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Hot Cross Buns

Light and fluffy Hot Cross Buns for Easter.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time46 minutes
Servings: 12 buns

Ingredients

For the bun

  • 300 ml full-fat milk plus 2 tbsp. more
  • 50 g Butter
  • 500 g strong bread flour
  • 1 tsp. Salt
  • 75 g caster sugar
  • 75 g sultanas
  • 50 g mixed peel
  • 1 apple peeled, cored and finely chopped
  • 1 orange zest
  • 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. mixed spice
  • 7 g fast-action or easy-blend yeast
  • 1 egg beaten

For the cross

  • 75 g Plain Flour plus extra for dusting

For the glaze

  • 3 tbsp. runny hunny

Instructions

  • Bring the milk to the boil, then remove from the heat and add the butter. Leave to cool until it reaches hand temperature. Put the flour, salt, sugar, fruit, zest, spices and yeast into your bread maker. Pour in the warm milk and butter mixture, and then add the egg. Turn your machine on to dough and allow it to do its magic. This took an hour and a half for my machine.
  • Divide the dough into 12 even pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth ball on a lightly floured work surface. Arrange the buns on one or two baking trays lightly greased and dusted with flour, leaving enough space for the dough to expand. Cover (but don’t wrap) with more oiled cling film, or a clean tea towel, then set aside to prove for 1 hour more.
  • Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Mix the flour with about 5 tbsp. water to make the paste for the cross – add the water 1 tbsp. at a time, so you add just enough for a thick paste. Spoon into a piping bag with a small nozzle. Pipe a line along each row of buns, then repeat in the other direction to create crosses. Bake for 20 minutes on the middle shelf of the oven, until golden brown.
  • Gently squeeze over some of the runny hunny and use a pastry brush to brush it over all of your hot cross buns.