Hot Cross Buns are one of those timeless treats that make you stop and smile the second you smell them baking. Sweet, lightly spiced, golden, and sticky with glaze—nothing says spring quite like a batch of these warm buns fresh out of the oven.
These are the real deal: soft, fragrant buns speckled with plump sultanas and bits of candied peel, with that signature cross piped on top. They’re a little work of love (as most yeast breads are), but they’re worth every minute of rising and kneading. Plus, your kitchen will smell like a bakery crossed with an Easter morning dream.
The dough is gently flavored with cinnamon and mixed spice, sweetened just enough to make them irresistible when served warm with a thick layer of butter. They’re best eaten the day you bake them, but they toast up beautifully the next morning—and yes, they freeze well too, so you can stash a few away for later.
Prep Time: 4 hours
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes
Yield: 12 buns
Category: Breads, Easter Baking
Ingredients
For the Buns
- 4 cups (500g) bread flour
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ⅓ cup (75g) sugar
- 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons mixed spice (or use a blend of allspice, nutmeg, and cloves)
- 1½ packets (about 2¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1¼ cups (300ml) milk
- 1¼ cups (250g) sultanas
- ¼ cup (50g) chopped mixed peel
- 1 egg, beaten
For the Crosses and Glaze
- ⅓ cup (75g) all-purpose flour
- About ½ cup water (for making the paste)
- 3 tablespoons marmalade
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and mixed spice. Add the salt to one side of the bowl and the yeast to the other.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan, then stir in the milk. Let it cool slightly—it should feel warm but not hot.
Pour about half the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and begin mixing (a stand mixer with a dough hook works perfectly here). Once it starts to come together, add the egg and the rest of the milk mixture. Knead for about 5 minutes on medium speed until smooth and elastic.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead in the sultanas and mixed peel by hand. Place the dough in a clean, lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size—about 2 hours.
When the dough has risen, punch it down gently and divide into 12 equal pieces. Shape each into a ball and place them close together on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Press down slightly with your palm to flatten the tops a little. Cover lightly with a clean towel or plastic wrap and let rise for another hour.
Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).
Mix the flour for the crosses with enough water to form a thick, smooth paste. Spoon it into a piping bag and pipe a cross over each bun.
Bake for 15–20 minutes, until the buns are golden brown and smell heavenly.
While they’re baking, gently melt the marmalade in a small saucepan. As soon as the buns come out of the oven, brush them generously with the warm marmalade to give them that perfect glossy finish.
Let cool slightly on a wire rack before serving warm with butter.
There’s something special about tearing into one of these buns—the steam rising, the sticky glaze catching the light, the warm spice scent filling the air. They’re the kind of treat that makes you feel cozy and festive all at once, and once you make them from scratch, it’s hard to ever go back to store-bought.