Hot Cross Buns Recipe

Hot Cross Buns are the perfect addition to your Easter celebration. They are soft and tender, lightly spiced with cinnamon, lemon, orange and filled with sweet craisins.

Course Bread/Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Rising Time 2 30

Total Time 40

Servings servings

Calories 243kcal

Author Leigh Anne Wilkes

Equipment

Ingredients

3/4 cup milk warmed to 110 degrees F
1 Tbsp active dry yeast
3 Tbsp butter softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1 egg white
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp orange zest
3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup craisins
1 egg yolk
2 Tbsp water

Frosting

1 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp orange juice
2 tsp milk
1/2 tsp lemon zest

Instructions

Place yeast into warmed milk and allow to proof, about 5 minutes.
In your stand mixer, mix together butter, sugar, slat, egg, egg white, lemon zest, orange zest, cinnamon and flour.
Add in yeast mixture, mix and knead for about 5 minutes until dough is soft.
Place in a greased bowl and allow to rise until double, 40-60 minutes.
Punch down dough and place on a floured surface. Divide into twelve balls.
Place dough onto a greased baking sheet and cover. Allow to rise until rolls are doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
Mix together egg yolk and and water and brush over the top of rolls. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 20 minutes or until rolls are cooked through and golden brown.
Allow rolls to cool and then add crosses with frosting.
Mix together the powdered sugar, milk, orange juice, and lemon zest until you have a nice piping consistency. Place frosting into a zip lock bag and clip off a corner of bag. Pipe crosses onto rolls.

Notes

1. If you like, you can add in additional spices such as nutmeg, cardamom, allspice.I would recommend using 1/2 tsp of cardamon and or allspice and 1/4 tsp of ground cloves and/or nutmeg.

1. Instead of using frosting on the top to make the cross you could also mix together a paste of flour and water and pipe that onto the bun BEFORE baking. You can also use a sharp knife to cut a fairly deep cross into the top of the buns before you put them into the oven. The buns will be a bit flatter but no icing or piping is involved.
2. To soften up the craisins, you can soak them in a cup of hot water for 10 minutes and then drain them and add them to the dough.

Nutrition