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British

Hot cross buns

Contains egg (no meat or fish)

Soft, spiced, fruit-studded British yeast buns marked with a flour-paste cross and glazed while warm, traditionally eaten around Easter.

Hot cross buns is a British bread from United Kingdom, ready in about 3 hours 10 minutes and made with bread flour, cinnamon and raisins. It serves 12 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Prep
35 min
Cook
20 min
Rest
2 h 15 min
Total
3 h 10 min
Serves
12
Level
Intermediate
Calories
301

Ingredients

12 buns

Crosses

Glaze

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Mix the flour, sugar (opens in a new tab), yeast, salt and spices. Add the warm milk (opens in a new tab), egg (opens in a new tab) and butter and knead 10 minutes (7 in a mixer) to a soft, smooth, elastic dough that passes the windowpane test.

    Hands kneading dough on a floured surface
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Knead in the dried fruit, peel and zest until evenly spread. Cover and rise 1–1½ hours until doubled — spiced, fruited dough is slower than plain.

    • 3 min

  3. Step 3

    Divide into 12 pieces (about 95 g) and roll into tight balls. Arrange 1 cm apart on a lined tray so they bake into a tear-and-share batch. Cover and proof 45–60 minutes until puffy and touching, and a poke springs back slowly.

  4. Step 4

    Heat the oven (opens in a new tab) to 200 °C (fan 180 °C). Mix the flour and water into a thick, smooth paste, spoon into a piping bag (opens in a new tab) and pipe a line along each row of buns in both directions to make the crosses.

  5. Step 5

    Bake 18–20 minutes until golden-brown; the centre of a middle bun should read about 90 °C.

  6. Step 6

    Warm the jam (opens in a new tab) with a splash of water and brush it over the buns as soon as they come out. Cool on a rack.

About this dish

Origin
United Kingdom · Well documentedAlso popular in Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, CanadaMore food from United Kingdom
Dish
Breakfast · Snack · Breads & flatbreads
Cooking method
Oven-baked, Fermented
Taste
sweet, aromatic / warmly spiced, fruity
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No nut ingredients
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · DASH-style
With the listed swaps: Ovo-vegetarian, Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Festive & celebration · Freezer-friendly · Child-friendly
Cook more with
Bread flour · Cinnamon · Raisins · Milk · Egg · Unsalted butter
Techniques
Baking · Kneading · Fermentation

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom milk, unsalted butter
  • Contains: Eggsfrom egg
  • Contains: Wheatfrom bread flour, all-purpose flour
  • Contains: Glutenfrom bread flour, all-purpose flour
  • May contain: Sulphitesfrom raisins, candied mixed peel

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

301 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 96 g · recipe makes 12

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 10%
  • Carbohydrate 74%
  • Fat 16%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g
Energy301 kcal314 kcal
Protein7.5 g7.8 g
Carbohydrate56.4 g58.9 g
Net carbohydrate54.2 g56.5 g
Sugars19.3 g20.2 g
Added sugars——
Fibre2.3 g2.4 g
Fat5.3 g5.6 g
Saturated fat2.8 g2.9 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol27 mg28 mg
Sodium252 mg263 mg
Salt equivalent0.6 g0.7 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
189 mg
Calcium
50 mg
Iron
2.5 mg
Magnesium
20 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
45 µg
Vitamin C
1 mg
Vitamin D
0.4 µg
Vitamin B12
0.1 µg
Folate (DFE)
153 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • Candied mixed peel: Generic candied fruit data used for candied citrus peel (orange, lemon, citron).
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Soak the dried fruit in hot water for 10 minutes and pat dry so it doesn't pull moisture from the dough.

Common mistakes

  • Adding the fruit before kneading — it tears the gluten and the buns rise poorly.

Serve with

  • Split, toasted and buttered.

Storage

  • Keep 2 days in an airtight tin; freeze for 2 months.

Reheating

  • Toast, or warm in a 160 °C oven for 5 minutes.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2

Baker’s notes

Customise in Bread & Bakery

Timeline and readiness cues

  1. Mix and knead · about 35 min

    Weigh everything. Knead until smooth and elastic: a small piece stretches thin enough to see light through (the windowpane test).

  2. First rise (bulk) · about 1 h 15 min

    About doubled, domed, jiggly, with bubbles on the sides. A floured finger poked in leaves a dent that fills slowly.

  3. Final proof · about 55 min

    Poke test: the dent springs back slowly and only partly. Springs back fast = needs longer; doesn't spring back = over-proofed, bake now.

  4. Bake · about 20 min at 200 °C

    Deep golden; bread sounds hollow when tapped underneath, or reads 93–96 °C inside (enriched breads 88–90 °C).

  5. Cool · about 20 min

    Cool on a rack before slicing — the crumb is still setting; cutting hot bread makes it gummy.

  6. Start to finish: about 3 h 25 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.

The dough

The dough in baker's percentages. Flour = 100%.
IngredientRoleWeightBaker’s %
All-purpose flourFlour60 g100%
WaterWater60 g100%
Total flour
60 g
Hydration
100%
With milk, eggs…
100%
Wholegrain
0%

Hydration = water ÷ flour × 100. Milk is about 87% water and eggs about 75%, so they’re shown separately as “with milk, eggs…”.

  • Wet dough (over 75%) — sticky; use wet hands and folds instead of kneading. Ciabatta, focaccia and open sourdough.

If something goes wrong

  • Dense, heavy loaf

    Likely causes

    • Under-kneaded (weak gluten)
    • Under-proofed
    • Old or dead yeast/starter
    • Too much wholegrain flour without extra water

    What to do

    • Knead to the windowpane stage
    • Proof by the poke test, not the clock
    • Test yeast in warm water with sugar; feed the starter and use it at its peak
    • Add 5–10% more water for wholegrain flours and give them a rest
  • Gummy or wet crumb

    Likely causes

    • Under-baked
    • Sliced while hot
    • Hydration too high for the flour

    What to do

    • Bake to 93–96 °C inside (cakes: clean skewer)
    • Cool completely on a rack before slicing
    • Reduce water by 3–5% or use a stronger flour
  • Spreads flat / no oven spring

    Likely causes

    • Over-proofed
    • Weak shaping (no surface tension)
    • Oven not hot enough
    • Too much water for the flour

    What to do

    • Shorten the proof; bake when the poke springs back slowly
    • Shape tightly so the skin is taut
    • Preheat fully (30+ minutes; with a stone or Dutch oven, 45)
    • Lower hydration or use bread flour
  • Collapsed or sunken middle

    Likely causes

    • Oven door opened too early
    • Too much leavening or sugar
    • Under-baked centre
    • Over-proofed yeast dough

    What to do

    • Don't open the oven for the first two-thirds of baking
    • Measure leaveners exactly with spoons, levelled
    • Test the centre before removing
    • Proof less
  • Pale crust

    Likely causes

    • Oven too cool
    • Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
    • Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)

    What to do

    • Check the oven with a thermometer
    • Brush with egg wash or milk
    • Shorten the fermentation
  • Burnt bottom

    Likely causes

    • Tray too close to the heat
    • Dark tray absorbs more heat
    • Too much sugar in the dough

    What to do

    • Bake on the middle shelf
    • Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
    • Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
  • Cracked or domed top

    Likely causes

    • Oven too hot (crust sets before the centre rises)
    • Too much leavening
    • Overmixed batter

    What to do

    • Lower the oven 10–15 °C
    • Use the exact leavening amount
    • Fold just until combined
  • Big holes or tunnels

    Likely causes

    • Overmixed batter (cakes, muffins)
    • Air trapped while shaping bread
    • Uneven proof

    What to do

    • Mix quick breads only until no dry flour shows
    • Degas gently and shape tightly
    • Proof covered in an even, warm place
  • Dough didn't rise

    Likely causes

    • Dead yeast (expired or killed by hot liquid)
    • Kitchen too cold
    • Salt in direct contact with fresh yeast
    • Starter not active

    What to do

    • Liquid should be lukewarm (no hotter than 40 °C)
    • Proof somewhere warm (an oven with just the light on)
    • Mix the salt into the flour, not onto the yeast
    • Feed the starter until it doubles in 4–8 hours
  • Over-proofed (sour smell, collapses when scored)

    Likely causes

    • Too warm
    • Too much yeast
    • Left too long

    What to do

    • Knock back, reshape and proof again briefly (yeast doughs)
    • Use less yeast or a cooler proof
    • Set a timer and check early with the poke test
  • Dry or crumbly

    Likely causes

    • Too much flour (scooped, not weighed)
    • Over-baked
    • Too little fat or sugar

    What to do

    • Weigh flour, or spoon it into the cup and level
    • Check 5 minutes early
    • Don't cut fat or sugar by more than a quarter without another moisture source

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