There is something about the smell of freshly baked Hot Cross Buns that I find irresistible and after being tempted too many times at the supermarket, yesterday I decided it was finally time to make our first batch of Hot Cross Buns for the year.
I’ve only been baking my own Hot Cross Buns for the past three years after a very unfortunate incident back in my Year 8 Home Economics class when I used salt instead of sugar in my buns – you can just imagine how that turned out. However once you’ve tasted a properly made Hot Cross Bun, you are instantly hooked and will want to keep making them again and again.
I’m always a little scared whenever I bake with yeast, but thankfully this is an easy Hot Cross Buns recipe and to date I have not had any major fails – touch wood. I like to glaze these with a mixture of Apricot Jam and Water as I think it gives it just a little bit of an extra kick, however you can certainly use a simple sugar glaze instead.
Easy Hot Cross Buns
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup of caster sugar 115g
- 1 1/2 cups of lukewarm milk 375g
- 4 1/4 cups of plain flour 640g
- 2 teaspoons of mixed spice
- 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
- 50 g of melted butter
- 1 egg
- 1 cup of raisins 150g
- 1/2 cup of currants 50g
- 1/2 cup of extra plain flour
- 1/3 cup of water
- 2 tablespoons of apricot jam
- 2 tablespoons of water.
Instructions
- Lightly oil a large bowl and set aside until needed.
- Line a 23cm cake tin with baking paper and set aside until needed.
- Place the yeast, 2 teaspoons of the sugar and all of the milk into a small bowl and let it sit for 5 minutes. After this time the mixture should have started to foam which is a sign the yeast is active.
- In a large bowl, add the flour, mixed spice and cinnamon, egg, butter, raisins and currants, remaining sugar and activated yeast mixture. Use a butter knife to mix and combine the ingredients until a dough forms - don't worry, it will be sticky.
- Turn the dough onto a floured bench and knead for approximately 8 minutes or until the dough begins to feel elastic.
- Place the dough into the prepared oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel and sit in a warm place for around an hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
- Remove the dough from the bowl and divide into 12 equal pieces before rolling into balls.
- Place the dough balls into the prepared cake tin, cover with a tea towel and place the tin in a warm spot for another 30 minutes to allow the dough to again rise.
- While the dough is rising, preheat your oven to 200 degrees.
- In a small bowl, combine the extra plain flour and water until smooth and place into a piping bag.
- Once the buns have again risen, pipe crosses onto them before placing the tray into the oven to bake for 20 minutes, or until the buns are golden brown and spring back when touched.
- To prepare your glaze, place the apricot jam and water into a small bowl and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds before mixing to combine.
- Brush the glaze over the still hot Hot Cross Buns before carefully transferring the buns to a wire rack to cool.
Easy Hot Cross Buns Thermomix Instructions
1. Place the yeast, 2 teaspoons of the sugar and all of the milk into your thermomix bowl and cook for 2 minutes on 37 degrees, speed 1. Leave yeast mixture in bowl whilst you move onto the next steps.
2. Lightly oil a large bowl and set aside until needed.
3. Line a 23cm cake tin with baking paper and also set aside until needed.
4. Add the flour, mixed spice, cinnamon, egg, butter and remaining sugar into the thermomix bowl. Mix for 15 seconds on speed 7 or until all ingredients have combined.
5. Add the raisins and currants to the bowl and combine for 3 minutes using the kneading function.
Follow instructions as above from step 6.
The boys were eagerly awaiting for these to come out of the oven and may have scoffed one or two before I’d even had a chance to put the glaze over them. These are best eaten within a couple of days – if they last that long! Otherwise, they can also be frozen.
Have you eaten any Hot Cross Buns this year?
Does baking with yeast scare you too?
If you get egg-cited for Easter you need all my favourite Easter recipes in the one place! Grab my Easter Recipe Ebook for 29 simple and delicious recipes to keep all the chocoholics in your life happy.
Nicole- Champagne and Chips says
I really must make some this year. I adore fruit buns but always just buy them. I made them one year and it was fabulous but I think I just ate buns all day, they smelt so good. These look fabulous.
laurenm83 says
Thanks Nicole. We love fruit buns too and it’s a little bit dangerous making your own as they are VERY hard to resist when warm.
Bec @ The Plumbette says
I have never baked hot cross buns before. I love your blog because you make things that i think are difficult and into the too hard basket easy.
laurenm83 says
Thank you Bec, that really means a lot to me xx You should definitely try these, the girl will love them.
Kat - The Organised Housewife says
Oh yum! I really need to make some hot cross buns this year!
laurenm83 says
You sure do, there is nothing better than one of these straight from the oven 🙂
Georgia says
Baking any sort of bread product has always been a struggle for me (yet I can whip up biscuits, cakes, macarons, everything non-bread blind! Weird, huh?), so I’ve gotten into the habit of asking my coworker (who makes fabulous hot cross buns) to make some for my birthday each year… (lucky it falls near Easter!)
This recipe looks like one I could take on alone though… Maybe…
brb I’m off to hover around my coworkers desk until he bakes for me.
laurenm83 says
I like your thinking Georgia! Baking with yeast also scares me too, and I’ve certainly had quite a few failures with it over the years. So far this recipe has served me well though.
Malinda @mybrownpaperpackages says
Every year I tell myself I will make my own hot cross buns and then every year I don’t get around to it. This year!
laurenm83 says
You will have to do it this year Malinda, I’m going to check 😉
Kim @landofzonkt says
I’m so excited about these. I’ve never made a hot cross bun ever! So you have me all energised.
I’m also really glad I’m not the only one that gets a little freaked out when using yeast. Lol
Great job Hun these look so so good! x
laurenm83 says
Thanks Kim, this is a great recipe to start with. I can’t wait to see your buns!!!
Danielle L says
I’m not very good friends with yeast, hopefully this recipe will turn our relationship in a better direction!
Sara @ Life's Little Sweets says
I love hot cross buns, I am so glad to find a great & easy recipe to make them, pinning for later! Thank you for sharing this!
Gayle Chavez says
I live in the U.S.A. you cannot find Hot Cross Buns at the grocery store, I found this recipe and figured it was easy enough….the only thing is I can’t find mixed spice or currants, so I substituted Pumpkin Pie Spice and golden raisins and they turned out great. Thank you for the recipe, I have a new Easter Tradition for my house.
Lauren Matheson says
Oh thanks so much Gayle for your feedback, I’m thrilled you enjoy them 🙂