Hot Cross Buns Recipe, Updated (2024)

Hot Cross Buns Recipe,Updated

April 11, 2017 by Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

I wrote my original hot cross buns post in April 2009.

Over the past eight years, it’s become one of the most used recipes on our blog. Since that time, we’ve simplified the methodology (ie. I’ve gotten lazier), so that it can now be made by hand with very little kneading, or in a large stand mixer. Two tips: buy a fresh box of yeast before you start, and don’t rush the second rise. And remember,as my friend Jay says, there’s no such thing as too much glaze!

I’ve now updated our old post and hope you’ll give these a go for Easter!♥

Fig Jam and Lime Cordial Yeasted Hot Cross Buns

Posted in Recipes | 31 Comments

31 Responses

on April 12, 2017 at 12:09 am Kim
They are simply breathtaking.
- on April 12, 2017 at 4:46 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  Thanks Kim! :)
on April 12, 2017 at 12:32 am Cathey
They are gorgeous and look sooooo good! But please, as a novice baker, what is in “mixed spice?” I’m in California so, if this is an Australian product, we don’t seem to have it here.
- on April 12, 2017 at 4:22 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  Cathey, it’s a sweet spice mix. I think you could use use allspice or pumpkin pie spice instead?
on April 12, 2017 at 1:49 am Susan
YOU BET!! It’s on my list, just finished three 22″ long, 6 braid Challahs. These breads are SO fun. Happy Easter to you and yours!!
- on April 12, 2017 at 4:47 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  See Also
  Potted Cheese | Moorlands Eater | Recipes Midlands Food - Recipes from the East and West Midlands Traditional English Scones Recipe Yotam Ottolenghi’s rhubarb recipes
  Braiding IS so much fun – thank you for the reminder. I haven’t made them for ages! Happy Easter to you too!
on April 12, 2017 at 6:21 am My Kitchen Stories
They loomy so delicious. I would so love to make some.
- on April 12, 2017 at 4:47 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  Go for it, girlfriend!
on April 12, 2017 at 6:29 am Chica Andaluza
They look absolutely amazing, you clever lady!
- on April 12, 2017 at 4:47 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  Thanks lovely! Happy Easter to you all! xxx
on April 12, 2017 at 7:37 am bokolm
Have you ever tried making sourdough HCBs Celia? I was going to give it a try with my new starter today…. Guessing they won’t be as soft but hopefully more digestible :)
- on April 12, 2017 at 7:47 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  Yes I have. There’s a link on the original post but they do take a lot longer to prove!
on April 12, 2017 at 12:01 pm Cath C
Oh Celia how I love you! I was sitting on my lounge last night thinking “I really should give hot cross buns a go” and then picked up my phone and checked my emails and there was your post! So guess what I’m in the middle of right now – making your hot cross buns! Just waiting whilst the dough does its first 20 minute rest, with a lovely cup of tea.
I don’t comment very often at all so may I take the time now to say thank you for your blog, which I have been reading for years, I truly admire you Celia, you are a wonderful person, so inspiring. Happy Easter to you and your family xo
- on April 12, 2017 at 4:48 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  That’s so lovely, thanks Cath! Happy Easter to all at your place too! :)
  See Also
  Empire Biscuit recipe - Something Sweet Something Savoury
on April 12, 2017 at 12:21 pm Francesca
I was looking through your previous recipes and thinking about whether I would bother this year and now, here’s an updated recipe. Celia you are a mind reader and national treasure. xx
- on April 12, 2017 at 4:49 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  Hahaha…not a mind reader, but maybe we’re just in sync, Fra! Hope you have a wonderful Easter with your gorgeous fam! xxx
  - on April 12, 2017 at 5:06 pm Francesca
    And all my Easter love to you and your family too Celia.xx
on April 12, 2017 at 3:42 pm Manuela
I bought self rising flour just so I could make hot cross buns. I have made the sourdough version several times and substituted craisins instead of the dried fruits. The childen (and I) love them.
- on April 12, 2017 at 4:49 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  Manuela, I actually haven’t made the SD version for ages – there’s always such a high demand that only the yeasted ones prove quickly enough! :) Happy Easter and congratulations on your latest addition – wonderful news! xxx
on April 13, 2017 at 2:45 am Karen
I always loved hot cross buns but haven’t had them in years. Yours look perfect. Happy Easter to you and your family.
on April 13, 2017 at 10:06 am Amanda (@lambsearsandhoney)
A lovely recipe, thanks Celia. I’ve tweaked it a tiny bit & whipped some up last night.
on April 13, 2017 at 11:35 am Maureen | org*smic Chef
I haven’t made hot cross buns for a couple of years but after looking at yours, I must have another go. Happy Easter!
on April 14, 2017 at 2:46 am Jean | DelightfulRepast.com
Celia, those buns look like perfection! I love how you simplified it; I’m doing more and more of that!
on April 14, 2017 at 3:19 pm Rewriting Tradition. Easter Cuisine Old and New. Part 1 – ALMOST ITALIAN
[…] more digestible than the common supermarket variety. If you are a beginner at yeasted baking, try Celia’s recipe here. It is foolproof and very […]
on April 14, 2017 at 10:47 pm Sally
Dear Celia, you are a life saver! I was getting panicky about not finding a good recipe for Easter buns, as the batch I made a few days ago wasn’t very nice. Then this post dropped into my lap on Wednesday night and I knew it would be brilliant, just as all of your recipes and tutorials have shown me. So I made them today, Good Friday, and they are just sensational. Well they must be good, there’s only one left! I followed your instructions step by step.. it’s definitely no fail, and I love that you’ve taken all the guesswork out of it, even saving us the task of calculating how many grams each ball of dough should weigh. These are the best Easter Buns we’ve ever tasted! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. Happy Easter to you and your family. X
on April 14, 2017 at 10:52 pm Sally
Oh and I forgot to mention….that glaze..!!! Heavenly..!! I reheated some buns tonight and the glaze held up well.
on April 16, 2017 at 6:16 pm flythesevenseas
Tried them and loved them! I’ll add this recipe to my collection for years to come – thank you!
on April 18, 2017 at 5:02 am Elizabeth Hodkinson
Made these yesterday, they were awesome! I admit I didn’t make your glaze, I just heated up some ginger marmalade that a local shop was selling off for 5p (UK money) and then tipped it over and it worked very well. The buns were incredibly light and not too sweet, my Easter house guests loved them.
on April 24, 2017 at 1:52 am themateriallady
I have been making your sourdough hot cross buns (without the crosses) all year as they go down so well here. I can only imagine how good your kitchen smelled after making those. Yumm…..
on April 24, 2017 at 10:15 pm helen Andreatta
Thanks for this fabulous Hot Cross Buns recipe- my almost 5 year old grandson and I spent quite a bit of time in the kitchen on Good Friday, following the recipe with all of the proving stages. We ended up with less dried fruit even though I was very generous in weighing them out. The sultanas kept popping up to the surface and so they were immorality popped in to his mouth and that of his younger brother who wanted to ” hep” The recipe is a keeper!~ :-)
on July 16, 2017 at 2:22 am Stacia May
Love hot cross buns, my husband is Irish, so I started a tradition to make them at Easter!

Comments are closed.

FAQs

What are the new flavors of hot cross buns? ›

From classic British desserts to cheesy and spicy combinations, there's a raft of new hot cross bun flavours springing up on supermarket shelves this Easter. Consumers craving sweet comfort in the familiar are catered for with the likes of orange marmalade, sticky toffee, and strawberries & clotted cream variants.

Read The Full Story ›

How do you spice up hot cross buns? ›

How do you eat yours? 6 new hot cross bun toppings to try

Strawberry sundae. ...
PBB: Peanut butter & banana. ...
Cheesy melt. ...
Tahini butter with pistachio. ...
Cardamom cream. ...
Maple butter.

Read The Full Story ›

What does a traditional hot cross bun contain? ›

They're yeasted sweet buns filled with spices and various fruits such as currants, raisins, and/or candied citrus. They're decorated with a white cross representing the crucifix, either marked right into the dough or etched on top with icing. Hot cross buns are a traditional Easter food, typically eaten on Good Friday.

Keep Reading ›

Why are my hot cross buns so hard? ›

Add the extra flour if required so the dough comes away from the bowl – the trick is to use the minimum to keep the dough soft so it rises easily (= fluffy buns), but just enough so the dough doesn't massively stick to your fingers (should be bit sticky though). Tough dough from too much flour = tough buns!

Read On ›

What is the oldest hot cross bun? ›

THE world's oldest hot cross bun has been traced back more than two centuries... to a Good Friday and a house in Essex. Andrew Munson and his wife Dot, 73, were passed the 209-year-old bun by an old neighbour with a note saying it was baked on Good Friday 1807 in a Colchester oven.

Find Out More ›

How many types of hot cross buns are there? ›

A range of flavours

Coles' range of hot cross buns now includes traditional fruit, traditional mini fruit, chocolate, apple and cinnamon, fruit-free, and Vegemite and cheese, as well as gluten-free varieties and a new top-tier offering with Coles Finest Luxurious Fruit Hot Cross Buns.

Discover More Details ›

Can you eat hot cross buns without toasting them? ›

“Toasting your HCB is the correct way. Microwaving your HCB is for psychos. While yes, they sort of resemble fruit toast, HCBs have embellishments that you don't find in fruit toast, e.g. the cross and the fancy glaze. Toasting gives a nice, firm, crunchy surface for optimal butter spreading.

Discover More ›

Do you put butter on hot cross buns? ›

Namely, hot cross buns. Doughy, sultana-scattered and smothered in butter, we love 'em and there's no better time to scoff them than Easter. Traditionally, hot cross buns are reserved for Good Friday to mark the end of Lent, but 20 million are sold during Easter week in the UK.

Get More Info Here ›

What is the stuff on top of hot cross buns? ›

Buns are marked with a white cross on top. The traditional method for making the cross on top of the bun is to use shortcrust pastry, though these days, most recipes recommend a paste of flour and water.

Read The Full Story ›

How unhealthy are hot cross buns? ›

Hot cross buns contain a little fat from butter/shortening (around 5%) and are high in carbohydrate so consideration is needed around portion size for people with diabetes. Hot cross bun sizes vary a lot. For example, one commercial variety sold in a 6 pack contains 40g carbohydrate and 920 kJ (220 calories).

Can Muslims eat hot cross buns? ›

Your hot cross buns are made entirely out of vegetable products so there's no need for anyone to pray over the batter while the baker stirs in currants and citrus peel. The stamp on the package simply signals to Muslims that it's okay to eat those buns — not that someone prayed over them.

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Do Germans eat hot cross buns? ›

The first year I lived overseas, in Germany, I was devastated to discover that they did not have hot cross buns at Easter time. But then I found they had something even better: Osterbrot. Translated directly: Easter bread — which is in essence, a giant hot cross bun.

Show Me More ›

Why do hot cross buns make me bloated? ›

Wheat. Wheat contains a protein called gluten, which may cause bloating, gas, stomach pain, and diarrhea for some people. Bread, pasta, and many baked goods contain gluten.

What is the best way to eat hot cross buns? ›

How do you eat your Hot Cross Buns?

Toasted with butter: This is the classic way to eat hot cross buns. ...
With jam or marmalade: If you like your buns sweeter, try spreading some jam or marmalade on top of the butter.
With cream cheese: For a tangy twist, spread some cream cheese on your hot cross bun.

More items...

Mar 21, 2023

Know More ›

Why is my hot cross bun dough sticky? ›

Your dough can become sticky when you add too much water or the flour isn't suitable for the type of dough you are making. Over proofing or fermenting the dough can also result in the gluten structure weakening causing sticky dough.

What is the hot cross bun flavor Easter egg? ›

Our New addition for Easter; Hot Cross Bun, is infused with fruit, cinnamon and nutmeg, which gives a warm but balanced undertone to our deep, rich creamy cheddar. A delicious, sweet cheese that will pair perfectly with your chosen accompaniments.

Are hot cross buns seasonal? ›

A traditional hot cross bun is a yeasted sweet bun that's lightly spiced and studded with raisins or currants, then marked on top with a cross that's either piped in icing or etched into the dough. While hot cross buns are now sold and enjoyed throughout the year, they were once reserved for Good Friday alone.

Read On ›

Did original hot cross buns have fruit? ›

It was in the 12th century that an English monk decorated his freshly baked buns with a cross on Good Friday, also known as the Day of the Cross. The custom gained traction, and over the years, fruits and precious spices were included to represent health and prosperity.

What do the spices in hot cross buns represent? ›

They are symbolic of this significant day in the Christian faith when Jesus was crucified. Each bun is decorated with a cross made from flour paste, which represents the cross on which Christ died. The spices in hot cross buns are said to represent the spices that were used to embalm Christ after his death.

Learn More ›

Hot Cross Buns Recipe, Updated (2024)