Today’s recipe is not Italian. In fact, I had never eaten Hot Cross Buns before moving to Australia 8 years ago. Hot Cross Buns are traditionally eaten for breakfast on Good Friday and they are marked with a cross to represent the crucifixion of Jesus. Traditionally these buns are made with lots of spices (especially cinnamon) and sultanas and/or currants, but nowadays there are so many different types available that I never know what to pick! Some are made with apples, others have chocolate and others have a coffee flavour… As I still hadn’t shared with you any recipe for Hot Cross Buns, I thought of keeping it traditional. I made cinnamon laden buns with loads of sultanas. Feel free to add any other dried fruits that you like (dried apricots or cranberries or citrus peel work really well). I like to serve these warm with some soft honey butter (recipe below), for a little extra sweetness. Enjoy and don’t forget to check out my Easter Recipe Roundup for more delicious ideas. I wish you and your loved ones a safe Easter weekend!
Hot Cross Buns with Honey Butter
The perfect Easter breakfast: home-made Hot Cross Buns with Honey Butter!
Ingredients
Buns
- 400 ml – 1 2/3 cups milk
- 120 gms – ½ cup unsalted butter chopped
- 750 gms – 6 cups flour
- 75 gms – ⅓ cup caster sugar
- 14 gms – 4 tsp dry yeast
- 3½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 1 tsp salt
- 300 gms – 2 cups sultanas
- 1 orange zested
- 1 lemon zested
- 1 egg
Cross Paste
- 35 gms – ¼ cup flour
- 2 tsp caster sugar
- 2 or 3 tbsp water
Spice Glaze
- ½ tsp mixed spice
- 125 g – ½ cup caster sugar
- 100 ml – ½ cup water
Honey Butter
- 80 gms – 1/3 cup butter softened
- 40 gms – 2 tbsp honey
Instructions
Hot Cross Buns
-
Put the milk and chopped butter into a measuring jar and microwave it for a few seconds, just until the butter melts. Stir and keep aside to slightly cool down.
-
Put the flour, sugar, yeast, spices, half of the sultanas, orange and lemon zest and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle or hook attachment. Stir to combine.
-
Stir in the egg, then the milk mixture.
-
Knead for 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Just before turning the mixer off, add the remaining sultanas and mix.
-
Make the dough into a ball and put it in a greased bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and set aside to rise for 1 hour or until the dough doubles in size.
-
Punch down the dough, divide it into 20 equal pieces, then knead each piece into a smooth ball.
-
Put the balls on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Make sure to leave about 1 cm – ½ inch between them.
-
Cover them with greased cling wrap and set aside in a warm place for 45 minutes or until the dough doubles in size.
-
In the meantime prepare the cross paste by sifting the flour and caster sugar into a small bowl.
-
-
Put the paste into a ziploc bag and snip a tiny piece off one of the bottom corners so it can be used later as a piping bag.
-
-
Preheat the oven to 220°C – 425°F and bake the buns for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 200°C – 390°F and bake for a further 10 minutes or until golden.
-
In the meantime make the spice glaze.
-
Put the mixed spice, caster sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
-
-
-
Serve warm or at room temperature with honey butter.
I am from England, and these are a tradition every year! I tried to make them this year, but they did not come out anwyhere near as good as yours! I am going to pin this for next year though! I love hot cross buns, yum!