Hot Cross Buns

Before you start

Hot cross buns are soft, lightly sweet yeast buns packed with dried fruit and warm spices, marked with a cross and brushed with a sticky glaze. They are traditionally eaten around Easter in Britain and many other countries, and they are wonderful split, toasted and buttered.

The dough is rich and fruit-heavy, which slows the yeast; plan for a longer rise than a plain roll. Soak the dried fruit so it stays plump and does not draw moisture from the dough. The crosses are a simple paste of flour and water piped on before baking, not icing, so they keep their shape and turn pale gold. Brush on the glaze while the buns are hot so it sets glossy rather than tacky.

Ingredients

• Fruit150 g (1 cup) currants or raisins
• 40 g (¼ cup) chopped candied orange peel
• Dough500 g (4 cups + 2 tbsp) bread flour
• 60 g (5 tbsp) granulated sugar
• 7 g (2¼ tsp) instant yeast
• 7 g (1¼ tsp) fine salt
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground allspice
• 1 orange — finely grated zest only
• 240 ml (1 cup) whole milk — warmed to about 38°C (100°F)
• 1 large egg
• 50 g (3½ tbsp) unsalted butter — softened
• Crosses60 g (½ cup) all-purpose flour
• about 60 ml (¼ cup) water
• Glaze3 tbsp apricot jam
• 1 tbsp water

Method

1. Cover the currants and peel with hot water for 10 minutes, then drain well and pat dry.
2. Combine the flour, sugar, yeast, salt, spices and orange zest. Add the warm milk and egg and mix on low until shaggy. Add the soft butter and knead on medium-low for 8 to 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
3. Add the drained fruit and mix on low for 1 to 2 minutes, just until it is evenly distributed. Finish by hand if needed.
4. Cover and let rise until doubled, 75 to 105 minutes.
5. Grease the baking pan. Divide the dough into 12 pieces of about 92 g and shape each into a tight bun, tucking any exposed fruit underneath. Arrange them in four rows of three, nearly touching.
6. Cover and proof until puffy and pressed together, 45 to 60 minutes. Heat the oven to 190°C (375°F).
7. Stir the flour and water for the crosses into a smooth, thick paste that holds its shape; add water a teaspoon at a time if it is too stiff to pipe. Spoon it into a piping bag with a 5 mm (¼ in) opening and pipe straight lines along each row in both directions to form crosses.
8. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until deep golden brown and the center bun reads 88°C (190°F).
9. Meanwhile, warm the apricot jam with the water until runny and strain it. Brush it over the buns as soon as they come out of the oven. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then move to a rack.

Tips for success

• Pipe continuous lines across the whole pan rather than individual crosses; it is faster and the crosses come out more even.
• A pinch of ground cardamom or cloves can be added to the spice mix if you like a more pronounced spice flavor.
• Shape the buns tightly. A taut surface rises up instead of out and gives the classic rounded top.

Substitutions

Currants and candied peel

Use 190 g raisins, sultanas or chopped dried apricots. Dried cranberries work too, for a tart, brighter bun.

Apricot jam glaze

Simmer 2 tbsp sugar with 2 tbsp water for 1 minute and brush it on. It gives a thinner, sticky shine.

Bread flour

All-purpose flour works with 15 ml (1 tbsp) less milk. The buns are a little softer and less springy.

Variations

Chocolate and orange buns

Replace the currants and peel with 120 g chopped dark chocolate and add the zest of a second orange.

Apple and cinnamon buns

Use 100 g diced dried apple and 50 g sultanas in place of the currants and peel, and increase the cinnamon to 1 tbsp.

Troubleshooting

The dough rose very slowly

Rich, spiced, fruity doughs are slow. Give them a warm spot, about 26°C (78°F), and wait for the volume to double rather than watching the clock.

Crosses cracked or disappeared

The paste was too thin or too dry. Make it thick but pipeable, and pipe it onto fully proofed buns just before baking.

Buns are dense and dry

Too much flour or overbaking. Keep the dough soft and tacky, and take the buns out at 88°C (190°F).

Storage

Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days; after that they are best split and toasted. Freeze for up to 3 months and warm from frozen at 160°C (325°F) for 10 minutes.

Safety notes

Raw dough contains raw flour and egg and should not be tasted. Contains wheat, milk and egg.