Fluffy, fragrant, homemade Hot Cross Buns recipe! With a how-to video and some cheeky but effective tips, I think you’ll be amazed how easy it is to make hot cross buns. BONUS: a no-knead version – the world’s easiest hot cross buns recipe!
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Hot Cross Buns
Big, fluffy, fragrant Hot Cross Buns just like what you get from your favourite bakery are easier to make than you think. Especially if you have a stand mixer or food processor. Homemade Hot Cross Buns become a dump-and-mix job to make the dough. Definitely my preferred method!
But – I know the idea of making a recipe involving yeast can make some people hesitate if it’s not something you ordinarily do. I get it. I used to be you.
But here’s the thing about homemade Hot Cross Buns. The ones you buy from regular grocery stores will never, ever taste as good because you can’t retain the freshness of the spices in Hot Cross Buns. Plus, the more economical ones have a distinct artificial flavour in them from the preservatives.
Once you’ve tried homemade, it’s hard to go back!! (BONUS: Make the dough today, bake them fresh tomorrow.)
What you need for Hot Cross Buns
Here’s what goes into homemade Hot Cross Buns. You can make this recipe with any type of yeast – rapid rise, instant, active dry or even fresh yeast. Directions have been provided for all.
Different types of yeast – use any
There are 3 different types of yeast and you can use any of these to make Hot Cross Buns:
active dry / dry yeast – yeast in powder form that is best used after dissolving in warm liquid then left to get foamy before mixing in dry ingredients (like for Bread Rolls)
instant yeast / rapid rise yeast (used in this recipe) – this yeast makes the dough rise faster and does not need to be dissolved in liquid first, just mix everything at the same time;
fresh yeast – comes in block form, just crumble and dissolve in liquid.
Hot Cross Buns – Choose from 3 Methods
In this Hot Cross Buns recipe, I’m going to give you three different ways to make the dough:
stand mixer – easiest, my default way (or food processor with dough blade);
kneading by hand – takes 10 minutes, and requires decent arm strength; or
simple no knead version – all you need is a bowl, wooden spoon and 1 minute of easy stirring. The easiest method of all, this will make buns that are ever so slightly less fluffy and do not keep quite as well. But it is a small compromise for the effort you will save!
Method #1 and #2 is recommended for best results, #3 is the easiest.
How to make Hot Cross Buns
PART 1 – THE DOUGH
This is an easy method where you simple put all the dough ingredients in a bowl, then mix on speed 2 for 5 minutes OR knead by hand for about 10 minutes.
Your dough is ready when it is smooth and elastic – see #4 below for a Before and After Kneading comparison.
PART 2 – RISE
Once the dough is smooth, place it in a bowl, cover with cling wrap* then leave it in a warm place until it doubles in size. This takes me 1.5 hours in a warm ~25°C/77°F location. My no-fail place is the dryer! Run it (empty) for 3 minutes, then turn it off and put the bowl inside. Warm and wind free – perfect dough rising conditions!
* I know cling wrap isn’t an environmentally option, but it really is the most effective and safest. Wet towel gets cold which can compromise the dough rising, a plate or pot lid doesn’t seal enough to trap warmth and humidity.
PART 3 – FORM BALLS
To form the balls that bake into smooth round Hot Cross Buns, I find the best method is as follows:
Shape dough into log, cut into 12 pieces;
Take a piece, then bundle it up like a moneybag – this will stretch one side into a smooth round dome; and
roll/press/shape into a neat ball, the place the ball into the baking pan smooth side up.
PART 4 – Rise #2
Spray cling wrap with oil, then loosely drape over the buns. Leave for 40 minutes until they almost double in size – about 75% is enough.
PART 5 – HOW TO MAKE THE CROSSES for Hot Cross Buns
Simple mix of water and flour, the trick is ensuring it is the right consistency. Too thin, and it will run everywhere when it’s in the oven. Too thick, and you end up with crispy, hard sprigs on the surface of your soft buns!
PART 6 – BAKE!
Bake for 22 minutes or until the buns are a deep golden brown. I find that colour is the best indicator for this recipe. Pale = undercooked. Burnt = 😩
PART 7 – GLOSS!
The lovely shiny finish on Hot Cross Buns is simply a mix of heated apricot jam and a touch of water. Just microwave to heat, mix until smooth then lightly brush onto the surface.
Substitute with other jams, or honey, maple syrup, golden syrup or other shiny syrups.
Tips for the BEST Hot Cross Buns!
CHECK YOUR YEAST expiry date – The #1 problem because most people don’t bake with yeast very often, and yeast does go off! If your yeast is past its expiry date OR you’ve kept it in hot humid conditions (instead of fridge or freezer), your dough will not rise.
How to test your yeast is still alive – in tiny bowl, mix 2 tbsp very warm tap water with pinch of sugar and 1/4 tsp yeast. Leave in very warm place for 5 – 10 min. If surface gets foamy like the below, your yeast is alive and fine to use.
Dough consistency is key. The stickier the dough, the softer and more moist your buns will be because soft dough = easier rise. So you need to use the minimum amount of flour you can get away with so the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl when mixing, but is still soft.
Too much flour = dry hard dough = no rise = buns as hard as rocks
Start with less flour – it’s easier to add more flour to get the right dough consistency, rather than trying to salvage dough that’s too dry by mixing in more liquid. So this recipe starts with 4 1/4 cups of flour which should be a touch under what you actually need, then calls for adding up to 1/4 cup Extra Flour so it’s not too sticky;
Humidity, weather and flour brand all affect the exact amount of flour you need. I use the full Extra 1/4 cup flour in summer (hot, humid, warmer dough = stickier & softer)) and I often do not add any Extra flour in winter (cold = dough cools faster = less sticky).
Smooth dough – see above and in the short recipe video below for a before/after kneading comparison of how the dough should look. If you don’t knead enough, your buns will not be soft and fluffy!
No stand mixer and can’t be bothered to hand knead? Use the No Knead Hot Cross Buns method provided! Read more about it below.
No yeast? Sorry, this recipe won’t work without yeast!
Don’t skip cooling the buns – I know, I know, you want to rip into these buns when they’re fresh out of the oven. But don’t! If you do, they will seem doughy inside. They look cooked, but have a doughy texture when you bite into it. They need 20 minutes to finish cooking / dry out the inside.
Ultra-easy option: No-knead Hot Cross Buns
This is the easiest way to make Hot Cross Buns, and I’ve provided it as an extra recipe at the very bottom of this post.
No-knead Hot Cross Buns are exactly as the name says – Hot Cross Buns that are made without kneading the dough, based on the reader favourite no-knead bread rolls recipe. The dough mixture is looser, almost like a thick muffin batter, that you mix with a wooden spoon, then leave it to rise and proceed with the same steps as above.
The end result is marginally different to the kneaded version. The buns rise a touch less, and they do not keep as well – they are a bit drier the next day.
I say that do not rise quite as much, but they’re still super soft and fluffy. See?
There are very few things in this world that can rival the smell of freshly baked homemade Hot Cross Buns, fresh out of the oven.
It’s a smell we only get to enjoy once a year, around Easter. So let’s make the most of it! – Nagi xx
Watch how to make it
Hot Cross Buns recipe video! NOTE: This is for the classic kneaded Hot Cross Buns, not the No Knead version. For the No Knead Hot Cross buns, see recipe intro for links to relevant video.
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Hot Cross Buns recipe
Ingredients
Buns:
- 3 teaspoons instant or rapid rise yeast (9 grams) , Note 1, CHECK still active!
- 1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 1 1/2 cups (375ml) milk, warm , full fat or low fat (Note 2)
- 4 1/4 cups (640g) bread flour (or plain / all purpose) (Note 3)
- 2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 2 tsp All Spice OR Mixed Spice (Note 4)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups (210g) sultanas (Note 4)
- 1 – 2 oranges, zest only (Note 4)
- 50g / 3.5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 egg , at room temperature
Extra Flour for dough
- 1/4 cup (35g) Extra bread flour
Crosses:
- 1/2 cup (75g) flour (any white flour)
- 5 tbsp water
Glaze:
- 1 tbsp apricot jam (Note 7)
- 2 tsp water
Instructions
- Mix dry – Place flour, yeast, sugar, all spice, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Briefly mix with stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
- Add wet – Add butter, milk, egg, sultanas and zest.
- Standmixer: Mix for 5 minutes until a smooth elastic dough forms. Start on speed 2 then once the ingredients are combined, increase to speed 4. After 1 minute, add extra flour if required, just enough so dough comes away from side of bowl when mixing and doesn't stick terribly to your fingers. (Note 5).
- Hand kneading: Alternatively, dust a work surface with flour and knead by hand for 10 minutes.
- Dough is kneaded enough when it's smooth and does not break when stretched – see photos & video for before/after comparison.
Rise #1:
- Leave dough in the bowl, cover with cling wrap and place in a warm, wind free place to rise until doubled in size. This will take anywhere between 30 minutes to 1 1/2 hours depending on how warm it is – see Note 6.
Forming Balls (watch video, it’s helpful):
- Line a 31.5 x 23.5 cm / 9 x 13″ tray with baking paper with overhang.
- Remove cling wrap and punch dough to deflate.
- Dust work surface with flour, place dough on work surface, shape into a log – this will deflate the air. Cut into 12 equal pieces.
- Take one piece and press down with palm, then use your fingers to gather into a ball, then roll the dough briefly to form a ball. This stretches the dough on one side and that’s how I get a nice smooth surface.
- Place the ball with the smooth side up on the tray. Repeat with remaining dough. Line them up 3 x 4.
Rise # 2:
- Spray a piece of cling wrap lightly with oil (any), then loosely place over the tray.
- Return tray to warm place and leaver 30 – 45 minutes, until the dough has risen by about 75% (less than double in size).
- Partway through Rise #2, preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (all oven types).
Crosses:
- Mix flour and water until a thick runny paste forms – see video for thickness required.
- Spoon into a round 3 mm piping bag or small ziplock bag then snip corner.
- Remove the cling wrap and pipe crosses onto the buns. Go slow so it hugs the curves.
Baking/Glaze:
- Bake in preheated oven (180°C/350°F) for 22 minutes, or until the surface is a deep golden brown. The surface colour is the best test for this recipe.
- Meanwhile, place jam and water in a bowl, microwave for 30 seconds. Mix to combine.
- Remove buns from oven. Use overhang to lift buns onto a cooling rack.
- Brush with jam mixture while warm. Allow to cool to warm before serving.
Recipe Notes:
- mix yeast, 2 teaspoons of the sugar and all the warm milk in the bowl, then leave 5 – 10 minutes until surface gets foamy;
- add all the other ingredients (including remaining sugar minus the 2 tsp used above), then mix/knead per recipe; and
- proceed with recipe as written.
- Spices – All Spice is my default, but I also use Mixed Spice too and no one would ever know the difference. Sub with: 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp each cloves and nutmeg
- Sultanas: Some recipes say to add sultanas after the dough has been kneaded or risen. If you do this, you’ll find it very hard to disperse them evenly throughout the dough. By adding them before kneading, some do get squished. But it’s not noticeable in the end result.
- Orange – use 2 oranges if you want a more prominent orange flavour, or switch for 1/2 cup candied citrus peel.
- Choc chips! Use 2 cups instead of the sultanas (any more and you end up with quite a gooey melted chocolate centre!)
- Make today, bake tomorrow – Do Rise #1 then follow steps to form the balls per the recipe and place in tray, ready to do Rise #2. Except put it in the fridge instead. Leave overnight. Then remove from fridge and put it in a very warm place. Once the fridge chill is gone and the dough is back at room temperature, it will then start the Rise #2 as per the recipe. It takes 2.5 – 3.5 hrs to finish Rise #2 after taking it out of the fridge. Then bake per recipe! (Bonus: They are even tastier if you make ahead because the dough develops flavour overnight!)
- Best served on day it’s baked: As with all homemade bread, it is best served on the day it’s baked. Stays fresher and softer if you use bread flour.
- For the day after, reheating makes all the difference to make them soft and moist again – 15 sec in the microwave! These freeze great, then just defrost. To reheat batches, I pop them on a tray and cover with foil (to avoid the surface getting too crisp), then reheat at 160C/320F for 8 minutes or so.
Nutrition Information:
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NO-KNEAD Hot Cross Buns (so effortless!)
Ingredients
Buns:
- 1 tablespoon dry yeast – any type (active dry, rapid rise, instant) (Note 1)
- 1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar (superfine sugar), or sub with normal white sugar
- 1/2cup (125 ml) warm water (Note 2)
- 1 cup (250 ml) milk, lukewarm, whole or low fat, (Note 2)
- 4 cups (600g) bread flour + extra for dusting (Note 3)
- 2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 2 tsp All Spice OR Mixed Spice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 – 2 oranges , zest only (Note 4)
- 1 1/2 cups (210g) sultanas (Note 4)
- 50g/ 3.5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten with fork
Crosses:
- 1/2 cup flour, any white flour
- 5 tbsp water
Glaze:
- 1 tbsp apricot jam
- 2 tsp water
Instructions
- Place the yeast and 2 teaspoons of the sugar in a medium bowl, then pour in water. Leave for 5 minutes until it froths.
- Place flour, remaining sugar, salt and spices in a bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Make a well in the centre. Add remaining Buns ingredients and pour in the yeast liquid, including all froth.
- Mix until combined with wooden spoon – it will be like a thick muffin batter. Not pourable, but thick and sticky.
Rise #1:
- Leave dough in the bowl, cover with a wet (clean) tea towel and place in a warm place to rise for around 1 1/2 – 2 hours. See Note 5 for how I do this (you will laugh – but it works every time!). The dough will triple in size and be bubbly on the surface.
Forming Balls (watch video, it’s helpful):
- Line a 31.5 x 23.5 cm / 9 x 13″ tray with baking paper with overhang.
- Remove tea towel and punch dough to deflate.
- Dust work surface with flour, place dough on work surface. Dust top of dough then knead lightly (to deflating air) and shape into a log. Cut into 12 equal pieces.
- Take one piece and press down with palm, then use your fingers to gather into a ball, then roll the dough briefly to form a ball. This stretches the dough on one side and that’s how I get a nice smooth surface.
- Place the ball with the smooth side up on the tray. Repeat with remaining dough. Line them up 3 x 4.
Rise # 2:
- Spray a piece of cling wrap lightly with oil (any), then place over the tray.
- Return tray to warm place and leave for 45 min – 1 hour, until the dough has risen by about 75% (less than double in size).
- Partway through Rise #2, preheat oven to 180C/350F (all oven types).
Crosses:
- Mix flour and water until a runny paste forms – see video for thickness required.
- Spoon into a round 3 mm piping bag or small ziplock bag then snip corner.
- Remove the cling wrap and pipe crosses onto the buns. Go slow so it hugs the curves.
Baking/Glaze:
- Bake for 22 minutes, or until the surface is a deep golden brown. The surface colour is the best test for this recipe.
- Meanwhile, place jam and water in a bowl, microwave for 30 seconds. Mix to combine.
- Remove buns from oven. Brush with jam mixture while warm.
- Use overhang to lift buns onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool to warm before serving.
Recipe Notes:
- Spices – All Spice is my default, but I also use Mixed Spice too and no one would ever know the difference. Sub with: 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp each cloves and nutmeg
- Sultanas: Some recipes say to add sultanas after the dough has been kneaded or risen. If you do this, you’ll find it very hard to disperse them evenly throughout the dough. By adding them before kneading, some do get squished. But it’s not noticeable in the end result.
- Orange – use 2 oranges if you want a more prominent orange flavour, or switch for 1/2 cup candied citrus peel.
Nutrition Information:
Originally published March 2017, updated April 2020 with a brand new video and new process steps.
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Don’t worry! It’s a dog friendly Easter egg!!
Radka says
Thanks Nagi. Another fab recipe! The whole family enjoyed them so much that we certainly will not be waiting until the next Easter to make them again!!!
Elle says
I had to look up sultana being from the U.S.! But it did look like raisins : ) Delicious looking recipe for easter!
Carmel Minto says
Thank you. These looked great, easy to make & were very tasty too. I think I made an error with the crosses though as they were a bit tough/hard.
Ritah says
The no knead method recipe is a keeper. So delicious
Dave Firth says
Hi Nagi, thanks for this wonderful recipe. I have made these Hot Cross Buns about 15 times already and they are my families best. On the odd occasion as we live at high altitude the buns looks perfectly baked on top but sometimes the bottoms are a bit doughy and that is leaving them in the oven for 30 minutes instead of 25 minutes. Is there something else I can do to prevent this from happening????
Dave says
Hi Nagi, thanks for this wonderful recipe. I have made these Hot Cross Buns about 15 times already and they are my families best. On the odd occasion as we live at high altitude the buns looks perfectly baked on top but sometimes the bottoms are a bit doughy and that is leaving them in the oven for 30 minutes instead of 25 minutes. Is there something else I can do to prevent this from happening????
Gypsy says
G’day Nagi.
My 8yo G’son & I made these today – minus the crosses as Easter is over.
I can honestly say, these are THE best hot cross/fruit buns we’ve EVER made. So easy to make even if you’re a lousy baker like I am.
We’re going to try different flavours (apple & cinnamon, raspberry & white chocolate) next time but this “base” recipe can be used for Boston buns, fruit plaits etc. Thank you once again for yet another brilliant recipe, so beautifully explained.
Hooroo!
Gypsy
Nagi says
Wahoo! That’s awesome Gypsy!! N x
Ali says
This recipe is delicious! Unfortunately, we live at high altitude and mine don’t ever turn out as light and fluffy as they should. Is there a trick to combating them being dense due to the elevation?
Nagi says
Hi Ali, I’m not sure to be honest as I don’t have a lot of knowledge (nor can I practice at high altitude) – something I need to look into though! N x
Angie says
I made the no knead recipe and they turned out amazing. I didn’t really have anywhere warm to rise them but luckily it was a sunny day so followed the sun around from window to window!! The dough rose by about half so I was concerned they would be too small and hard. After forming into rolls into the baking pan, I covered in the clingfilm and put in the fridge overnight. I woke at about 5.30am for my usual bathroom break (tmi,😂😂😂) so took them out of the fridge and to my surprise they had risen. I left to rise some more at room temperature and baked them at 9am. They were soft, moist and fluffy. My husband said he could have eaten them all!!!! Thank you. Never made them before and ended up looking like a pro,,,😋😉
Tamsin Richter says
I have tried at least 4 recipes previously, and this one is by far the best. So much better than bought. And on the second day I toast them or put them in the microwave for 10 seconds. I like mine spicy so I added 3 tsp cinnamon 1/2 cloves and 1/2 nutmeg. Delicious 😋
Tamara says
Prepped these last night and baked this morning. They turned out tasty, but the center was really doughy. After checking the recipe, I realized I had put in too much yeast, which is probably why the centers were doughy. Also, I couldn’t find my dough hook, but used the paddle instead, and then stirred the dough a few times. The dryer tip for rising was great. I will these again, but with the proper amount of yeast. I appreciate you come straight to the point of baking/cooking in the post, along with plenty of videos and visuals. It is so nice NOT to have read through someones life story or musing on bread in order to reach the recipe. Thank You.
Sherie Dracup says
Darn, forgot to star my previous comment
Louise says
This is a fab recipe. I made it for the first time with my daughter and the results were fab. They looked amazing. It didn’t seems quite right to leave the 2nd prove overnight so after much deliberation I made the dough yesterday and left it for its first prove overnight in the fridge. This morning I knocked it back, shaped it and then after I gave them their second prove for about an hour to give a little more time for the dough to warn back up. It worked brilliantly. I served them today to family visiting in the garden and my sister in law said they were the best she’d ever eaten! Thanks
Sherie Dracup says
Hi Nagi, I made these buns, and they were awesome. I was surprised as first I tried to knead in my food processor, but the dough just stuck to the blade and wasn’t being kneaded, because it was too wet, so I took it out. It was so sticky, so I added more flour as I continued to knead by hand. Ended up adding about 2 TBSP, until it was still sticky but did no longer stick to my fingers. I was worried I would ruin them, but the dough ended up looking like your video, so I carried on, and OMG, so good. My husband loved them. So lesson learned. Will use my mixer dough hooks next time. Happy Easter!!
Julie says
These turned out perfectly! Thank you for all the detailed instructions – they were very well written, useful and easy to follow Thanks Nagi, this one is a keeper!
Rose says
Thank you for this recipe! They were wonderful, and turned out so much better than my last attempt at hot cross buns. I was so excited to find you have a recipe for hot cross buns, as your recipes are always so reliable, and this one was no exception! As an Aussie married to a Yank and living in the US, I also appreciate all your suggestions for recipe modifications for ingredients that we can actually buy here.
Elssa Voo says
Thank you Nagy, please help!
I scrolled down and followed the recipe, which states to use 1 egg. The dough has been rising for 20 mins now….and I scrolled ahead and see that your 2nd copy says to use TWO eggs! Can you please clarify if it’s one or two eggs?
Carmel Minto says
There are different recipes depending on method & yeast used. I used the one egg one and it worked really well. I did read on one comment that someone mixed up slightly & the buns were still a success tho 👍🏼X
Carmel Minto says
Thank you. These looked great, easy to make & were very tasty too. I think I made an error with the crosses though as they were a bit tough/hard.
Kaykay says
This is such a great recipe. Since moving to the USA, I’ve been trying different hot cross bun recipes from the great British Chefs. None of them have come close to this one. It’s also really forgiving. I made a few mistakes because I was rushing. I did 1 egg instead of two, used active yeast and mixed it with dry ingredients (not realizing it’s different to instant yeast) and I forgot the sugar! I took a chance and added sugar when rolling out the dough and before making the rounds. They still came out light and fluffy and delicious. Thanks so much, Nagi
Collette Brown says
They’re Brilliant much better than bought ones! High praise from my Aussie husband we live in Sweden where HCB are no where to be found so thanks for a super recipe! A Saffa and an Aussie living in Sweden
Jen says
I never liked hot cross buns very much until I tried your recipe! So yummy, & great texture. I used choc chips, and should have waited to mix them in until after first rise… they got melty and made shaping kind of messy. But tastes great. Thanks!
Bronwyn says
Made these tonight and they have received rave reviews from everyone, including the 6 year old. I found the dough too sticky to knead by hand (and we don’t have a standing mixer) so I put it into the breadmaker on a knead setting for 10 minutes and that worked like a charm. Thank you!