Soft, lightly spiced sweet buns with raisins and orange zest, marked with a white cross and glazed. The traditional Easter and Good Friday bun; makes 12.
Hot cross buns are a Good Friday and Easter tradition: soft, spiced yeast buns studded with raisins and topped with a simple flour-paste or icing cross.
A sticky glaze brushed on while warm gives them their shine.
Ingredients
Dough
1 cup warm milk (about 110°F)
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 packet) instant yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
4 tablespoons butter, softened
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon orange zest
3/4 cup raisins or currants
Cross and glaze
1/3 cup all-purpose flour mixed with 3 to 4 tablespoons water, for the crosses
2 tablespoons apricot jam warmed with 1 tablespoon water, for glazing
Instructions
Make the dough. Mix the milk, yeast and sugar, then the egg and butter. Add the flour, salt, spices and zest and knead 8 minutes, until smooth. Knead in the raisins.
First rise. Cover and let rise 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until doubled.
Shape. Divide into 12 balls and set in a parchment-lined 9 x 13-inch pan. Cover and let rise 45 minutes. Heat the oven to 375°F.
Cross. Pipe a cross of the flour paste over each bun.
Bake and glaze. Bake 18 to 22 minutes, until golden and 190°F inside. Brush with the warm apricot glaze.
Tips
To freeze: let it cool, wrap it well or seal it in freezer bags, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, or warm briefly in the oven.
Prefer an icing cross? Skip the flour paste and pipe powdered sugar icing on the cooled buns.
Best the day they are made; split and toast leftovers with butter.
Questions about this recipe
Why are they called hot cross buns?
For the cross on top and because they were traditionally eaten warm on Good Friday.
