Hot Cross Buns

4.67 from 9 votes

A traditional hot cross buns recipe flavored with cinnamon and nutmeg, and filled with raisins and candied fruit. An old fashioned Easter recipe with meaning.

Prep Time30

Cook Time35

Rise Time1 30

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easter, spring

Servings:

Calories: 293kcal

Author: Julie Clark

Ingredients

For the rolls:

3 ½ cups all-purpose flour (divided)
⅓ cup white sugar
2 ¼ teaspoon quick rise yeast (1 packet)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¾ cup warm milk
4 tablespoon unsalted butter (melted)
2 large eggs
½ cup raisins
½ cup mixed candied fruit

For the crosses:

½ cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
¼ cup water (plus 1 tablespoon)

For the icing:

¼ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon milk

Instructions

In a medium bowl whisk together 1 cup of flour with the sugar, yeast, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. *Note: If you are not using quick rise yeast, read the back of your yeast packet to see how/when to add it to the dough.*
In a large bowl beat together the milk, butter and eggs.
Add the flour/yeast mixture to the milk mixture and beat well, about 3 minutes.
Stir in the candied fruit and raisins.
Gradually stir in the remaining flour to make soft dough.
Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 7 minutes, until dough is smooth.
Form the dough into a ball, cover and let rest for 15 minutes.
Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Set aside.
Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and divide it into 12 equal sized pieces.
Roll each piece into a ball and place it in the prepared baking dish.
Cover with a clean tea towel and let stand in a warm draft free area until doubled in size, about 1 ½ hours.
Preheat oven to 350º Fahrenheit.
In a small bowl mix together the water, flour and powdered sugar for the crosses. Put this mixture in a Ziploc bag, cut a corner off the bag and pipe a line down the length and width of the pan of buns to form crosses.
Bake for 30 - 35 minutes.
Mix together the powdered sugar and milk for the icing and brush it over the buns while they are hot from the oven.

Notes

The calories shown are based on the recipe making 12 rolls, with 1 serving being 1 roll. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information.**

Nutrition