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5 from 5 votes
Easy Hot Cross Buns are a wonderfully soft, sweet, spiced bun, traditionally made for Easter time. Serve warm or cold, split open, toast and spread some butter and your favourite jam! Delicious!
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Hot Cross Buns
Prep Time
1 hr 10 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
1 hr 35 mins
 

Hot Cross Buns are a lovely soft, spiced sweet roll, and traditionally made at Easter time, simply split apart and spread with butter and jam. They're lovely eaten warm from the oven or split and toasted. Nowadays, these are enjoyed all year round! Very easy to make and freezer friendly.

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Servings: 12 large or 24 small rolls
Ingredients
  • 1 ¼ cup warm milk
  • ¼ cup castor sugar **** If you can't get castor sugar use regular sugar. It just takes a little longer to dissolve.
  • 4 tsp instant yeast
  • 3 ¾ cups AP flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 ½ tsp cinnamon powder
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg powder
  • ¼ tsp clove powder
  • ½ cup stick or ¼ butter
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 2 eggs
The glaze and topping:
  • ¼ cup AP flour
  • ¼ cup water
  • 2 tbs apricot jam warmed
Instructions
  1. Place the milk, sugar and yeast in a bowl. Stir till the sugar is dissolved. Set aside for 10 mins or until it's frothy.
  2. Sift flour, salt and spices in a large bowl then rub the butter in the flour mixture with fingers until it's crumbly.
  3. Make a well in the middle of the mixture, then stir in the eggs and yeast mixture. Then add the raisins. Combine until a dough forms. You can use a wooden spoon or a stand mixer.
  4. Put dough on a floured surface and knead for about 5 mins until dough is smooth and elastic.
  5. Put dough in an oiled large bowl and cover with cling wrap. Set aside in a warm place for about 45 mins or until doubled in size. When it's doubled in size, remove cover and punch down the dough.
  6. Knead again till smooth and divide into 12 large rolls (use a greased 8" x 12" tray) or 24 rolls ( use a greased 10" x 16 " tray). I used the latter cos I prefer smaller rolls.
  7. Set aside for another 15-20 mins for rolls to rise.
  8. Preheat oven to 200 C or 400 F.
  9. When rolls have risen, use the flour and water to make a smooth paste and pipe lines across all the rolls to make the crosses (like in my photo).
  10. Bake for 10 mins then reduce the temperature to 180 C or 350 F and bake a further 15 mins.
  11. Remove from oven and while it's still warm, brush rolls with warm apricot jam.