melted butter, mixing until a soft, cohesive dough forms.
- Transfer dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead vigorously for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and allow to rise in a warm environment for approximately 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- Gently deflate the risen dough and fold in currants and ground cinnamon, ensuring even distribution throughout the mixture.
- Divide the dough into 12 equal portions and roll each into smooth, round balls, placing them on a lined baking tray with slight spacing between.
- Cover the tray and let the buns prove for an additional 30 minutes until they appear puffy and slightly increased in size.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C while preparing an egg wash by whisking egg white.
- Carefully brush the risen buns with egg white, creating a glossy surface.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped underneath.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
- Prepare a simple icing and pipe distinctive crosses over the top of each slightly warm bun.
Notes
- Swap dried fruit like currants with raisins, sultanas, or mixed peel for personalized flavor variations.
- Use dairy-free milk and plant-based butter to make the recipe vegan-friendly and inclusive.
- Ensure water temperature is lukewarm (around 37°C) to activate yeast without killing it, promoting perfect rising.
- Let buns cool completely before storing to maintain crisp exterior and soft interior texture.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 4 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg