Best Hot Cross Buns Recipe for Easter
Perfect Hot Cross buns are easy this Easter with my simple recipe. This recipe makes super soft, deliciously fluffy buns. The addition of a bit of milk and butter gives the buns a richer taste and texture. Best of all the whole house will smell delicious as the buns bake!
Our family always celebrates Easter with freshly made bread. We usually make hot cross buns, but in years past we have made brioche cooked with tye dye boiled eggs, Filipino Ensaymada and many other special Easter bread. I started this tradition because I wanted to make sure the kids had something in there stomachs before they launched in the chocolate Easter eggs.
I could have just given the kids cereal for breakfast, like any other morning… but then it would be special.
The recipe I’m sharing was printed in the recipe booklet which came with my breadmaker. The breadmaker is more than 20 years old so I’ve been making these hot cross buns for a long time. Over the years I’ve altered the recipe slightly and they always work out perfectly.
However, once I bought my Thermomix there was no need for the breadmaker. So I kept the hot cross bun recipe and adjusted it for the Thermomix and gave away the breadmaker.
If you would like to make the Bakers Delight style chocolate Easter Buns the recipe is easily adjusted.
Chocolate Hot Cross Buns Variation
Using the recipe above;
- omit the spices and substitute 2 teaspoons of dutch process cocoa powder.
- omit sultanas and add 200gm chocolate bits.
Iced Hot Cross Buns Variation
I also like to use icing sugar to make the cross on my hot cross buns instead of the traditional flour paste cross. If you want to add an icing cross you will still need to glaze the buns with the sugar glaze whilst they’re hot. Once the buns have cooled decorate with a thick white icing sugar cross.
Before you BAKE!
Would you like to eat these Hot Cross Buns fresh in the morning without all the work??
You can prepare the dough the night before and bake them in the morning.
Simply complete the method up to the point where the buns are doing their second proof in the baking tray.
Then;
- Spray some plastic film with oil and cover the Easter buns.
- Place them in the fridge.
- leave overnight
In the morning;
- Remove the hot cross buns from the fridge
- Allow them to come to room temperature
- Make your cross mixture and pipe the cross onto the buns.
- Preheat the oven.
To cook, bake as normal. Glaze and enjoy.
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There is nothing better than the aroma of hot cross buns baking.
- 200 g water warm tap water
- 2 tsp dried yeast
- 560 g bakers flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 70 g milk warm
- 2 tsp bread improver
- 70 g sugar
- 3 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 50 g butter at room temp
- 200 g sultanas
- 80 g water
- 80 g flour
- 40 g water
- 40 g sugar
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Place water, yeast, milk, butter and sugar in TM bowl. Combine 3 min/40 degrees/Speed 2.
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Add flour, salt, bread improver, cinnamon & nutmeg to TM bowl. Combine 40 sec/Speed 3.
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Scrape down the bowl if necessary. Knead 2 min/Dough
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Add the sultanas. Knead 50 sec/Dough.
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Remove the dough from the TM bowl and incorporate and lose sultanas by hand.
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Spray the Thermoserver with oil and place the dough in the covered Thermoserver to proof. (approx 30 minutes or until double in size)
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Once the dough has doubled in size remove the dough from the Thermoserver and place on an oiled bench.
Knead the dough by hand and divide into 12 equal buns.
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Line a tray with baking paper.
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Place the buns, side by side on the prepared baking tray leaving a small gap so that the buns will eventually touch as they proof.
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Place the baking tray in a warm place with a tea towel to cover.
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Pre-heat a fan forced oven heated to 170 degrees or a regular oven to 180.
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In a small bowl add the flour and water. Stir by hand until combined.
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Use a piping bag to draw a cross over the tops of the buns.
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Place the buns in the oven and cook for 25-35 minutes.
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Place the sugar and water in a microwave proof dish. Microwave 50 sec on high.
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Once the buns come out of the oven apply the hot glaze immediately to the top of the buns with a pastry brush.
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Allow the buns to cool.
Proofing the Dough
You should proof the dough until it has reached double the original size. Sometimes this is a quick process and sometimes it can take longer. The key variable is the outside temperature. Yeast is a living organism and it will not become active unless it is in a warm environment.
To speed up the proofing process, cover the dough and bowl with a tea towel and leave it in a sunny spot to proof. If it is a particularly cold day place the covered bowl in your car.
SECOND PROOFING
This is just as important as the first. Proof, allow the Easter Buns enough time to rise to the finished size before baking. They will not continue to rise in the oven. All the size happens in the second proofing.
Thanks for stopping by I hope you enjoy the recipe. If you make these Easter buns please pop back and let me know what you think. There’s even a star rating to can use to provide feedback for others!
I do love hot cross buns and had forgotten how much better they taste when home made. I’ll give these a try!
I dont think I’ve ever had hot cross buns but i will definitely need to! These look great.
Homemade these buns are always superb! I will be saving this for Easter dinner 🙂
Easter is definitely not the same without a fresh batch of homemade hot cross buns. Yours looks super lovely and comforting. 🙂
These buns look great and your tradition of making fresh bread for Easter is special. Something everybody will remember in the years to come. I will be putting these on my ‘to make’ list.
Just made them. One word YUMMMMM. My other half said best ever 😋😋. Wish I could load a pic.
That is so awesome!! I’m really pleased you like the recipe :)!! I wish you could load a pic too, I’d love to see them xx
Thanks so much for coming back and letting me know xx
Happy Easter
j
I just wanted to clarify. In step 4 we put in thermoserver to raise. Then when its raised we add saltanas and knead in. then step 6 do we let rise again to knock it down or is this the knocking down before adding saltanas??
Hi Linda
Yes, that is correct we add the sultana by hand and allow the dough to proof. Once the dough has proofed we knock it down again and then shape into rolls.
Happy Cooking
j
Have just made a dozen, absolutely delicious, so soft and especially yummy straight out of the oven
I did halve the spices as my elderly mother doesn’t like a lot and didn’t put the crosses on either (She doesn’t like those either)
5 stars for sure
Can you omit the bread improver from the recipe? If not what substitutes do you suggest?
You can, however bread improver gives it a fluffier, lighter texture when baked. You can substitute a teaspoon of vinegar which will give a similar result, although there will be a slight sourdough flavour. Thank you for commenting!
Just wondering if after the first rise they could go in the fridge overnight to be cooked the following morning?
Hi Barbara,
That’s a great question!!
The answer is absolutely, if you want fresh, hot buns Sunday morning, make the recipe as per normal. Once you have formed the buns and placed them in a baking tray they can go in the fridge.
Firstly spray plastic wrap with oil and cover the buns. This will prevent any chance of the buns sticking.
In the morning
Remove the buns from the fridge and allow them to come to room temp.
Preheat the oven.
Make your cross mixture.
Pipe the cross on the buns and then cook and glaze as normal 🌸
Thanks so much for asking this question!
Have you ever doubled this recipe?
Hi Natalie
You won’t fit double the recipe in the TM bowl. But if you just repeat making the dough you will find it only takes about 5 minutes longer to make a double batch.
Happy Cooking and have a lovely Easter
Julie
Hey! Any chance I can replace spices with cocoa and sultanas with choc chips? Any ideas on quantity to use and whether you think this would work?
Emily
Hi Emily
Thank you for your question.
Yes you could absolutely make those replacements. Swap the sultana for the same weight of chocolate chips. Remove the spices and then replace 1/4 cup of flour with the same weight of cocoa powder.
Let me know how you go.
Happy Easter
These buns are the best!!! So soft and light, beautiful! I tried a different recipe a few days ago and they were dry and crumbly. Will only use this one from now on!