Hot Cross Buns - Easter Recipe

Sweet buns made with currants or raisins, these Hot Cross Buns are marked with a cross on the top and are traditionally enjoyed over the Easter holidays.

They are another very popular Easter Bread recipe that you can prepare to serve your family for brunch on Easter Sunday morning. 

Name a favorite family tradition you enjoy every year for Easter. For some people it's always having a ham or lasagna recipe that their grandmother makes for Sunday dinner.

Or maybe it's the tradition of spending time together dying Easter Eggs and decorating baskets. 

One of the family traditions that I love is baking recipes that have been in our family for years. Italian Easter Bread and this recipe for Hot Cross Buns are always a part of our Easter celebration every year.

Hot Cross Buns Tradition

A family tradition around the Easter holiday is Hot Cross Buns. They're either purchased from a bakery or baked at home with a recipe that's been in the family for years.   

My sister bakes hot cross buns every year. She almost always brings a tray with her to our house for our Easter Sunday meal.

Traditional Hot Cross Buns Recipe

A traditional hot cross bun is a sweet bun with raisins or currants. My family loves them with raisins.

After they have baked and cooled, they're marked on top with a cross to symbolize the crucifixion of Christ. Most people prefer to pipe icing on the top of the buns to get the cross shape. 

What does hot cross buns have to do with Easter?

• No one knows exactly why they are even called Hot Cross Buns, some people say that they were originally called Good Friday Buns because you ate them on Good Friday.
• While hot cross buns are now sold and enjoyed throughout the year, they were once reserved for Good Friday alone.  

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Main Ingredients Needed

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: In a saucepan, combine milk and butter and heat over low flame until the mixture reaches 120°F (the butter doesn't need to fully melt). Whisk the yeast and 2 tablespoons of sugar into a small bowl, then pour in the warm milk mixture. Allow the yeast to proof for about five minutes.

Step 2: In your stand mixer bowl with the dough hook attached, combine 2 cups of flour, sugar, and salt. Slowly pour in the yeast mixture, then add the 2 eggs.

Step 3: Gradually incorporate ½ cup of flour at a time until you have a soft, slightly sticky dough that clings to the sides of the bowl.

Step 4: Finally, stir in the raisins. Knead the dough in the stand mixer for 5 minutes. Shape it into a ball, grease it thoroughly, and place it in a large greased bowl. Cover with a clean cloth and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size (about 1 hour).

How to Form the Buns

Step 5: After the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and remove it from the bowl. Divide it into 16-18 pieces and shape each into a ball.

Step 6: Place the balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet or in a baking dish.

Step 7: Cover them with a clean cloth and let them rise again for another hour, or until doubled in size.

Step 8: Finally, brush the risen hot cross buns with egg wash before baking.

Baking Instructions

Step 9: Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the buns are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped.

Add the Cross Design

Step 10: Allow the buns to cool completely before adding the crosses on the buns with the powdered sugar glaze.

Top Tip

This recipe calls for warm milk and not warm water like a traditional yeast bread recipe: 

1. Using milk will give the buns a softer crust that will brown more quickly due to the sugar and fat in milk.
2. The milk needs to be warm to activate the yeast so the dough will rise. However, if it’s too hot, it will kill the yeast and the dough won’t rise either.
3. Make sure you use a thermometer to test the temperature of the milk before adding it to the yeast. 

Storage Tips

You can store the buns after they have cooled completely and the icing is dry. Place them in an airtight container where they'll remain fresh for up to 3 days. 

To freeze the buns, wrap them individually in plastic wrap. Place them in a freezer safe plastic bag or storage container. You can keep them in the freezer for up to two months. 

📖 Recipe Card

Hot Cross Buns

Hot Cross Buns are sweet buns made with currants or raisins, marked with a cross on the top traditionally enjoyed over the Easter holidays.

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Course: Bread

Cuisine: American

Keyword: hot cross buns

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Additional Time: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 2 hours hours 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 18 buns

Calories: 260kcal

Author: Lois

Equipment

• Active Dry Yeast

Ingredients

For the Buns

• 5 cups all purpose flour divided
• ½ cup sugar plus 2 tablespoons to proof the yeast
• 2 packages active dry yeast combined with 2 tablespoons to proof the yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1½ cups milk heated to 120°F
• ½ cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup raisins

For the Egg Wash

• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 egg

For the Icing

• ¾ cup powdered sugar sifted
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon milk

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Instructions

• Combine 1½ cups milk and butter in sauce pan. Heat over low until mixture is 120° (butter does not need to melt completely). Add the yeast to the milk with 2 tablespoons of sugar. Allow the yeast and milk mixture to proof.
• In bowl of your stand mixer, add the 2 cups flour, sugar and salt.
• On low speed, gradually add the milk and yeast mixture into the flour mixture.
• Reduce to low speed and add in 2 beaten eggs.
• Then add in flour ½ cup at a time until you get a soft dough that clings to the dough hook. You may not use all 5 cups of flour.
• Add the raisins.
• Let dough knead for about 5 minutes.
• Shape dough into a ball and place in a large greased bowl, making sure the entire ball of dough is greased.
• Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in warm draft free place until double in size; about 1 hour.
• Punch dough down and remove from the bowl.
• Knead on lightly floured surface for 1 minute.
• Line two baking pans with parchment paper.
• Cut dough into 16 to 18 pieces.
• Shape each piece into a ball and place on the prepared pans.
• Cover with a towel, let rise for 45 minutes or until doubled in size.
• Pre-heat oven to 350°
• Beat the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl.
• Cut a cross in top of each bun with the tip of a sharp knife.Brush rolls with egg mixture.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and sound hollow when tapped.
• Immediately remove from pans and allow to cool on wire rack completely before adding the icing to fill in the crosses on the buns.

Icing Instructions:

• To make icing combine powdered sugar, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon milk in a small bowl until smooth.
• Add the cross shape on top of the cooled buns with the glaze.

Notes

For this recipe, I used whole milk.

Show Nutritional Information Hide Nutritional Information

Serving: 1Serving | Calories: 260kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 191mg | Potassium: 148mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 231IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional estimates are provided using an online calculator and is an estimate per serving. Calorie accuracy isn't guaranteed.

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This recipe has been updated since it first appeared in 2019 with new photos, information and a new printable recipe card that includes nutritional information. I hope you enjoy the updates as much as I enjoyed working on them!