These buns will be your new family staple recipe!! 🍞

Hot Cross Buns Recipe

There is something incredibly soul-warming about the scent of cinnamon, cloves, and orange zest wafting through a kitchen. I make these hot cross buns every year because they represent the perfect balance of patience and reward. Unlike store-bought versions, these are pillowy, rich, and bursting with bright citrus notes and plump fruit. They turn a simple morning coffee into a celebration and remind us that the best things in life are made by hand, shared warm, and topped with plenty of

cold butter.

Ingredients

The Fruit

275g mixed dried fruit (currants, sultanas, and candied citrus peel)

Boiling water for soaking

The Dough

270ml whole milk (divided into 120ml and 150ml)

450g bakers flour

2 tsp instant dried yeast

80g brown sugar (divided into 30g and 50g)

1 egg

1.5 tsp fine sea salt

75g room temperature butter

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground allspice

1/2 tsp ground cloves

Zest of 1 orange

The Egg Wash

1 egg beaten with 2 tsp water

The Cross

50g plain flour

50ml water

1 tbsp oil

The Glaze

2 tbsp orange marmalade thinned with 1 tsp water

Method

1. Prep the Fruit: Place the dried fruit in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside to plump up. If your candied peel is separate, add it later rather than soaking.

2. Make the Flour Paste: Add 120ml of milk to a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove 2 tablespoons of flour from your main 450g stash and whisk it into the milk. Cook until it forms a thick paste, then scoop it out and let it cool completely.

3. Activate the Yeast: Warm the remaining 150ml of milk until just warm to the touch. Whisk in 30g of brown sugar and the yeast. Wait until it becomes foamy and bubbly.

4. Mix the Dough: In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the remaining flour, the cooled flour paste, the yeast mixture, the remaining 50g of brown sugar, salt, egg, spices, and orange zest. Mix on medium speed for 4 minutes.

5. Incorporate Butter: Add the soft butter and continue to mix for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and passes the windowpane test.

6. Add the Fruit: Tip the dough onto a clean surface. Drain the soaked fruit thoroughly and fold it into the dough, kneading gently until evenly distributed.

7. First Rise: Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a damp tea towel, and let it rise in a warm spot for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until grown by 50%.

8. Shape: Punch the dough down and divide into 12 even pieces. Roll them into tight, smooth balls and place them into a baking dish lined with parchment paper.

9. Second Rise: Cover again with the damp towel and let them puff up for 30 to 60 minutes until they have grown by another 50%. Preheat your oven to 200C (or 180C fan forced) during this time.

10. The Crosses: Whisk the flour, water, and oil for the cross together and put into a piping bag. Brush the puffy buns with egg wash, then pipe smooth, even crosses over the tops.

11. Bake: Bake for 30 minutes until deep golden brown. If they darken too quickly after 20 minutes, drop the oven temp by 20 degrees.

12. The Finish: While the buns are still hot from the oven, brush them generously with the thinned orange marmalade glaze.

Pro Tip: To get that professional, high-gloss finish without a sticky mess, make sure the marmalade glaze is warm when you brush it on. If your marmalade has large chunks of peel, strain it first so the glaze goes on perfectly smooth and clear.

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