Hot cross buns
Soft, spiced fruit buns with zesty lemon and a glossy apricot glaze — perfect for Easter or a cheeky weekend bake.
These are proper hot cross buns — soft, lightly spiced and studded with plump fruit. They’re an Easter staple but honestly brilliant any time you want a sweet bun with a bit of tradition.
They take a little patience because of two proves and a fruit soak, but the method is straightforward. The apricot glaze and fresh lemon zest lift the flavour so they never taste cloying.
Ingredients
- 500 g strong white bread flour
- 75 g fine caster sugar
- 10 g salt
- 5 g fast-action dried yeast
- 200 g mixed dried fruit — e.g. sultanas, raisins and currants
- 10 ml mixed spice
- 5 ml ground cinnamon
- 1 lemon — zest only
- 300 ml milk — use part warmed to soak fruit
- 50 g butter — softened
- 2 egg — 1 for the dough, 1 for an egg wash
- 75 g plain flour — for the cross paste
- 50 ml water — for cross paste and to loosen glaze
- 50 g apricot jam — for glaze
Equipment
- baking tray
- pastry brush
- piping bag or small freezer bag
- stand mixer with dough hook (optional)
- wire rack
Instructions
Warm 100 ml of the milk until just lukewarm (about 38°C). Pour the warm milk over the mixed dried fruit in a small bowl, stir, then leave to soak for 30 minutes so the fruit plumps up.
In a large bowl, whisk together the strong white bread flour, fine caster sugar, salt, fast-action dried yeast, mixed spice and ground cinnamon until evenly combined.
Make a well in the dry mix, add the soaked fruit with any remaining liquid, the softened butter, the zest of the lemon and one beaten egg. Add the remaining milk a little at a time and mix to form a soft, slightly sticky dough.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. If using a stand mixer, knead on low with a dough hook for 6–8 minutes.
Lightly oil a clean bowl, place the dough inside, cover with lightly oiled kitchen paper or a clean tea towel and leave to prove in a warm place until doubled in size — about 60 minutes.
Knock the dough back, divide into 12 equal pieces (about 70–80 g each). Shape each piece into a smooth ball and arrange on a baking tray lined with baking paper, leaving roughly 3–4 cm between each bun for expansion.
Cover the shaped buns lightly and leave to prove again until nearly doubled — about 45 minutes.
Make the crosses by mixing the plain flour with enough water to form a pipeable paste (thick but smooth). Spoon into a piping bag or a small freezer bag with the corner snipped and pipe a cross over each bun.
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C conventional. Beat the remaining egg with a splash of milk and gently brush the tops of the buns for a deep gloss.
Bake the buns in the preheated oven for 18 minutes until golden and sounding hollow when tapped on the base.
Warm the apricot jam with a tablespoon of water until runny, sieve if you prefer a smooth glaze, then brush it over the hot buns to give a shiny finish.
Leave the buns to cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before serving warm.
Tips
- Soak the dried fruit to prevent it drawing moisture out of the dough during proving; warm milk or strong tea both work well.
- If you don’t have a piping bag, use a small freezer bag and snip a tiny corner to pipe the crosses.
- Make ahead: freeze baked buns in an airtight container, then defrost and warm in a low oven (160°C fan/180°C conventional) for 8–10 minutes.
- If your kitchen is cool, put the proving bowl in an oven switched off but with the oven light on to give a gently warm environment.
- Weighing dough portions gives evenly sized buns that bake uniformly — roughly 70–80 g per bun is ideal.
Substitutions
butter → 50 g vegetable spread
Stays closemixed dried fruit → 200 g mixed dried fruit soaked in 2 tbsp dark rum or orange juice
Stays closemilk → 300 ml plant-based milk (soya or oat)
Noticeably differentapricot jam → 50 g warmed marmalade for a brighter, slightly bitter glaze
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 225
- Calories
- 5 g
- Protein
- 40 g
- Carbs
- 5 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 12 g
- Sugar
- 250 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make the dough the day before?
Yes — after kneading, refrigerate the dough in an oiled bowl, covered, overnight. Next day bring to room temperature, knock back, shape and prove as Step 6–7.
Why didn’t my buns rise properly?
Common causes are old yeast, liquid too hot (kills yeast) or too cold (stops activity), or under-kneading. Check yeast freshness and room temperature for proving.
Can I freeze unbaked buns?
Yes — freeze the shaped buns on a tray until solid, then transfer to a bag. Bake from frozen, adding a few minutes to the bake time and ensuring they are fully risen before baking if possible.
How do I keep the crosses neat?
Make the paste fairly stiff and practice piping on a spare piece of baking paper first. Pipe while the buns are just proved — not over-proved or the paste will sink.
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