Easy Hot Cross Buns Recipe (2024)

Learn how to make the perfect spiced buns from scratch with this easy hot cross buns recipe! Made using yeast, currants and fragrant spices, complete with a sweet and sticky glaze,these incredibly soft and fluffy buns are the perfect way to celebrate Easter!

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Like this collection of Easter recipes, spiced Easter buns slathered with butter are a great way to add a delicious homemade touch to an autumn or Easter brunch menu. They also make your house smell amazing!
• All of the ingredients are simple pantry staples. So you can make these buns without a special trip to the supermarket!
• Store-bought buns just can’t compare to the homemade version! Making your own hot cross buns from scratch is incredibly easy with this simple recipe and step-by-step photos.
• These buns are freezer friendly, so you can make them in advance and re-heat on the day you want to serve them. The un-baked dough can also be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge or freezer.

Ingredients you will need

**This post contains tips and instructions to achieve the best possible results. The photo above is a great guide for when you are in the supermarket, but for full ingredient quantities and methods, please scroll down to the detailed recipe card below!

Ingredient notes

• Milk.I use full cream dairy milk in this recipe. You can also try them with your preferred milk of choice.
• Yeast.Dry, instant yeastis the ingredient that makes the dough rise and become light and fluffy.Fresh yeastcan be used instead (you will need to double the amount compared to dry yeast), simply crumble and dissolve in milk or water.
• Sugarfeeds the yeast, which helps the dough to rise.
• Flour.Plain white flour is used in this recipe. Or, baker’s flour can be used for a finer, softer dough. You can read about the differences in baking flour here.
• Mixed spices.For that classic hot cross bun flavour, use a combination of cinnamon and mixed spice.
• Dried Fruit.I use a combination of sultanas and currants. Raisins or mixed peel can also be used. For juicier sultanas or raisins, you can soak them in water for 20-30 minutes before draining and adding them to the dough.

Step by step instructions

While this recipe is super easy, it does take a little time to complete due to the dough resting/rising times. ** If you need them faster, I recommend making the dough the day before and keeping it in the fridge overnight.

Here are the basic steps;

1. Activate the yeast.
2. Make the bread dough
3. First rise. Cover the dough and let it rise for 1-2 hours.
4. Knead. Punch down the dough to push out the air bubbles.
5. Divide and shape the dough into balls.
6. Second rise. Cover the rolls and set them aside for an hour to rise again.
7. Pipe the crosses over the top.
8. Bake according to the instructions below, until fluffy and golden brown.
9. Glaze.

To activate the yeast, gently heat the milk and sugar in a saucepan until it is lukewarm to touch (around 37 °C/98 F). Note: be careful not to make the milk too hot, as yeast is a living thing and will be killed off at high temperatures.

Whisk in the yeast and set is aside to activate. This should take around 10 minutes and the mixture will start to bubble and look frothy.

The dough is made by mixing the flour, spices and salt together and then rubbing the butter into the mix until completely combined. Theyeast mixis then added, along with the egg and dried fruit.

Mix the doughusing your hands or a mixer and knead for 2 minutes.

First rise. Cover the dough and allow it to rise in a warm spot for 1-2 hours. During this time, the dough should almost double in size. Note: If the weather is colder, wrap the bowl in a warm towel or place it in a sunny spot- or even at a safe distance in front of a heater.

Once the dough has risen, knead it for around 10 minutes to push out the air bubbles and make the dough stretchy.

Divide it into 12 balls of equal size and place the balls in a lined oven tray, ready for the second rise. Cover and set aside in a warm place for around an hour, to rise before baking. Once risen, pipe on the crosses over the buns.

Bake according to the instructions below and then brush over the sticky glaze. Serve hot with butter, or let them cool and store them for later in an airtight container.

Expert tips

• Check the yeast! Before starting, check the expiry date on the yeast and ensure that it has been stored in a cold, dry place. The yeast won’t be effective if it has been stored incorrectly or passed its use-by date.
• Don’t over-heat the milk. Whenheating the milk to activate the yeast,it needs to be warm but not scalding. Hot milk will kill the yeast. Heat it on low heat in a saucepan until warm to touch, without burning.
• Avoid too much flour. Soft, sticky doughis best and will rise better than dry dough with too much flour. If your dough is too sticky when kneading, slowly sprinkle in a little more flour until soft. The dough will feel firm before kneading, but after 10 minutes it should feel much more soft and elastic.
• Find a nice, warm spot for the dough. In some climates, this can be tricky. My house is always cold around Easter time, so it can be challenging to find a warm spot for the yeast to work its magic. If you have a warm, sunny spot that’s great. If not, try adding it to a warmed andturned offoven on very low heat (around 30-40 C).
• For even cooking, weigh the doughwhen dividing the mixture into balls. To ensure that all of the buns cook evenly, I cut my dough into portions, weighing the balls to ensure they are a similar weight. This is not necessary, but helps ensure that all of the buns have finished cooking at the same time.
• Storage: This recipe can also bemade ahead of timeand the dough stored in the fridge or freezer. Allow the dough to return to room temperature before baking, as cold dough will not rise. Store the uncooked dough in the fridge for up to 5 days, or cover and freeze for up to 3 months.
• Cooked/ready made hot cross buns can be cooled and kept at room temperature for 1-2 days, or frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Imagine having a stash in your freezer, ready for whenever the desire for toasted hot cross buns with butter hits!
• Don’t want hot cross buns with fruit? Try adding some chocolate baking chips instead! Or even some dried cranberries or raspberries with white chocolate.

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Update notes:This recipe was originally published in March 2019, but was re-published with new information and photos in March 2021.