Hot Cross Buns

Ingredients

Tangzhong (Water Roux)

Make this first and cool before using. This is the secret to buns that stay soft for days instead of staling overnight.

• 25g (3 tbsp) bread flour
• 125g (½ cup) whole milk

Fruit Soak

Soaking the dried fruit before mixing plumps it up and prevents it from robbing moisture from the dough. Don't skip this step.

• 120g (¾ cup) dried currants (or raisins)
• 60g (¼ cup) candied orange peel, finely chopped
• 200g (¾ cup) hot black tea or fresh orange juice (for soaking)

The Dough

• 500g (4 cups) bread flour
• 150g (⅔ cup) whole milk, lukewarm (100°F / 38°C)
• 60g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
• 100g (2 large) (2 large) large eggs, room temperature
• 7g (2¼ tsp) instant yeast
• 60g (5 tbsp) granulated sugar
• 8g (1½ tsp) fine sea salt
• 5g (2 tsp) ground cinnamon
• 2g (¾ tsp) ground allspice
• 1g (¼ tsp) ground nutmeg
• 1g (¼ tsp) ground cardamom
• 6g (1 orange) orange zest
• all (all) tangzhong (all of it, from above)

Flour Paste Cross

This is the traditional method — piped on before baking, not after. It bakes into the bun and becomes part of the crust.

• 75g (⅔ cup) bread flour
• 75g (5 tbsp) water
• 5g (1 tsp) granulated sugar

Egg Wash

• 50g (1 large) (1 large) large egg, beaten
• 15g (1 tbsp) whole milk

Apricot-Orange Glaze

Brushed on hot from the oven. This is what gives traditional hot cross buns their shiny, sticky top.

• 80g (¼ cup) apricot jam or orange marmalade
• 30g (2 tbsp) water

Total flour: 525g

Hydration: 63%

Pro tip: Don't add more flour if the dough feels sticky. Enriched doughs with eggs and butter feel stickier than lean doughs. More flour means drier buns. Trust the process and let the mixer do the work.

Equipment

Method

Soak the Fruit

Dry fruit added straight to dough pulls moisture from the surrounding crumb, creating dry pockets. Soaking first lets the fruit carry its own moisture into the bake.

1. Soak. Combine the currants and candied orange peel in a bowl. Pour the hot tea or orange juice over them. Cover and let soak for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight. Drain thoroughly before using — you want the fruit plump but not wet.

Tip: Orange juice gives a brighter citrus note. Tea is more traditional and adds a subtle malty depth. Either works. Drain the fruit well before adding to the dough — a handful of wet raisins can add enough moisture to make the dough slack.

Make the Tangzhong

A tangzhong is a cooked flour-and-milk paste that gelatinizes the starch before it ever hits the dough. The result is buns that stay softer longer than any traditional enriched recipe.

1. Whisk. In a small saucepan, whisk together the bread flour and whole milk until completely smooth. No lumps.
2. Cook. Heat over medium-low, stirring constantly. The mixture will thicken in 3–4 minutes. You'll see lines forming in the pan as you stir — that's the starch gelatinizing. Pull it off the heat when it reaches 65°C (149°F) or looks like thick mashed potatoes.
3. Cool. Transfer to a small bowl and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface. Cool to room temperature before adding to the dough, about 30 minutes. You can make this up to 24 hours ahead — store in the fridge, covered.

Mix the Dough

Build the enriched dough with the tangzhong already in. The spices go in with the dry ingredients. Butter goes in last, after the gluten has started developing.

1. Combine dry ingredients. In the bowl of your stand mixer, whisk together the bread flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cardamom, and orange zest.
2. Add wet ingredients. Add the instant yeast, lukewarm milk, eggs, and all of the cooled tangzhong. Mix on low with the dough hook for 2–3 minutes until a shaggy dough forms.
3. Add the butter. With the mixer running on low, add the softened butter in small pieces. It'll look rough for a minute. That's normal. Give it time.
4. Knead. Increase to medium-low and knead for 8–10 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky but pulls away from the bowl. By hand: 12–14 minutes on a lightly floured surface. The dough is intentionally a little sticky. Don't add more flour.
5. Add the fruit. Add the drained fruit and mix on low for 2 minutes until evenly distributed throughout the dough. Don't overwork it here — you just want the fruit incorporated, not crushed.

Tip: Add the fruit last, after the gluten is fully developed. If you add it during kneading, the fruit tears the gluten network and you end up with dense buns. Two minutes on low after a full knead is all it takes.

First Rise

Let the dough double. The combination of enrichment and spices means this takes a little longer than a lean dough. Don't rush it.

1. Rise. Shape the dough into a ball, place in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature (75–78°F / 24–26°C) until doubled, about 1 to 1½ hours.

Wait: PT1H30M

Tip: A note on cinnamon: cinnamon's main flavor compound, cinnamaldehyde, has mild antifungal properties that slow yeast activity. It's subtle at this amount, but expect this dough to move a little slower than a plain enriched dough. Give it what it needs.

Divide and Shape

Twelve equal buns, shaped tight, placed just touching in the pan. Buns that touch during baking puff into each other and stay soft on the sides.

1. Divide. Punch down the dough and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Weigh the total dough and divide by 12. Each bun should be approximately 85–90g.
2. Shape each bun. Take a piece of dough and pull the edges toward the center, rotating as you go, to build tension. Flip seam-side down. Cup your hand over the dough and roll it in a tight circle against the surface until it forms a smooth, taut ball. Place seam-side down in the greased pan.
3. Arrange in the pan. Place the shaped buns in the 9×13 pan in a 3×4 grid, with about ½ inch of space between each bun. They'll grow into each other during the proof and bake — that pull-apart quality is part of the design.

Tip: Tight shaping matters here. A loosely shaped bun spreads flat instead of rising up. Take 30 extra seconds per bun to get good tension — it pays off in height and texture.

Final Proof and Flour Paste Cross

While the buns proof, make the traditional flour paste cross. This goes on before baking — not after. It bakes into the crust and becomes structural, not decorative.

1. Final proof. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let proof for 45–60 minutes until the buns are visibly puffed and touching their neighbors.
2. Preheat. About 20 minutes before the end of the proof, preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) with a rack in the center.
3. Make the flour paste cross. Whisk together the bread flour, water, and sugar until completely smooth with no lumps. The paste should be thick enough to hold its shape when piped but thin enough to flow through a small opening. Add water a teaspoon at a time if it's too thick to pipe.
4. Pipe the crosses. Spoon the paste into a piping bag or a zip-lock bag with a small corner snipped off. Pipe a continuous line across the entire row of buns, then rotate 90 degrees and pipe across the columns. One continuous motion per direction keeps the lines even. Pipe them slightly thinner than you want — they spread a little in the oven.
5. Egg wash. Brush the exposed dough (not the paste cross) lightly with the egg wash. The cross doesn't need egg wash — it bakes up pale cream against the golden bun, which is exactly the contrast you want.

Wait: PT50M

Bake and Glaze

Hot oven, short bake, glaze immediately on exit. The apricot glaze goes on hot so it melts into the surface and sets to that glossy, sticky finish you expect from a proper hot cross bun.

1. Bake. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 20–25 minutes until deep golden brown. The internal temperature should reach 190°F (88°C). The flour paste cross will be a pale cream-gold against the darker bun — that contrast is right.
2. Make the glaze. While the buns bake, combine the apricot jam (or orange marmalade) and water in a small saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring until the jam melts and the mixture is smooth and runny. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve if your jam has large pieces.
3. Glaze immediately. The moment the buns come out of the oven, brush the entire surface — buns and crosses — generously with the warm glaze. It will sizzle slightly and soak into the surface. This is correct. Let the buns cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes before pulling them apart.

Tip: Use orange marmalade for a stronger citrus note that plays off the orange zest in the dough. Apricot jam is more neutral and lets the spice flavors come forward. Both are correct. It's just a matter of what you want to land on top.

Bake

Hot oven, short bake. The pan of buns goes in at 400°F and comes out 20–25 minutes later deep golden with a cream-colored cross.

Oven: 200°C / 400°F. Internal temperature when done: 88°C / 190°F.

9×13 Pan (recommended)

Equipment: 9×13 inch baking pan, greased or lined with parchment

1. Preheat. 400°F (200°C), center rack.
2. Pipe cross. Flour paste cross before going in.
3. Egg wash. Brush exposed dough only — not the paste.
4. Bake. 20–25 minutes until deep golden and internal temp hits 190°F (88°C).
5. Glaze. Brush with warm apricot-orange glaze immediately on exit.

Storage

• Room temperature: 2–3 days in an airtight container or wrapped in foil. These stay softer longer than most enriched buns thanks to the tangzhong.
• Refrigerated: Up to 5 days. Reheat at 300°F (150°C) for 10 minutes, uncovered.
• Frozen: Up to 3 months. Cool completely, wrap tightly, freeze without glaze. Rewarm and reglaze.
• Refresh: Toast individual buns, or warm the whole pan at 300°F (150°C) for 10 minutes. Serve with butter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make these the night before?

Yes. After shaping and placing in the pan, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight (up to 15 hours). In the morning, take the pan out 45–60 minutes before baking and let it come to room temperature and finish proofing on the counter. Then pipe the cross and bake as directed. This is actually a great method — the overnight cold retard develops flavor in the dough.

My buns came out dense. What happened?

Four likely causes: First, underproofing — enriched doughs with spices need more rise time than plain doughs. Cinnamon contains cinnamaldehyde, a compound with mild antifungal properties that actively slows yeast activity. If you didn't give the dough extra time to compensate, the buns may not have risen enough before baking. Second, the dough was under-kneaded — gluten wasn't developed enough to hold the gas. Third, you added too much flour when the dough felt sticky. Enriched doughs are stickier than lean doughs by design. The butter and eggs need time to integrate and the gluten needs to build around them. Fourth, cold ingredients — cold eggs, cold milk, or cold butter slow fermentation significantly. Everything should be at room temperature before mixing. If the buns were dense, give the dough more time on the rise, knead longer, and trust the process.

Can I use different dried fruit?

Absolutely. Traditional recipes call for currants — small, tart, and less sweet than raisins — plus candied citrus peel. But dried cranberries, golden raisins, chopped dried apricots, or a mix all work. Soak whatever you use. The soaking step matters more than the specific fruit you choose.

My flour paste cross disappeared during baking. What went wrong?

The paste was too thin. It needs to be thick enough to hold its shape — like a stiff toothpaste. If it runs into the dough, add more flour to the paste. Also make sure the buns are properly proofed before piping. If they're still expanding rapidly when they hit the oven, the paste can crack and spread. Fully proofed buns hold the cross in place better.

Can I freeze these?

Yes. Bake and cool completely, then freeze without the glaze for up to 3 months. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then foil. Thaw at room temperature, warm at 300°F (150°C) for 10 minutes, then brush with fresh glaze. Or freeze the shaped, unbaked buns — after shaping, place the pan in the freezer until the buns are solid, then transfer to a bag. Thaw overnight in the fridge, proof at room temp for 1–2 hours, pipe the cross, and bake.

What's the difference between the flour paste cross and an icing cross?

The flour paste is the traditional method — piped before baking, it bonds to the crust and bakes up slightly chewy with a pale cream color. An icing cross is piped on after baking on cooled buns — it looks perfect right away but softens as the bun warms. Both are valid. The recipe uses the flour paste because it's the original technique and produces a cross that's part of the bread, not just decoration on top. If you prefer icing, skip the paste and pipe a thick confectioners' sugar glaze (1 cup powdered sugar + 1 tbsp milk + ½ tsp vanilla) on fully cooled buns.

Nutrition

Per serving (1 bun): 295 calories, 52g carbohydrates, 8g protein, 7g fat, 2g fiber, 260mg sodium. Makes 12 servings.