Hot Cross Buns Recipe
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Happy Easter! Easter is probably THE most important holiday that Christians celebrate. It’s not about the commercialized bunny, or the eggs, although those traditions can be fun.
It’s so important to us that our family understands Easter is about Jesus Christ’s death, burial and resurrection through which he paid the penalty for sin so everyone who believes in Him has eternal life with Him. It’s a glorious thing and such good news! These hot cross buns help to share the story.
I admit glazing skills were not optimal since I was racing to get these done. Baking with a newborn is tricky. You never know when baby will wake up and when she does, she definitely makes her demands known. Don’t worry, your buns will be cuter :).
If you have any leftovers, you can cut them in half and make a really scrumptious French toast or just sauté the halves in butter on a skillet and enjoy with your morning coffee- so yum!
These are sweet rolls. I use the basic dough recipe from my Portuguese Easter Bread, lightly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg and studded with tangy craisins or raisins. Hot Cross Buns were originally a Saxon tradition which became an Easter tradition to celebrate Good Friday.
Ingredients for Hot Cross Buns:
1/2 cup raisins, currants, or craisins + 1 cup boiling hot water
3/4 cup very warm milk, divided into 1/2 cup and 1/4 cup (I used whole milk, 2% is fine)
1/2 cup white sugar + 1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup (4 Tbsp) unsalted butter, softened 15 seconds in microwave
1/2 tsp salt
1 envelope active dry yeast (about 3/4 Tbsp or 2 1/4 tsp) – I used Red Star Yeast
2 large eggs, well beaten
3 1/2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour *measured correctly
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp (a large pinch) ground nutmeg
For the Egg Wash:
1 egg, well beaten with 1 tsp water
For the Glaze:
1/2 cup Powdered sugar mixed with 2 1/2 tsp Milk
How To Make Hot Cross Buns:
1. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup raisins/craisins with 1 cup boiling hot water. Let sit 10 min then drain well and set aside.
2. In a large measuring cup, combine 1/4 cup warm milk with 1/2 tsp sugar and sprinkle 3/4 Tbsp yeast over the top. Stir and let sit at room temp until bubbly and doubled in volume (10 min).
3. In a large mixing bowl (I use my KitchenAid mixer), combine 1/2 cup very warm milk with 1/2 cup sugar, 4 Tbsp softened butter and 1/2 tsp salt. Stir until butter is melted. Add 2 well beaten eggs and proofed yeast mixture. Stir in 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon and pinch of ground nutmeg.
4. Using the dough hook attachment mix in 3 1/2 cups flour, 1 cup at a time until soft dough forms. Knead 8-12 min on speed 2 or until smooth and elastic. Dough will still stick a little to the bowl but not to your fingers.
If kneading by hand, use a wooden spoon to stir, then turn out onto a well-floured surface and knead 8-12 min using just enough flour to prevent sticking to your hands.
5. Add drained raisins/craisins (pat them dry with paper towels if they still seem too wet) and transfer dough to a large buttered bowl, turning it to bring the buttered side-up. Cover with a tea towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free room 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in volume (you can also proof in a warm 100˚F oven).
6. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and cut in half then continue cutting dough until you have 12 equal sized pieces. Roll dough into balls and transfer to a buttered 9×13″ baking pan. Cover with a tea towel and let them sit in a warm, draft-free room 30 min until puffed
7. Now you should preheat your oven to 375˚F. Generously brush the tops with egg wash and bake for 15-17 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan.
8. Once buns are just warm (not hot), stir together the 1/2 cup powdered sugar and about 2 1/2 tsp milk. You can add more powdered sugar to thicken it up if needed. Transfer glaze to a ziploc bag, cut off the tip of the bag and pipe a cross shape over each of the buns. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Hot Cross Buns Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raisins currants, or craisins + 1 cup boiling hot water
- 3/4 cup very warm milk divided into 1/2 cup and 1/4 cup (I used whole milk, 2% is fine)
- 1/2 cup white sugar + 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 cup (or 4 Tbsp) unsalted butter, softened 15 seconds in microwave
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 envelope active dry yeast about 3/4 Tbsp or 2 1/4 tsp - I used Red Star Yeast
- 2 large eggs well beaten
- 3 1/2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp a large pinch ground nutmeg
For the Egg Wash:
- 1 egg well beaten with 1 tsp water
For the Glaze:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar mixed
- 2 1/2 tsp milk
Instructions
-
In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup raisins/craisins with 1 cup boiling hot water. Let sit 10 min then drain well and set aside.
-
In a large measuring cup, combine 1/4 cup warm milk with 1/2 tsp sugar and sprinkle 3/4 Tbsp yeast over the top. Stir and let sit at room temp until bubbly and doubled in volume (10 min).
-
In a large mixing bowl (I use my KitchenAid mixer), combine 1/2 cup very warm milk with 1/2 cup sugar, 4 Tbsp softened butter and 1/2 tsp salt. Stir until butter is melted. Add 2 well beaten eggs and proofed yeast mixture. Stir in 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon and pinch of ground nutmeg.
-
Using the dough hook attachment mix in 3 1/2 cups flour, 1 cup at a time until soft dough forms. Knead 8-12 min on speed 2 or until smooth and elastic. Dough will still stick a little to the bowl but not to your fingers.
-
Add drained raisins/craisins (pat them dry with paper towels if they still seem too wet) and transfer dough to a large buttered bowl, turning it to bring the buttered side-up. Cover with a tea towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free room 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in volume (you can also proof in a warm 100˚F oven).
-
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and cut in half then continue cutting dough until you have 12 equal sized pieces. Roll dough into balls and transfer to a buttered 9x13" baking pan. Cover with a tea towel and let them sit in a warm, draft-free room 30 min until puffed.
-
Now you should preheat your oven to 375˚F. Generously brush the tops with egg wash and bake for 15-17 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan.
-
Once buns are just warm (not hot), stir together the 1/2 cup powdered sugar and about 2 1/2 tsp milk. You can add more powdered sugar to thicken it up if needed. Transfer glaze to a ziploc bag, cut off the tip of the bag and pipe a cross shape over each of the buns. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Recipe Notes
If kneading by hand, use a wooden spoon to stir at step 4, then turn out onto a well-floured surface and knead 8-12 min using just enough flour to prevent sticking to your hands.
♥ FAVORITE THINGS ♥
*I love my stacking measuring spoons – I just wash the ones I use.
*Also great for rectangular cakes, this Cuisinart 9×13 non-stick cake pan
*These OXO stacking bowls are multi-purpose and so handy!
*We sure enjoy our Wusthof knife block set. Great knives are essential.
*Red Stand Mixer from KitchenAid: 6 Qt. Professional 600 Series
Natasha Kravchuk
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Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Best Hot Crossed Bun recipe ever. Made it five times , turned out great every time, better than Martha’s recipe. Never dry always fluffy & tender.
Thank You, a keeper For sure.
I’m so glad you enjoyed that Suzanne!
Hi Natasha! Going to try out this recipe! Just wanted to know that can we make these without egg. And if yes what is the substitute for egg! Thanks.
Hi Priya, I haven’t tested anything besides egg.
Oooh, this was delicious!! My family loves it! The recipe was easy to follow (the photos were an added bonus – thank you!). I initially wanted to add a slight variation with the fruits but completely forgot when the baby started crying – so glad I did! I must admit, I thought it was going to turn out horrible…because it was so easy to follow, I thought I was doing it all wrong. I was also terrified that it would have had a fresh smell because of the egg wash (which I absolutely detest) but it didn’t. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I didn’t have powdered sugar though, so I gave a quick stir to a little water and brown sugar mixture and brushed it over the buns while they were still hot.
Absolutely amazing!!
Ps,…I never ever comment! Anywhere!
Wow I am so touched and happy when I read your comments. Thank you so much for sharing some good vibes, I am so glad that you loved this recipe. I appreciate you sharing your experience here with us!
This was a GLORIOUS start to my Easter Baking! I still can’t get over how absolutely PERFECT the texture was and how delicious this bun turned out to be! It is hands down the BEST recipe I’ve ever tried and is saved as one of my faves for all time. It was easy to follow and I loved that photos were included for each step. If I could’ve included a photo of mine, I would have! They were PERFECTION! I will never in my life buy hot cross buns from any bakery ever again! Lol Thanks so much Natasha!!! <3
Aaw thank you so much for your great comments and feedback, Tishelle. I am so happy to read your comments! You may share some photos of your creation on our Facebook Page or Group!
I’ve been making hot cross buns for many years and these were excellent. The best I’ve made – but over the years I’ve realized most recipes are “spice-light“. Much too light – too plain for a supposedly spiced bread. So in this recipe, I used 1 tsp cinnamon, a 1/2 teaspoon or more of freshly grated nutmeg, a generous 1/4 tsp of cloves and 1/4 tsp cardamom. And for the glaze I used cream and added diced lemon rind and about 3/4 tsp lemon juice.
Amazing good results.
Nice to hear that, Todd. Thank you so much for sharing that with us and for giving this recipe a great review!
This is the kind of thing that I can’t NOT leave a review of. This was my first time making hot cross buns, and I’m so happy with how they turned out!
I didn’t add any Craisins or raisins, though I’m sure they would have been even better if I had included them. I generally don’t like cinnamon, but the amount was small enough that I didn’t mind it in these.
I thought I messed it all up for sure when I tried melting the butter in the milk and didn’t wait for it to melt completely. They still turned out just fine.
I ended up adding a little more powdered sugar to the glaze because I was worried it would slide right off the buns if I didn’t. And, of course, after I took a few photos, I smothered on some extra glaze because I have a sweet tooth!
When I was feeling a little frustrated with trying to melt the butter, my husband suggested we find an easier Easter tradition. You can bet he revoked that suggestion after they were done!
Thanks, Natasha!
Hello Krista, thank you so much for sharing your experience with us in making this recipe. I hope that you and your husband love every recipe that you both will try. Thank you for your excellent review!
Natasha,
Thank you for the recipe. Definitely 5 stars!
I baked the buns this morning – my first attempt so I was a bit worried. I followed your recipe to a T and they turned out delicious. I think baking them on Easter morning will be our new family tradition. Happy Easter to you and your loved ones!
I am so happy to read your great feedback, Aly. It sounds like you found your new go-to-recipe for Easter!
Very good. I made this twice. Second batch I add 2 tablespoons of grated orange peel to the flour. Even better.
Awesome! Thank you for giving this recipe wonderful feedback.
I’m glad I discovered your recipe! These are tender, yeasty and delicious. I amended the recipe in this way: I used 1/2 c. raisins and 1/2 c. dried cranberries. For the spices, I used 1/2 t. each cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg and cardamom. The spice was evident, but not overwhelming. Also, 3-1/2 c. flour was spot on, including the amount I needed on the counter for kneading.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
I’m making these right now. Just put the dough in the pan and it smells amazing. I used slightly dehydrated frozen wild blueberries as we don’t have anything else and currently we can’t just run out to the store! They’ve got purple swirls in them. I’m going to try putting them in the fridge overnight, reproof them in the morning then bake them. Fingers crossed!
Fingers crossed! I hope you love this recipe!
These are the best I’ve ever had, hard to stop eating them! Delicious!!
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your lovely review. Happy Easter!
These are the best. Will be making them again soon. Happy Easter. Just like my grandmother recipe.
I am so happy to hear that. Your comment made me smile. Happy Easter!
Hi Natasha
I love the Portuguese bun recipe for the hot cross buns. I did add more spice. Delicious!!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
I’ve tried this recipe today and absolutely love it. That is great Easter bakind. Thank you so much Natasha and happy Easter!
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review! Happy Easter!
Best hot cross bun recipe ever read. I’ll definately try this at my home. It look so delicious and very easy to make. Also sharing with you guys a post on Hot Cross Bun recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed our recipe! Thank you for that wonderful review, Bhavesh!
These turned out perfect. I did the craisins. Thank you.
Super! Thanks for giving this recipe a great review.
Hi!
I am currently making these. Dough is not rising? Everything was right, yeast was not expired. Any suggestions? I have put on top of oven on low temp
Hi Teresa, did you make sure to proof the yeast first in warm (not Hot) milk? Getting the mixture too hot can deactivate the yeast. Also, you’ll know the yeast is good if it proofed the way you see in the photos. Make sure when proofing the dough that it doesn’t get overly warm (should never be hotter than 110˚F maximum for proofing). I hope that helps!
Good basic recipe for the bread. Not enough spice for my taste – could barely tell there was cinnamon in it. Next time I will add more, plus clove and allspice. I added half an orange worth of candied orange peel and upped the raisins and felt it still needed more raisins.
Hi Christine, those additions sound delicious. Let me know if you test that out.
Running into issue with dough. It is too dry. I’m using a Kitchen Aid mixer. All ingredients measured correctly and followed recipe exactly. How do I fix the dough to save it?
Hi Susan, it sounds like the proportion of liquid to dry ingredients might be off or too much flour was added. Also, using a different kind of flour could be a culprit since different flours have varying amounts of protein and gluten content which can change the measurements. I would suggest checking out our post on how to measure to see if you measure the same way we do. You might try adding just a splash more of warm milk to see if that helps. If it’s significantly too much flour, it may be difficult to repair or have the liquid blend into the dough.
Could I use unsweetened almond milk??
Hi Tina, I haven’t tested that so I can’t say for sure, but I think it’s worth experimenting.
Hi Natascha. We don’t get all purpose flour in South Africa. Which flour do you suggest we use? We have cake flour which has a protein level of 8.2 and bread flour which has a protein level of 10.7. Thank you.
Hi Linda, I haven’t tested that with bread flour but it may work. All-Purpose flour has a protein level of 10-13. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Thanks Natascha. Will let you know once I’ve tried it.
Could you use the yeast you mix with the dry ingredients
Hi Judy, are you referring to Instant Yeast?
I made these yesterday and they turned out very dense and heavy and not very good. I don’t know what I did wrong. I used 437 grams of flour, and my yeast had not expired.
Hi Marylou, did you use the same kind of flour and measure the liquid ingredients using a liquid measuring cup – also did you use large eggs to ensure your liquid to dry ingredients measurements were correct.
Yes, I used King Arthur All-Purpose flour, I measured liquid’s using liquid measuring cup and I used large eggs. I let the yeast rise the required 10 minutes before adding to flour. I did however, use instant yeast.
I’m excited to try your recipe! Can I use whole wheat pastry flour in this recipe?
Hi Jana, I haven’t tested that so I can’t say for sure how it would affect the texture or what measurement changes would have to be made.
Awesome recipe and fantastic results! Made these today and very impressed, I followed the recipe exactly.
Next time I may try another readers suggestion of adding orange or lemon peel.
Though they are perfect as is…
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Irene!
This is a great recipe!!!! Delicious, not very sweet and easy to make. The only change I made was that I used raisins instead of craisins as the rest of my family are not craisins fans.
I love this!
That’s so great! Thank you for sharing that awesome review with us!
Amazing recipe !! Tried it and it came too over perfect .. love u for such wonderful recipe
That’s so great! Thank you for sharing that with me!
Made them today! I had been craving Hot Cross Buns, a Lenten treat from my childhood. I can’t get them where I live now, and anyway, we are stuck in the house! I only had craisins, so that’s what I used. They came out just as the ones that I had remembered. I have shared your site with my recipe group! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Lucy! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
When making this, I was a bit confused because the recipe said “about 3/4 Tbsp or 2 1/4 tsp” in reference to the amount of yeast used. As I live in New Zealand, we don’t use envelopes of yeast, we use containers of yeast and therefore teaspoons. However, I figured out that what it meant to say was 2 *and* 1/4 tsp, which is equivalent to 3/4 tbsp. Just for future reference for others having the same problem.
However, it worked great in the end.
Thank you, Ben. Yes, it is 2 and 1/4 which in the US is written as 2 1/4. I hope that helps.
Hi Natasha I like in Trinidad. We have instant yeast here. How do I convert?
Hello Terrance, I am not entirely sure about the conversion but you may check out some Online Converters like this one for guidance.
Good morning Natasha,
I wanted to make these this weekend. I was wondering if i could use Chocolate chips instead of raisins/saltanas as my nieces don’t eat raisins/saltanas.
Thanks
Vicki
Hi Vicki, I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Tks a lot DEAR,
First time I backed hot cross buns they were AMAZING.
God bless you n your family ALWAYS
That’s so great! I’m happy you enjoyed this recipe!
Could I prepare the buns earlier and have them sitting in the refrigerator overnight and bake them the next day??
Prof them to rise again prior to baking??Thanks
2. Refrigerating them will cause the rising process to stop. I haven’t tried refrigerating them, but I imagine you could refrigerate overnight, then let them come to room temp and rise the next day.
I’m confused. I had to use at least 4 1/2 cups of flour. Also the recipe indicates in instruction #3 to add the 4 TBSP of softened butter but where does the other 1/4 cup of butter go? I’ve been making sweet bread for years so I’m not a novice.
Hi Mary, The recipe calls for 1/4 cup of butter which is the same thing as 4 Tbsp of butter. I can see how that can be mis-read in the recipe so I clarified. With flour, it may help to review our post on how to measure ingredients to ensure all of the proportions are correct.
Regarding flour, I agree. I have been measuring correctly for years, just as your instructions indicate. I will make this recipe again just to confirm because my husband said it was a keeper. Thank you for the butter clarification.
I hope you love it Mary!
This recipe is wonderful!!! Love how the buns turn out!!! I use your recipe to make the dough and instead of adding the raisins and cinnamon , I make the dough and after rising I cut in equal amount of buns and add poppy seed filling inside and they turn out “‘boom’”
Thank you for your amazing work and sharing recipes !!!
Oh wow, I love that idea! Sounds amazing and thank you for the wonderful review!
I made a double batch this afternoon for brunch tomorrow, but we all had to share one immediately because the smell was divine! Delish!! I used quick rise yeast using the method on the pkg. I ended up giving them 2 hours to rise in the oven with the light on, and they puffed up nicely. One hour clearly wasn’t sufficient and could be the issue another reviewer had. Anyway, they’re light and perfectly spiced. Thanks!
Hi Julie, I’m so happy you enjoyed the hot cross buns! Thank you for sharing and have a happy Easter!!
Can you please tell me how to adjust the recipe if I were to use instant yeast?
Hi Marylou, I haven’t tested this with instant yeast but one of our readers has! Here’s what he had to say “Okay so I used the same amount of milk but slightly less yeast since it was the instant kind. I used 1.5 tsp for this recipe. They came out great! I also added a little candied orange peel and a few sultanas. Our household is all English and Australian and these reminded us of the ones we get at home! Thank you for the recipe!” I hope you find this helpful!
I found the bread part worked fine but that there was no flavour and the raisins were very sparse. Making again, I would quadruple the raisins and the cinnamon and nutmeg.
Hi Jill, I bet you could easily amp up those flavorings. We love raisins so I know exactly what you mean! 🙂
I tried it today, and it was so delicious! Totally worth the time, the whole family loved it! 🙂
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review Kitty!
My buns went a bit hard ; what did I do wrong.
Hi Marthese, it could be due to a number of things and I will do my best to troubleshoot. When adding flour, be sure to measure correctly since pushing the measuring cup into the flour bin can compact it and result in about 25% more flour than the recipe calls for. Also, when letting your buns rise, make sure the temperature of their environment does not go over 100˚F or the yeast will start to cook, killing the rising process and resulting in a tough bun. Also, make sure your yeast is not expired – did it proof and get bubbly in step 2? and you should have seen the buns rise in step 6. Lastly, be sure to give the buns ample time for the last rise or they won’t rise as well in the oven. I hope that helps and happy Easter!!
This recipe was amazing, my buns came out perfect.
Wonderful! I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed the hot cross buns. Thanks for the awesome review!
Thank you! I made these buns today, for Good Friday and they turned out fabulous. I’ve moved to a small town in India and I couldn’t find hot cross buns at any bakery here. These turned out so much better though. And such joy to see the buns rise and bake perfectly.
I just added a little extra cinnamon powder after reading a few reviews. Thank you so much for such a wonderful recipe.
Thank you for sharing that with me Judith! I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
This was my first attempt at cross buns and my family absolutely loved them. It takes quite awhile to rise properly, but the result is a light and fluffy bun. I doubled the icing recipe and added 1/2 tsp vanilla. Thank you so much for this recipe, Natasha! It will be a Good Friday family tradition from now on 💕
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Can I mix and knead dough in bread machine?
Hi Charlotte! Yes! According to our readers, this works great in a bread maker! Here’s what they wrote “Tried making them today, and they turned out perfect! I made the dough in the Breadmaker & used golden raisins instead of craisins. They are so fluffy & yummy! I called them my version of Paski” I hope that helps.
Hi, do you ever make these in advance and refrigerate overnight once cut into rolls and bake in the morning? I’m trying this and hoping it will work?
Hi Elizabeth, I haven’t experimented with these buns but have with a similar dough recipe. I would refrigerate at step 6, but before the 30 minute rise. Then bring them back to room temperature and let them puff up before baking.
Thank you for sharing the faith. Now I know this is the recipe I will use!
God Bless.
I hope you love this recipe!
I used 3 cups all purpose flour and added 2 Tbsp candied orange peel and sultanas. I also had leftover pie crust, so used those to make the crosses.
My child’s class enjoyed them during snack time today and teachers messaged to say they were delicious.
Great recipe and easy to follow.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that Mimi!
I made these with my children today (7 and 10.) We had fun mixing and even kneading the dough by hand, and the rolls are delicious! The recipe was easy for us to follow and they’re the best tasting ones we’ve made. It’s a keeper. Thank you!
You’re so welcome Shelley! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe!
These hot cross buns are the best I have ever tasted!! I added a bit of almond flavour to the icing. This recipe is a keeper!!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Im about to make the buns and will give feedback when im done.
Please if u can,
add the grams/ounces amounts (how much is one cup? -some say 120g and others 145g..)to the recipes. When the amounts are in weight rather than volume, it easier to get an accurate result.
Hi Daniella, I went ahead and added the metric measurements. If you click on the button that says “Metric” in the recipe card, it will switch to metric. Hope that helps!
Hi Natasha,
Can you tell me how much your dough balls weight so I can judge how many batches I need to make, I want my buns to come out big like at my local bakery
Thanks
Hi Jeff! I wish I have measured it that way. This recipe does make 12 large Hot Cross Buns.
Hi Natasha,
Great, cant wait to try your recipe this weekend.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Jeff! I hope you love it!
curious can lactaid free milk be used
Love this recipe, so easy, have made several batches thus far and the buns are a big hit with family and friends, will def be making them again for Palm and Easter Sundays.
And yes you can use lactaid free milk.
but was wondering if splenda can be used to replace the 1/2 cup portion of the sugar? I am not sure because of the yeast.
Hi Jeff! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe! We have not tested this with Splenda so I cannot advise.
Made 2 different batches , found them too heavy, took a long time to rise, not a great recipe for hot cross buns. At the same time baked buns from BBC cooking , which were real fluffy and as we know hot cross buns.
Hi Olga, these are normally supposed to be very soft and the dough rises as expected. Could it be that your yeast wasn’t fresh or maybe the mixture was overheated at some point (either one of the ingredients too hot, or the oven set greater than 100˚F) either of which can deactivate the yeast and make the mixture difficult to rise. I hope that helps to identify the issue.
Something must have been wrong somewhere because I have made several batches over the last two months and they came out beautiful every time
Thank you for sharing that with me, Jeff!
Maybe your water was too hot or your kitchen too cold. This is a great recipe that yields perfect buns every time.
This is my 2nd try at theses buns. I found the dough to be very dense and did not rise like usual. Trying again today as i figured it was my fault. Dough is rising now but of the same concistency as yesterday. Hope I’m not in for another failure. Measured accurately so not sure what’s wrong.
Hi Dorothy, did you possibly use a different type of flour? Also, could your yeast be getting too warm in the rising process (it shouldn’t be warmer than 110˚F or it can deactivate). Also, I’m not sure if you’ve seen this but check out our tutorial on how we measure wet and dry ingredients.
Made these today to “test” for Easter. They were really good! I did increase the spices and the next time I will also double the raisins but the texture was amazing. Thank you for sharing!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
Hi Natasha,
Is it possible that I make the dough and freeze them right away? And how do I proof the frozen dough. Can I put it inside the oven while preheating and just bake it right away?
Thanks
Hi Enice! I haven’t tried freezing these but here is what one of our readers posted ” I added the zest from 1/2 lemon (grated on a fine mesh grater) with the spices. I made half of the buns right away as directed (except I used a round cake pan) and put the second half of the buns in a separate buttered cake pan and just popped the whole pan into the freezer before they could start rising. Two days later, I took the pan out of the freezer about three hours before I wanted to bake them, and they defrosted and rose perfectly. I baked the second pan as directed and they were delicious.” I hope this helps.
I’m not a very good cook and I constantly make mistakes, but your pictures and detailed descriptions save me. I’m pretty sure that I forgot a cup of flour, but I was able to add a tablespoon at a time until I had the consistency matching your description and pictures. Wonderful, fluffy, delicious buns!
Yay! I’m glad to hear the recipe was a success! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review Kimberly!
I made these again today, this time refrigerating them overnight before the second rise. It took about an hour to get to room temp and then I let it rise for 30 minutes. They came out just as delicious as before!
I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Natasha,
Your recipe sounds delicious, and the photos you have included on your site are a great help, however I found that I could not copy and paste your wonderful recipe to my computer. Of course, I could choose to copy your recipe because I have two computer screens, but I would not have the benefit of all your marvelous photos. My Dell computer was just professionally installed and your recipe cannot be copied and pasted. Perhaps you would consider making your website more accessible to users.
Baking Joy
Hi Joy, thank you for sharing your feedback. We don’t have anything specifically in place to prevent copying and pasting a recipe. Maybe it is something hard coded into WordPress (the core blogging platform we use) In that case, I would have no idea where to start to change that!
Natasha, can I put unbaked buns in the fridge after step 6 for overnight? How long should they be on countertop the next morning before going to the oven? Thank you!
Hi Inessa, I haven’t experimented with these buns but have with a similar dough recipe. I would refrigerate at step 6, but before the 30 minute rise. Then bring them back to room temperature and let them puff up before baking.
Thank you for Hot Cross Bun recipe. They were absolutely super.Brought back memories from my home country South Africa.
Keep up the good work. Take care.
You’re welcome Elaine! I’m glad you enjoy the recipe and that it brought back such fond memories, funny how food can do that. Thanks for following and sharing your thoughtful review!
This recipe is the absolute best! The buns were so soft. Tweaked the recipe a little I added more spices and I put cherries, craisins and mixed fruit and essence. I highly recommend this recipe you will not regret!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
I made these yesterday and they are excellent. Very nice texture, not too sweet. I put 15 in a 9 x 13 pan and mixed currants and craisins, snipping the craisins into smaller pieces. Used 1% milk. Lovely. Will make again.
I’m happy to hear that Kathy! Thanks for sharing your fantastic review with other readers!
These are perfect. Perfect! Light and so tasty. Don’t know why people critique recipes that they have changed to suit themselves. Not the same recipe anymore is it?
Thank you Natasha.
I’m glad you enjoy the recipe so much Marelyn, thanks for sharing!
Hi Natasha! My dough appears much thicker than yours after kneading with the dough hook. I followed amounts of ingredients quite closely, so I’m not sure what could have gone wrong. Any thoughts? Is it possible my yeast isn’t good? I just purchased it today!
Dough is currently proofing so hopefully it will rise okay.
Hi Jen, One thing to consider is the measuring of flour – if you pack the flour into the measuring cup by dunking the cup directly into the bin, you can get 25% or more than what the recipe calls for. Here is a great tutorial on how to measure for baking. The yeast is probably fresh if you just purchased it today, but it can be deactivated if you overheat the mixture while proofing or rising. It is important not to add hot milk, but rather just warm (not more than 100˚F). It is also important that the dough does not get hotter than 100˚F for proofing or yeast can be deactivated. I sure hope that helps!
I think I may have killed my yeast with milk that was too warm, as they never really rose! Second batch is a success though. 😊😊😊
I’m so glad to hear the second batch was a success!! 🙂 That little tip about not overheating the yeast will save you a ton of trouble when working with yeast recipes 🙂
Should I ice before freezing the buns or thaw and then ice them.?
Hi Marie, I think it would work either way. If you plan on thawing the buns in the oven or warm environment, it may be safer to ice afterwards.
What can I use to replace the egg wash?
Hi Carla, you can brush them with sugar water when they come out of the oven of some coconut oil.
Hi loved reading your recipe, how much buns is yielded from the dough?
Hi Lisa, this yields 12 buns. For future reference, I usually have this information in the print-friendly recipe card towards the bottom of the post. I hope you love the recipe! 🙂
Hello,
At step 4, if using the dough hook, how exactly do you knead the dough with the electric mixer? Is there a specific speed it should be on? Thank you so much.
Have a great Easter!
Hi Bob, great question 😀. You should use speed 2 when using dough hook. Hope that helps.
Hi Bob, thank you so much for asking! I added that important detail. Anytime the dough hook is used for an elastic dough like this one, it should be used on speed 2 and not higher or it will be a strain on your mixer (this is also the manufacturer recommendation). A wonderful Easter to you also! 🙂
Thank for this recipe is my first time baking hot cross bun and my family is very happy with the results we enjoyed for sure I’m bake again.
My pleasure Linda! I’m happy to hear the recipe is a hit. Thanks for sharing your great review!
Thank you for this recipe and this site! But mostly, thank you for the clear presentation of why we have Resurrection Sunday! 🙂
I was excited to find this site also because in my family we are Polish and Russian, and we love eastern European fare.
My pleasure Jocelyn! I’m happy to hear how much you enjoy the post. Thanks for following and sharing your encouraging comments! God Bless 🙂
Can I add cherries to this bread along with the raisins?
Hi Alea, I think dried cherries would work great!
This recipe is amazing! So easy and so delicious. Can’t mess it up! Love it!!!
I’m glad you love it Zhanna! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing this fantastic recipe! The results were outstanding! Everyone at our holiday table couldn’t say enough wonderful things about them!
Kristen, I’m so happy to hear that 😬. Thank you for such a nice review!
After my first yeast bread attempt crashed and burned (your easy no knead bread), I decided not to give up. I made these for Easter this year and they came out beautifully! My husband powdered them with sugar – he enjoys helping 😉 thank you for keeping up or traditions and recording the recipes for posterity. I forgot to mention they were delicious!
I’m so glad to hear that Inga! Thanks for the compliments and for sharing your wonderful review!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the hot cross buns!! Thank you for that glowing review 🙂
These are amazing buns. I added the zest from 1/2 lemon (grated on a fine mesh grater) with the spices. I made half of the buns right away as directed (except I used a round cake pan) and put the second half of the buns in a separate buttered cake pan and just popped the whole pan into the freezer before they could start rising. Two days later, I took the pan out of the freezer about three hours before I wanted to bake them, and they defrosted and rose perfectly. I baked the second pan as directed and they were delicious.
That is so great to know that they are freezer friendly!! Thank you for sharing that with us 🙂
Didn’t like it as the bread had a cake like texture, possibly because of all purpose flour. Will try making a small batch with bread flour to see the difference.
Hi Marian, these are more of a traditional Easter sweet bread so they are supposed to be softer than regular bread rolls.
Can you make the dough in advance and bake it the next day?
Hi Louise, that should work just fine. In step 6, I would put them into the buttered pan and cover with plastic wrap (without letting them rise) and refrigerate. When ready to bake, let them come to room temperature and let them rise the following day before baking.
Love, love, love these buns. This is seriously the best that I have evèr tasted. Light fluffy moist and absolutely delicious. This recipe is a keeper.
That’s great Sam! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review! 😀
Hi Natasha
If I want to multiply the recipe by 4 i.e. make 48 buns do I need to make any adjustment to the recipe other that multiplying the amount of ingredients by 4?
Hi Sam – Wow that is a whole lot of buns! 🙂 I can’t think of any modifications except it would probably be best to make it in 2 separate batches (doubling each batch) unless you have commercial grade jumbo sized equipment. Quadrupling the dough would overwhelm a normal stand mixer and it would probably be difficult to knead that much dough by hand – it would probably take longer to knead sufficiently if you were to make the full quadruple batch at once. I would also suggest baking 2 batches at a time on the same rack in the oven.
Thank you for taking the time to respond Natasha. Two double batches it will be. Have a great Easter weekend.
I doubled the batch thinking I would only get 24 buns but got 36
Hi Jeff, you can definitely make them smaller to get more – as a single batch it does make a very big bun 🙂
Natasha,
Never think you are putting in too much details. This was my FIRST successful yeast bread recipe! Came out beautifully! I can’t thank you enough!
Michele
Awesome! I’m happy to hear that Michele! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Hi natasha thanks for sharing a yummy delicious recipe. I will try to make this recipe.
You will love it!! Let me know what you think!
Thank you for the recipe Natasha. It was a big hit at our Easter party. I used bread machine dough cycle after adding cranberries and it worked wonderful. Thank you again for sharing, Lena
Thank you so much for sharing that! People often ask about making doughs in the bread maker. You’re awesome! 🙂
Excellent. Great texture and flavor.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
My first time making Hot Cross Buns and this recipe turned out awesome! No one in my family is a fan of raisins so I used the dried cranberries and added orange zest. Wow!! They’re amazing!! Thank you for your recipe. I’ll be making them again and again!
Tammy, I’m so happy you like them 😁. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Hello, I have a question re: the yeast. I have the Fleischmann’s Instant yeast, do I need to change the amount of milk in the recipe since it doesn’t need to be dissolved in liquid?
Hi James, I haven’t tested this recipe with instant yeast so I can’t really give you advice on using it. The recipe still needs the milk in it even if the yeast doesn’t have to be dissolved. If you try it with the instant yeast, let me know how it turns out!
Okay so I used the same amount of milk but slightly less yeast since it was the instant kind. I used 1.5 tsp for this recipe. They came out great! I also added a little candied orange peel and a few sultanas. Our household is all English and Australian and these reminded us of the ones we get at home! Thank you for the recipe!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me! Someone may have a question about instant yeast in the future and it’s great to know it works well! At what point did you add the yeast? Did you stir it in with the dry ingredients?
I added the yeast in step 2, but just didn’t wait the 10 minutes for it to react and continued to step 3 😉
Thank you so much! 🙂
hi natasha what if i do not have a mixer? can i just stir with a spoon?
Yes, you can make pretty much any recipe by hand, it’s just going to be more work involved to knead the dough. Happy Easter!!
Never made hot cross buns until today, when I saw your recipe. Gave it a try and they turned out awesome! Going to try it with craisins and mixed peel next time I think… Like, next year, lol. This goes in the recipe box, thanks 🙂
Ps: 5 month old in these parts! If there’s a will there’s a way. I always say, if there’s anything in life that truly makes you happy and you’re passionate it about, then it will get done, with time left over for snuggles 🙂
I love how you put that, “with time left over for snuggles.” I”m so happy you loved the recipe! Thank you for the awesome review 🙂
Oh My Goodness…these are the best. I just made them and they turned out PERFECTLY!!!
The only things I added were some candied fruits and tripled the amount of spice. As soon as I put the crosses on and took some photos for my IG feed, they were ALL GONE!
Thank you so much Natasha for this wonderful recipe. I look forward to trying other recipes on your blog. Happy Easter!!!
Awww I’m so happy to hear that!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review. I love your ideas of adding candied fruits and more spice. Yum!!
Dough is currently proofing in the oven with 1 cup white and 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour because its all I had in stock. I’ll let you know how they turn out.
My 5 y/o daughter was motivated by the “Hot Cross Buns” song to pester me all day to make them and it just happens to be a few days before Easter, so we went for it.
Katie, I would love to hear how they turn out 😀.
Hi Natasha, I was wondering if you knew how I could substitute the AP Flour with gluten free flour in the Hot Cross Bun recipe. Unfortunately, I am gluten intolerant and am new to baking GF.
Thank You!
I’m sorry to hear that! My sister follows a GF diet and she said it was really tough initially but it gets easier. Without testing it with the GF flour myself, I really can’t say since baking is so much of a science. I wish I had a better answer. If you do test it out, please let me know how it goes in case someone else may have the same question.
yes! thanks for the recipe, definitely on my list to do this week. Love your website, always my go-to for ideas. but now there are sooo much ads! omg i have to keep clicking out of them all the time on your site. yikes… hope its not permenant..
Hi Anna, what do you mean by clicking out of them? All of our ads are stationary in the right column except for the new one in the left after the first paragraph. Is that the one you’re referring to? It’s new so we do appreciate your feedback. Thanks Anna!
Hi Natasha,
These buns are absolutely delicious! I made them and everyone is going crazy for more!!!
Thank you so much for sharing this!
I’d love to know if you’ve ever doubled the recipe?If so, did it yield the same great results? Also, I am planning to make lots of these for family and friends as gifts, can you please tell me if you’ve ever frozen the dough successfully and then baked? or should I bake them and then freeze them and just reheat before giving?
Thanks for your help, really hoping to hear back:)
Kendelle
I’m so happy you all loved them! I haven’t tried freezing the dough before baking. Without testing it that way, I can’t really recommend it. I think it’s safer to freeze once they have cooled to room temperature.
These buns are just gorgeous, hope you and your family had a wonderful Easter!
Thank you Laura and we did have a great Easter :).
Natasha, I think you did a great job of presentation considering your circumstances! I know all about baking with a newborn, since my son is only 4 months now. I LOVE baking, and can’t keep myself away from it (especially when I know my husband loves sweets even more than I do). But sometimes, it takes me 4-5 hours just to make ONE cake, because I do it in three different sittings! 🙂 It’s a hassle, but I am oh so happy for it, just as I bet you are, too! 🙂 May God bless your little family and thank you for keeping the recipes coming!
We understand each other :). I just finally put my sweetheart to sleep. She fell asleep on my chest/shoulder and I was able to work on a recipe draft. I’m trying to get creative with getting work accomplished 🙂
One of my favorite Easter treats!
Hi Jennifer! Isn’t it nice to have Easter baking traditions? For every holiday really 🙂
These look so tasty! I can only imagine what it must be like to cook with a newborn, I think my dog is more than enough sometimes!
Yeah it’s definitely not easy! I had a kitten awhile back that just wouldn’t leave my toes alone when I was in the kitchen 🙂
Can these rise in the fridge overnight?
Refrigerating them will cause the rising process to stop. I haven’t tried refrigerating them, but I imagine you could refrigerate overnight, then let them come to room temp and rise the next day.
Does it need to be covered if i let it rise in the oven ?
Anna, cover it with a tea towel to prevent the top from drying out :).
Hi Natasha
Great buns all gone and making another batch.
It is preferable to cover with a plastic film if refrigerating, rather than a tea towel unless you want the dough to dry out.
I’ve tried it before. 🙂
cheers and thanks for great bun recipe
cheers
Thank you so much for sharing that great tip and I’m so happy you are enjoying the recipe! 🙂
These looks mouthwatering! Trying them out today! 🙂 quick question tho- can I make the dough in my Breadmaker? Ive made your piroshki dough in the Breadmaker before & they turned out perfect.
I think it would work well in a breadmaker. I don’t see why not! 🙂
Tried making them today, and they turned out perfect! I made the dough in the Breadmaker & used golden raisins instead of craisins. They are so fluffy & yummy! I called them my version of Paski
It’s so great to know that the breadmaker worked well! Thank you so much for sharing that and I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe.
Don’t worry about the look. Looks like it tastes light, fluffy and delicious! Happy Easter to you and your family Natasha! He is risen!!!
Thank you Valya! Surely, He IS risen! 🙂 Have an awesome Easter!
They are my favorite, my Mom makes them. And was thinking today what should I bake on Easter, you saved my day, thank you Natasha!
I’m happy to help ;). Happy Easter!
Wow the cranberries in these buns are such a great idea! It’s always so interesting to see all of the different Easter baking that occurs around the world! So many different cultures make a very similar yeast bread, like the famous paska in the eastern European countries. I can’t wait to get started on my Easter baking this weekend!
Yes, paska is wonderful and such a classic treat. We make it also :-). What are you baking for Easter?
I will be attempting to try a new paska recipe. I made your recipe 2 years ago and loved it 🙂
How fun! Have an awesome time baking! 🙂
Yeahhh I was able to them yesterday
With nutella inside.
My kids love them
Thank you Natasha!
That’s so great Ami! I’m so happy you all enjoyed that.
I am on it!! Hahaha I don’t have nutmeg can I omit it? Don’t feel like going to grocery store just for that :-/
Yes, nutmeg can be omitted :).