Hot cross buns

Soft and fluffy hot cross buns studded with sultanas and sweet orange zest. Brushed with warm honey fresh out the oven, I love having mine toasted with lashings of salted butter. Better than any store bought version, once you make them at home you'll never buy store bought again.

This recipe is also available as a step-by-step video cookalong, showing you everything from making the dough whether you're making it by hand or with a standing mixer, to how to rise and shape the dough, baking the buns and how to store and freeze them on Supper Club's membership platform.

Time to prep : 30 minutes

Rise time : 1.5 hours

Bake : 22 - 25 minutes

Makes : 12 buns

Ingredients

Dough

660g plain flour (or bread flour*)

120g caster sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp (~ 7g sachet) instant yeast*

240g sultanas

2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp mixed spice*

Zest of 2 oranges

60g butter

380ml milk*

1 egg

Cross

40g flour

3 tbsp milk

Glaze

60g honey*

Method

Dough

1. In a large bowl, mix the flour, caster sugar and salt together, stir to mix. Sprinkle over the yeast and add the spices, then mix again. Add in the sultanas and orange zest, stirring everything together to mix. 

2. In a small saucepan over a low heat, add the butter. Once it’s melted, turn the heat off and add in the milk, using a balloon whisk to mix. Then add in the egg and whisk again until smooth.

Kneading the dough

1. Standing mixers: use the dough hook attachment and speed setting 2 (no higher). Pour the wet ingredients in with the dry and mix for 10 minutes. I like to stop the mixer at 8 minutes to scrape down the sides and base of the bowl, before mixing for the final 2 minutes. Lightly flour a smooth worktop surface or silicone pastry sheet, tip the dough out and knead it by hand for a further 1 - 2 minutes.

2. By hand: Pour the wet ingredients in with the dry ingredients and use clean hands or a spatula to combine everything. Lightly flour a smooth worktop surface or silicone pastry sheet and knead for 12 - 14 minutes by hand.
   

3. You’re finished kneading the dough when it’s smooth and elastic and comes together nicely into a dough ball. It should be slightly sticky to touch but not wet like cookie batter that sticks to your hands.

First rise

1. Once kneaded, your dough is ready for its first rise. Lightly oil a large, clean mixing bowl and place your dough in. Cover with cling film and place in a warm place away from wind or drafts for 1  hour. It should nearly double in size.

2. In the meantime, grease and line a large baking sheet or tin (I use a 13 x 8" one) with baking paper, leave extra baking paper on the sides so you can use them as handles to remove the buns later. 

Shaping and second rise

1. Once the dough has finished its first rise, remove the cling film and firmly punch the dough once to knock the air out. Tip it onto a lightly floured surface or silicone pastry mat and roll it into a long log. Split this log up into 12 equal dough balls using a sharp knife or dough cutter. 

2. Roll each dough ball between your hands until smooth and place on the prepared baking tray. Repeat until you’ve filled the baking tin with all 12 balls, then cover it again with cling film and put them back in a warm spot for their second rise for 30 minutes. They should increase in size by 25 - 50%.

Baking and glazing

1. In the meantime, pre-heat a fan oven to 180ºC and make the 'cross' paste by mixing the flour and milk together. It should be a thick sticky paste, add more liquid 1/2 tbsp at a time if needed. Spoon this into a piping bag or ziplock bag. Once the buns have completed their second rise, snip a small corner off and pipe crosses onto each bun.

2. Bake for 22 - 25 minutes until the buns are golden and sound hollow when you 'tap' them with your finger. Remove the buns from the oven.

3. Warm the honey in the microwave until spreadable and use a pastry brush to spread this all over the tops of the buns. Use the baking paper handles to remove the buns from their tin and place onto a cooling rack.

4. Enjoy them whilst still warm, cooled or toasted - or freeze them (see recipe notes). 

Nutritional Information

(per bun)

336 cals

4g fat, 67g carbs, 8g protein

Good to know:

• Bread flour has a slightly higher protein value which results in fluffier buns that keep a little longer, but you can just use regular plain flour.
  

• I use instant yeast (also called quick, easy, fast or rapid rise yeast). This can be used as it is and doesn't need to be ‘bloomed’ or activated first. I prefer buying them in single-use sachets as once the larger tubs are opened, the yeast deactivates within 2 months.
  

• Mixed Spice isn’t the same as All Spice. You can use extra ground cinnamon if you prefer.
  

• I use whole mix for a richer flavour and softer crumb but you can also use skimmed or semi-skimmed milk.
  

• You can use honey, marmalade, apricot jam or maple syrup to brush over the top. Maple syrup doesn’t need to be heated as it’s already a liquid consistency.

Swap-outs

• Swap the same quantity of sultanas with chocolate chips, toffee chunks, finely diced apples, chopped nuts or any dried fruits such as figs, apricots or dates.

• You can also use lemon zest instead of orange (goes really well with white chocolate).

• To make chocolate dough hot cross buns, use 620g bread/plain flour and 40g cocoa powder.
  

Equipment 

• Silicone mats are incredible if dough tends to stick to your worktop, even when floured, or you don’t have a smooth surface to work on. When kneading the dough, you want to use as little extra flour as possible to flour the surface, as it can throw the recipe ratios off and result in dry buns. Silicone mats are non-stick so only need a light sprinkling of flour and it also makes cleaning up a lot easier.
  

Storage 

• Once baked, these buns can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. They're best enjoyed on the day of baking but days after can be toasted or to keep them soft and fluffy, warm them up in an oven or a quick ping of the microwave.

• You can freeze unbaked hot cross buns once they’ve been shaped in their tray and before their second rise. Defrost overnight in the fridge before baking and let them sit at room temperature whilst you pre-heat the oven. 

• Freeze baked hot cross buns by wrapping them in cling film and storing them in an airtight container or bag for up to 3 months.