Hot Cross Buns Recipe

Ingredients

Soaking Ingredients

• ¼ cup rum or apple juice
• 1½ cup golden or dark raisins

Dough

• 3 tsp Instant yeast
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 4½ cups (540 g) all purpose flour or bread flour
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground allspice
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp orange zest
• 1¼ cups warm milk
• 6 tbsp butter, room temperature
• 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk (save the white for the top)

Egg Wash

• 1 egg white
• 1 tbsp milk or water

Crosses

• ½ cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp granulated white sugar
• ¼ cup water
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Glaze

• ½ cup confectioners sugar, sifted
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp milk

Instructions

1. Combine the rum and raisins in a bowl and heat in the microwave until very hot. Allow to sit for 15 minutes to soften and soak up the flavors.
2. In a bowl, mix the yeast, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and warm milk. Stir well and let sit until frothy, about 5-10 minutes. If using fresh yeast, you may skip this step.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, ground cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, salt, and orange zest.
4. Add the yeast mixture, warm milk, butter, eggs, and soaked raisins with rum into the mixer bowl. Mix using the paddle attachment until combined.
5. Switch to the dough hook and knead for about 5 minutes on speed 2 until the dough is stretchy and smooth.
6. Form the dough into a ball and place it in a bowl. Cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, approximately 1 hour.
7. Spray a baking pan with cooking spray. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces (or 18 smaller pieces) and roll each piece into a ball.
8. Place each dough ball into the prepared baking pan.
9. Mix the egg yolk with milk and brush over the tops of the rolls. Cover and let them rise until doubled in size.
10. Mix flour, sugar, water, and vanilla extract to create a pipeable batter. Transfer to a piping bag with a small round tip or a ziplock bag with a small hole cut at the end.
11. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
12. Pipe a horizontal line near the bottom of each roll, then pipe a vertical line to form a cross on each roll.
13. Place the pan in the oven and bake the rolls for 20 minutes until golden brown.
14. Combine confectioners sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a small bowl to make a smooth glaze.
15. Remove rolls from the oven, let cool for 10 minutes, then spoon the glaze over the warm buns.
16. Enjoy the warm, freshly glazed hot cross buns.

Notes

• Store buns in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days to keep them fresh.
• For long-term storage, freeze baked buns in a single layer inside a resealable plastic bag for up to 3 months. Thaw completely before reheating.
• Reheat buns in a warm oven or microwave for a soft, comforting texture.
• If fresh yeast is used, the activation step can be skipped, but ensure the milk is warm enough to activate it.
• You can substitute rum with apple juice or orange juice for a milder flavor suitable for children.
• Adding extra orange zest can enhance the citrus aroma of the buns.