These traditional style classic Hot Cross Buns are perfectly spiced and filled with fruit. They are easy to make and have a vanilla bean pastry cream cross in place of the traditional flour and water cross for a super simple but delicious twist on the classic.
Table of contents
- Hot Cross Buns with Custard Cross
- Components of Hot Cross Buns
- How to make Hot Cross Buns
- What fruit is best to use for Hot Cross Buns?
- Crosses on Hot Cross Buns
- How to make pastry cream
- Can Hot Cross Buns be made ahead of time?
- How to store Hot Cross Buns
- A note on high grade flour / bread flour
- FAQ for Hot Cross Buns
- Recipe for Hot Cross Buns
Hot Cross Buns with Custard Cross
Hi hi - just popping in to re-share this recipe for classic Hot Cross Buns with you. these are a Classic Hot Cross Bun - spiced dough, filled with fruit, and finished off with a pastry cream cross, which isn't technically a classic but is super, super good. The pastry cream cross is inspired by a restaurant in NZ called Ima who make the most incredible looking HCB every year - obviously I am a little far away so I had to make do with my own!
I re-made my recipe from 2019 and just updated the recipe a wee bit. I switched half the flour to Bread flour which provides a little more structure, and I also increased the milk and butter content in the dough by just a little. The recipe for pastry cream made way too much, so I've reduced it by half (although feel free to double as you can never have to much pastry cream!)
I have a couple of Hot Cross Bun recipes on my website now - these are the classic 'traditional' style hot cross buns. There is also a chocolate hot cross bun recipe, an apple and salted caramel hot cross bun, and a Tangzhong based dough that makes up the base of my Soft Hot Cross Buns.
Components of Hot Cross Buns
These classic Hot Cross buns have a few components, but they can be prepared ahead or the workload broken up with an overnight rise.
- Soaked Fruit. Soaking the fruit means that it keeps a nice shape in the hot cross bun, and as it is already hydrated, it will not dry out your dough.
- Hot Cross Bun Dough. My hot cross bun dough is super simple - it is enriched with butter, and filled with warming spices. I make mine in my stand mixer, but you could also make them by hand.
- Pastry cream cross. This is the special touch to these Hot Cross Buns - a super smooth custard cross. This is an optional step - feel free to also give them a regular cross before putting them into the oven.
- Sugar Syrup. The sugar syrup for hot cross buns goes on after the buns have come out of the oven - it gives them a delicious shine. You could also use watered down apricot jam for your hot cross bun glaze.
How to make Hot Cross Buns
These Hot Cross Buns are super easy to make, and just have a few extra steps to make them extra delicious. Here's the order that I do things in:
- Soak your fruit - The fruit goes into some strongly brewed Earl Grey Tea (see FAQ for other options) and is left to soak for half an hour to hydrate.
- Make the pastry cream - I do this while the fruit is soaking, then place it directly into the piping bag with a clip above the tip and another on the end of the bag, and leave it to cool in the piping bag, in the fridge. Alternatively you could pop it into an airtight container with some plastic pressed against the surface to cool.
- Make the dough - This step uses the stand mixer although you could do it by hand too. Bring the dough together and mix until smooth, then add the butter in a little at a time until you have a lovely smooth dough.
- Add the fruit - The fruit gets added in by hand - I find this is the best way to ensure it doesn't get squished.
- First rise - Leave the dough to rise at room temperature until doubled in size.
- Shape the Hot Cross Buns - The hot cross buns are shaped the same way as you would shape a bread roll. Tuck them into a pan and leave them to rise again until puffy.
- Score and bake - The key to getting the pastry cream cross on these is to score the buns before they go in the oven. The dough opens up and gives you a 'trench' to pipe the pastry cream into.
- Add the crosses - Add the pastry cream cross after 20 minutes in the oven, then return until done, another 10-15 minutes.
- Glaze and enjoy - Brush the buns with a syrup as soon as they come out of the oven, then leave to cool and enjoy!
What fruit is best to use for Hot Cross Buns?
You can use whatever fruit you like in your Hot Cross Buns. I often just use sultanas or raisins and then some currants, but you can mix and match as you like with things like dried cranberries or dates. Some recipes use mixed peel, but I do not like the bitterness of it so I tend to leave it out.
Crosses on Hot Cross Buns
These classic hot cross buns have a pastry cream cross, but you can easily leave that off if you are not in the mood to make it, and add a flour and water cross (there is one in my soft hot cross bun recipe) to your homemade hot cross buns. You do not have to score the buns before baking if you add a flour and water cross - just pipe it on before they go into the oven.
How to make pastry cream
The pastry cream cross on these hot cross buns is just a classic custard. Make sure that you make it ahead of time so that it has time to cool and thicken up - I like to make it before I put the fruit on to soak. I transfer it straight into a piping bag and clip the end closed and just pop it into the fridge to chill up so that it is ready to use straight from the bag.
- Combine sugar and corn starch. Whisking together the sugar and corn starch ensures that there are no lumps in the mixture, which helps to get a nice smooth pastry cream. Add the egg and mix well to combine.
- Heat up milk. Warm the milk in a saucepan until there is just some movement around the sides
- Add the hot milk mixture to the eggs. This step tempers the egg and stops it from scrambling.
- Cook the pastry cream. Transfer all the mixture back into the pan and cook until thick, then remove from the stove and add butter and whisk to incorporate.
- Transfer to a piping bag. The pastry cream needs to cool, so transfer it to a piping bag and clip closed until you are ready to use it.
If you have leftover pastry cream, you can serve it alongside the hot cross buns to spread on like butter.
Can Hot Cross Buns be made ahead of time?
Hot cross bun dough can be made the night before and stored in the fridge overnight for the first rise. Because the rise time on the dough is quite long due to the cinnamon and spices in the dough, leave it to stand on the counter for about 30 minutes to kick start the rising process before putting it into the fridge overnight.
The next day, the dough will need 20-30 minutes standing on the counter to soften a little before being shaped. Starting with cold dough will also mean that the second rise period takes a little longer. Go by how the dough looks rather than the rise time.
A way to tell if dough is proofed is to give it a gentle poke with your finger. If it springs back slightly but leaves a small dent, it is risen and ready to be baked.
How to store Hot Cross Buns
Store hot cross buns in an airtight container at room temperature. To reheat, either toast lightly, or refresh briefly in the microwave.
A note on high grade flour / bread flour
When I developed and tested this recipe, I was in the US where flour is much 'stronger' than NZ. This means that it is higher in protein, which helps with dough strength and gluten formation.
If you are in NZ, I suggest making these with all high grade flour, as it gives you a much stronger dough. Our plain flour is much lower in protein than all-purpose in the US. I have noticed a difference since being back - for most recipes it is just fine to use plain wherever all-purpose is called for but when you have a softer dough like this hot cross bun dough, high grade is needed.
FAQ for Hot Cross Buns
I don't like Earl Grey Tea - what can I use to soak the fruit?
If you don’t like Earl Grey Tea (you can’t really taste it, but some people just don’t like it), you can soak the fruit in some warmed orange juice, or strong black tea. They would be good soaked in chai too!
Can I use mixed spice?
We can't get mixed spice here in the US but you can replace the spice mix with mixed spice if you have it! I just made my own. Feel free to swap things out or in etc as you see fit.
What do I do with leftover pastry cream?
The original recipe made way too much pastry cream so I have reduced the quantity by half. You shouldn't have loads left over but you can use it in the place of butter when serving if you like!
Are Hot Cross Buns Egg Free?
They can be, you will just need to make a flour and water roux instead of the pastry cream. 40g water and 40g flour combined until a paste and then piped into crosses over the buns (no need to score) before baking. You can see how that looks on my soft hot cross buns post
Can these be made smaller?
You can make these any size that you want, they work well as 20 smaller buns. Just weigh your dough and divide that amount by however many buns you want. You will need to adjust the pan size.
Help - my dough is taking forever to rise!
Cinnamon inhibits the rise on yeast, so make sure you account for that. It will take about 2 hours for your first rise and about 1 ½ for the second rise. Make sure your yeast is not expired.
Can I substitute Active Dry Yeast for Instant?
You can use either instant or active dry yeast. If you want to use active dry then activate the yeast in the warm milk with some of the sugar before proceeding with the recipe.
Can Hot Cross Buns be made by hand?
It should be fine to make these by hand, it will just take some elbow grease! Make sure the dough is super soft and smooth before adding in the soaked fruit.
What is Bread Flour?
Bread flour is high protein flour - it is called High Grade Flour in NZ and Strong Flour in the UK! All-purpose is 'plain flour'
Can this recipe be halved?
It should work fine! Just divide everything in two. It may not work if you have a big mixer as it may not be enough dough but you should be fine!
What size pan should I use for Hot Cross Buns?
I used a 9x13" pan for the 12 buns, if you are dividing them smaller you will want to use a regular baking sheet and place them so they are only just not touching - you want them to rise and join together
❤️ Made this recipe and love it? ❤️
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Answers to your baking questions
Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:
- baking in grams
- adjusting oven temperatures
- what kind of salt to use
- and many more!
I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!
Recipe for Hot Cross Buns
Print
Classic Hot Cross Buns
- Prep Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 buns 1x
- Category: Easter
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: New Zealand
Description
These traditional style classic Hot Cross Buns are perfectly spiced and filled with fruit. They are easy to make and have a vanilla bean pastry cream cross in place of the traditional flour and water cross for a super simple but delicious twist on the classic.
Ingredients
Pastry Cream Cross
- 20g corn starch
- 45g sugar
- 1 egg
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp vanilla bean paste
- 200g whole milk
- 20g unsalted butter, at room temperature
Bun Dough
- 300g strongly brewed earl grey tea (see notes)
- 200g raisins, golden raisins, or sultanas
- 50g dried currants
- 360g whole milk, lukewarm
- 120g granulated sugar
- 3 tsp instant yeast
- 300g all-purpose flour
- 290g bread flour (High grade or strong if you're outside the US!)
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 ¼ tsp cinnamon
- 1 ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¾ tsp allspice
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp cardamom
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 130g unsalted butter, at room temperature
Sugar Syrup
- 30g water
- 25g Sugar
- ⅛ tsp vanilla bean paste (optional)
- tiny pinch of salt
Instructions
VANILLA BEAN PASTRY CREAM
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the corn starch and sugar. Add the eggs, salt, and vanilla bean paste, and whisk well to combine.
- In a medium saucepan, place the milk over a low heat until just shy of a simmer.
Whisking constantly, pour about half of the warm milk mixture into the egg mixture. Whisk until smooth, then add back into the saucepan. Whisking constantly, cook until thick. Add the butter and whisk to combine. - Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a round piping tip, and a clip just above the tip to prevent any leakage. Twist the piping bag closed, or secure with another clip, and store in the fridge until needed.
HOT CROSS BUN DOUGH
- Place the raisins and currants in a medium bowl, and cover with the hot Earl Grey tea. Leave to soak for 30 minutes, then drain thoroughly - I like to transfer them to a sieve and leave them to drain while I make the dough.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, place the sugar, yeast, all-purpose flour, bread flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, cloves, cardamom, and coriander, and mix well to combine.
- Add the milk and vanilla bean paste to the dry ingredients, and mix on low for 2-3 minutes. Increase the speed of the mixer to medium, and mix for a further 5 minutes. Add the butter a little at a time, waiting until it is incorporated until adding the next piece. Mix for a further 7-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and soft.
- Turn out the dough onto a work surface and knead in the fruit by hand. It will take longer than you expect and feel squishy, but the fruit will eventually incorporate into the dough.
- Shape the dough into a ball, and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until doubled in size, 1 to 1 ½ hours, or place in the fridge overnight.
ASSEMBLY
- Line a baking sheet or baking pan with parchment paper. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, and weigh the dough. Divide the weight of the dough by 12, and divide the dough into 12 equal sized pieces (or however many buns you want).
- Roll each tightly into a ball, then arrange evenly on the baking pan. I find using a little bench flour helps to get the fruit all rolled on the inside. Leave a little space between - don’t space them too far apart if you want them to join together in the oven to give the ‘classic’ hot cross bun look.
- Lightly cover the pan with plastic wrap, and leave in a warm place for 1-2 hours, until the buns are puffy and the dough springs back when lightly pressed with a finger (rise time will depend on your environment).
- Preheat the oven to 350°f / 180°c. Using a sharp paring knife or razor blade, score crosses in the buns.
Bake the buns for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and pipe the pastry cream in crosses in the holes provided by the scoring. - Return the buns to the oven and bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes, or until the buns are lightly golden brown, or until they register 200°f / 90°c on an instant read thermometer. While the buns are baking, prepare the sugar syrup.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool, before brushing on the sugar syrup (recipe below).
SUGAR SYRUP
- Place all the ingredients in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil. Boil for 1-2 minutes, then leave to stand until ready to use.
Store leftover buns in an airtight container at room temperature. Reheat in the microwave briefly before eating. Serve with butter.
Notes
Pastry cream cross adapted from Ima
If you are in New Zealand, I suggest using all high grade flour in the place of the high grade / plain flour, as high grade is lower in strength than US bread flour which the recipe was originally tested with.
To make into chelsea buns (buns with a custard filling), make the dough as directed, and proof in the fridge either at least a few hours or overnight so that it is easier to roll out. Make a double recipe of the pastry cream used for the cross - this will be your filling. Chill well. Line a 9x13" (20x30cm) pan with parchment paper. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to a 24x16" (60x40cm) rectangle. You may need to let it rest a few times if it is snapping back on you. Spread with the custard. Starting on the long side, roll up into a log and cut into 12 pieces. Arrange in the baking pan. Leave to rise a second time until the rolls are puffy and an indentation is left when lightly pressed with a finger - this may take a while longer if you have started with cold dough. Bake the rolls for 35-45 minutes at 350°f / 180°c until golden brown and the dough seems cooked at the intersection of the rolls - tent with foil if they are getting too dark for your liking. Remove from the oven, allow to cool, then finish with cream cheese icing for cinnamon rolls
Comments
Doha says
Baked these yesterday but left out the pastry cream cross only because i had no vanilla bean paste and im a bit lazy like that! I did the second rise overnight in the fridge and baked in the morning. they turned out just like my favorite bakery store bought hot cross buns if not better! love your recipes, they are perfect! thank you!
Katie says
So, so good! I made these with the chocolate pastry cream cross from your other recipe. So delicious and soft... thank you again!!!
Erin says
Ah yayyy so happy you loved!
Emmy says
I think these may be the best hot cross buns I've ever made, maybe ever eaten? Could be because I got to enjoy them warm from the oven for the first time. Light, fluffy and perfectly spiced - they tasted just like home.
Erin says
Ahhhh so happy you love!
Ana says
I can't stop eating these! They're so good! Love the spices, the pastry cream on top, and how soft they are. Thank you for a wonderful recipe! Your recipes are worth the time and effort!
Erin says
Ahh thank you so much!
Caitlyn says
Easy recipe to follow and they turned out perfect! My friends said they were the best hot x buns they've tasted! Thank you for the recipe
Erin says
Of course! Thank you so much for the lovely review! x
Joanna says
These buns are wonderful. The pastry cream is delicious. This is my first attempt at hot cross buns! I cut the amount of raisins in 1/2 to suit our tastes. I did the second rise overnight in the fridge after about 30 min on the counter. I baked them Easter morning so they were fresh. Such a lovely spice blend and a tender bread. Very helpful information in this post. Your video on Instagram was also helpful. Thank you!
Erin says
Ahhh I am so happy that you loved, thank you so much for the lovely review!
Sara says
These turned out so nice. Ate one 5 minutes out of oven. Lovely.
Sarah says
Can I make these entirely by hand without a stand mixer? If so do I just knead and knead to replace the stand mixer?
Erin Clarkson says
Yep! It will take a bit but it will work!
Caribou says
love the pastry cream cross!!!!
Erin says
The best part!
stacy says
the best!!
Deborah says
Hello Erin The buns are still rising so can't give a rating yet. I like how you add the measurements in grams as I really dislike cup measurements. I'd like it even better if the yeast measurement was also in grams.
Erin says
Hi! I do a kind of hybrid mix when it comes to recipes. I can't guarantee that everyone will have a scale which does the accuracy needed for measuring yeast so it's safest if I do it in tsp etc! some scales only do 5g increments or aren't sensitive enough, so that's why I do it the way that I do 🙂
Natalie says
If you LOVE a good hot cross bun, then make these, and your life will be complete. You'll also NEVER want to know a boring old non-pastry-cream hot cross bun again, ever.
Erin says
Yay yay so happy you loved them! Thanks so much for the lovely feedback 🙂
Deborah says
Maybe you could put the yeast measurements in g and teaspoon. My scales weigh to 0.1 g.
Erin says
Not everyone has scales that do that though. I’ve put the gram weight in for yeast before and it didn’t go well which is why I have it in tsp. I have a lot of people on my site each month so have developed a method for writing the recipes that works for everyone and the way I can ensure that the recipes are made as accurately as possible. You’re welcome to do the conversion though for the yeast if you need 🙂
Bee says
Absolutely delicious recipe - love the custard crosses.. going to try chocolate ones next!
Erin says
Yay yessss they are so good!
Emmy says
Hey hey! Just a private comment, I’m making these again and in your rewrite you seem to have missed the instructions for what to do with the lukewarm milk and yeast - I seem to remember adding a bit of sugar to that and to leave the yeast and milk for 10? minutes?
Emmy says
Cancel! I see what you’ve done
Erin says
Yesss I think I updated the recipe between you last making them and now! Switched to Instant yeast 🙂
Jackie says
These are delicious!!! The pastry cream is an amazing addition!! Thank you!
Erin says
So happy you loved them! Isn't the pastry cream so so good!
Sam says
I’ve made these several years in a row now and they are simply the best! I do the first rise overnight in the fridge and just did normal crosses rather than pastry cream this year. So good!
Erin says
Yayyy yesss! Happy Easter!
bakewithliz says
Super soft and fluffy with great spice, just as promised! I didn't have bread flour so I used all AP flour, did the first rise overnight and opted for a classic flour-water cross - they turned out amazing. Be patient when folding in the raisins, it can take a while to incorporate. Thanks for the great recipe Erin!
Erin says
Yay so happy that they turned out so well, thank you so much for the lovely review!
YY says
Made these yesterday and my friends declared these the best HXBs they'd ever tried! Subbed in the prepackaged mixed spice in place of the individual spices because that was what I had on hand, and only used 100g of raisins for the same reason, but they still turned out wonderfully.
I used a KitchenAid mini and found it helped to rest the dough for 5-10 mins after incorporating the butter and then finish kneading by hand for the last few minutes. I found this made a big difference to achieve a smooth dough (I struggle to achieve this in the KA mini normally with the dough hook). Also lazily nuked the syrup in the microwave to avoid washing the pot again.
The most delicious, fluffy (and best looking) buns I've made to date 🙂
P.S thank you for providing the recipe in grams. Nothing that makes me run away from a recipe faster than measuring ingredients in cups... too many variables!
Erin says
Ahhh these are all such helpful notes, thank you so, so much!
Deborah says
Completely agree about cup measurements. They're a recipe for disasters.
Lu says
Think I have finally found my go to HCB recipe!
Erin says
Yayyyy!
Zoe says
These were incredible! Had a wee bit of pastry cream leftover after piping, so saved it and had it in the middle of the buns with butter - yum!!
Erin says
Yay so happy you loved!
Isabelle says
Always the best recipes from cloudy kitchen. The pastry cream crosses are delicious!
Erin says
Thank you thank you!
Liv says
Such a perfect recipe! ~SO~ weird how recipes in grams seem to turn out just the way they’re meant to. Love your work.
Erin says
Hhahahahha it's wild right?! like they just work exactly as I intend!
Bavisha says
Hi Erin, we don’t have all-purpose flour in South Africa. Can I use cake flour instead?
Erin says
Hi! No please don't use cake flour as it is not high enough in protein. Sometimes all-purpose is called 'plain' flour?
Jaclyn says
Recipe is amazing! I’ve never cooked anything bread-y before so didn’t have super high hopes, but they turned out perfect!
Erin says
Ah yayyy so happy that you loved them!
Estelle says
Made these classic hot cross buns yesterday for Easter and what a success! They are absolutely delicious - Recipe saved!
Erin says
Yayyyy thank you for such a lovely review! I hope you had a great Easter 🙂
Erin says
Yayyyy thank you for such a lovely review! I hope you had a great Easter 🙂
Meaghan says
The smell and flavor of these hot cross buns are divine! I could eat these every day. The recipe was super easy to follow and very successful. I don't have a stand mixer currently, so I did everything by hand. I added a bit more kneading time because I'm not as stong as a stand mixer and it was a lot of effort, but totally worth it. I wonder if next time I could melt the butter and add it in with the milk, in order to save the work of kneading in soft butter? Thanks for the absolutely delicious recipe!!
Erin says
Hiii! So happy you loved! The reason the butter is added after is to give the gluten some time to develop before the fat goes in. So you could try it but I have no idea how it would go!
Deborah says
Hey Erin, have you made tried this dough as a loaf? If so, how was it? The buns were great but a loaf would be great as well! Thanks!
Erin says
I haven't sorry but it should work!
Fiona says
These were the first hot crumps buns I’ve ever made and honestly were the best buns I’ve had. I made them by hand and now have a mixer so gonna defo try and make them again with my mixer.
Fiona says
*cross
Erin says
Tbh I kind of prefer hot crumps buns hahahahaha
Claudia says
Hot cross buns are my all time favourite and this recipe does not disappoint! A good amount of spice and the custard cross is a game changer! I slightly over proofed mine due to timing issues on my part, but it didn't even matter cause they came out great! Can't wait to make them again in Easter
Joe says
Now thats what I call a Hot Cross Bun. yummy.
Amy says
This recipe worked wonderfully for me using ingredients sourced in the US; I used golden raisins, pumpkin pie spice instead of allspice and home made mixed peel from Bigger Bolder Baking blog.
I really appreciated the attention to detail about spacing the buns in the tin and the two step bake to get the cross looking right as I didn't manage this with other recipes I tried. I spaced it out by doing the overnight rise which worked great. It tastes even better than anything I'd buy at home!
Hayley says
I've made these three times now and multiple people have said they're the best hot cross buns they have ever had. Such a great recipe.
Fiona says
These are the BEST HCBs ever, they’re foolproof, super soft and have a really good amount of fruit. Delish. Can’t wait to make them again next year!
Islay says
Best hot cross bun recipe I've tried! Made these without a mixer and using overnight rise - bit of an arm workout but so worth it!
hot tip: I used an orange juice/earl grey mix to soak fruit and then used the drained liquid instead of water in the glaze.
Erin Clarkson says
Oooooh that's smart!!!!
Aislinn says
Followed the recipe and mixer timings but my dough is so tacky, not smooth like in pictures/video. What have I done wrong?
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! It may have needed a little bit more mixing or sometimes different flours have different levels of absorbency so will be more or less sticky. I hope that they came out ok!
Cesca says
These are so delicious and absolutely worth the effort (I made them by hand). Soaking the raisins in earl grey tea is a really nice touch and the spice mix is very well considered, altogether makes a super soft and fragrant bun. I also added orange peel, used a classic flour-water cross, and glazed with apricot jam rather than syrup but these were an unparalleled success, thank you for the brilliant recipe!
Anna says
Hello! I’m going to try this recipe today. Can I do part of it today then the last part tomorrow so that they’re fresh for morning tea?!
Also, can I use regular English Breakfast tea instead of Earl Grey? Thank you
Anna says
Sorry, I just read it all properly and you’ve already answered those questions, whoops!
Julie says
Perfect, thank you. Easy clear recipe and the HCBs came out just as I remembered them from childhood (Aussie long time in NYC). This is my go to recipe from now on. I could never get it right before, but now, hooray! Great taste and texture, and plenty for the freezer too. Thanks so much.
Julie says
Forgot to add, I used flour/water crosses and they were great
Erin Clarkson says
Yay I am so happy to hear!
Robin says
Delicious hot cross buns, thanks for the recipe! Such a lovely dough to work with too.
Hannah says
Such a delicious recipe, tastes just like the hot cross buns I have grown up with, and was so nice to enjoy a taste of New Zealand in Germany this Easter. I appreciate that you also broke down the spices into their individual flavours instead of putting ‘mixed spice’ as most recipes do - much easier when making this recipe outside of New Zealand. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
Emma says
I made this recipe recently without the pastry cream crosses and they were such a crowd pleaser. Such an easy and good recipe. I kneaded myself instead of with my kitchen aid and they still came out brilliantly. Did one such overnight in the fridge and one in an afternoon. So good!!
Toria says
Just delicious! I replaced the raisins and currants with dried cherries and dried blueberries (just because my family prefers them), and they still worked great. This was also a very easy recipe to follow for my first time making pastry cream. Such a warm and cozy bun. Will definitely make these again!
Claudia says
Delish! I love this time of year as it means eating alot of these beauties!
Helen says
Hi Erin, recipe is great! Glazed with some home made apricot jam dilluted with some hot water, and they came out amazing (made the cardinal error of undersalting, but I will make that adjustment next go around -- still a month until Easter to get it right!). I was wondering whether you had any advice though - I'm not sure that the texture is right. They seem to be falling apart a bit too easy, especially once toasted. I'm wondering if this is under/over kneading on my part, and whether there was a test to ensure that I'm kneading just the right amount.
Thanks!
morgan says
made these today alongside the chocolate hot cross buns and they were described as “glorious”, “a good 9/10” and “worth leaving auckland on the long weekend for” so all round pretty bloody good reviews. the pastry cream cross is definitely worth doing, and while i was laughed at for making ridiculously wide crosses on account of a handmade piping bag, it was definitely in our favour as it turned out the more pastry cream the better. these are fluffy, moist, spiced to perfection and even foolproof enough for this first time hot cross bunner to make alongside my 2 year old.
Natalie says
I cannot begin to describe how utterly delicious these are. Made for the first time yesterday. I am not a very experienced yeast baker but followed this recipe to the letter and WOW. I could not stop bragging and the others couldn’t stop eating 😆 Have followed your Instagram for a good while and so pleased to have made these. Faultless!
Alicia says
I made these this Easter and they were amazing - the whole family loved them!
I did the first rise in the fridge over night and I missed your note about leaving them out for a half hour before putting the dough in the fridge to kick start the rise - it meant that the second rise took a little longer but was worth the wait (plus your visual cues made it easer to know when they were ready)!
JoJo says
Great recipe, so soft and fluffy.
I also tried them in a vegan version to suit a particular crowd so used dairy free spread and soy milk (and no pastry cream cross) and they still turned out amazing!
Samantha says
Hey! I want to make these in advance, a bit. Our family goes to a cabin for Christmas every year and I won't have access to my normal kitchen there of course, but I want to serve these as part of Christmas breakfast. Can it be frozen before baking, or is it better after?
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! Hmmm I haven't frozen them before sorry, but I don't have great luck with freezing dough before baking. I would freeze once baked (leave off the syrup), then defrost overnight and re-warm the next morning and then add the syrup and serve! x
Jo says
Fantastic! Made these for the second year in a row with my 15 yo son and turned out amazing.
Deirdre says
I just made these. WOW! Talk about a blast from the past. I am Canadian and grew up eating Hot Cross buns. My mom would make them. These were straight forward directions, easy to make and turned out delicious!!! Only changes I made from original recipe is I used my sourdough discard for the cross on top instead of the pastry cream and used the sugar/water glaze from your other recipe. Put it on top after baking. Perfection!!!!!
Fanny says
I've just tried this recipe but kneaded all by hand (I don't have a stand mixer). After the 1st rise, the dough was so so sticky I couldn't roll them into balls at all, just had to dollop them on the tray. Now waiting for the 2nd rise and I hope they'll be OK after baking 😅 What could I have done wrong? I used all the correct weights, maybe I didn't knead long or well enough?
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! Ahhh yes it sounds like maybe the mix wasn't developed enough when kneading?
Bryan Robertson says
Good day Miss Cloudy.
Your hotcross bun recipe is an absolute gem! The crowd that I sell to here in Stanford at our morning market, are predominantly pensioners. I took the liberty of adding citrus peel to your recipe to make it more old school. I made a triple batch, portioned at 120g per bun and hey sold out in 45 minutes. Your recipe is a new best seller on my table. Thank you very much for your exhaustive testing and commitment to your craft
Cheers
Bryan
Elle says
So delicious! Just made them. 👏👏
Mary says
This recipe is fantastic!!!
I made it in my bread machine and did 2 times the recipe .
I warmed the milk and melted the butter as that’s what I do with most bread machine recipes , and I wasn't sure if the solid butter would incorporate properly .
I baked them for 25 minutes and they were perfect!
Thanks for sharing the recipe and the detailed instructions!