Hot Cross Buns
by Nigella. Featured in FEASTIntroduction
I make my hot cross buns slightly smaller than is traditional. Don't know why, just like them that way, but you form them the size you want, please. Just one thing I must be strict about: you do need to use proper bread flour here, not the usual plain. There's no point to all this effort and ruining your chances of success over such a small but significant point.
By effort, I don't mean you need to be hugely active or expert to make these; you just need the patience to sit around while they rise and the faith to believe they will. Very appropriate.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
I make my hot cross buns slightly smaller than is traditional. Don't know why, just like them that way, but you form them the size you want, please. Just one thing I must be strict about: you do need to use proper bread flour here, not the usual plain. There's no point to all this effort and ruining your chances of success over such a small but significant point.
By effort, I don't mean you need to be hugely active or expert to make these; you just need the patience to sit around while they rise and the faith to believe they will. Very appropriate.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
Ingredients
Makes: 16 hot cross buns
For the Dough
- 150 millilitres milk
- 50 grams butter
- zest of 1 orange
- 1 clove
- 2 cardamom pods
- 400 grams strong white bread flour
- 1 x 7 grams packet easy-blend yeast
- 125 grams mixed dried fruit
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 large egg
For the Egg Wash
- 1 large egg (beaten with a little milk)
For the Cross on the Buns
- 3 tablespoons plain flour
- ½ tablespoon caster sugar
For the Sugar Glaze
- 1 tablespoon caster sugar
For the Dough
- ⅔ cup milk
- ½ stick butter
- zest of 1 orange
- 1 clove
- 2 cardamom pods
- 3 cups strong white bread flour
- ¼ ounce packet instant yeast
- ¾ cup mixed dried fruit
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 large egg
For the Egg Wash
- 1 large egg (beaten with a little milk)
For the Cross on the Buns
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ tablespoon superfine sugar
For the Sugar Glaze
- 1 tablespoon superfine sugar
Method
- Heat the milk, butter, orange zest, clove and cardamom pods in a saucepan until the butter melts, then leave to infuse. I have gone rather cardamom mad recently, but this short aromatic infusion gives a heavenly scent to the little fruited buns later.
- Measure the flour, yeast and dried fruit into a bowl and add the spices. When the infused milk has reached blood temperature take out the clove and cardamom pods, and beat in the egg. Pour this liquid into the bowl of dry ingredients.
- Knead the bowl either by hand or with a machine with a dough hook; if it is too dry add a little more warm milk or water. Keep kneading until you have silky, elastic dough, but bear in mind that the dried fruit will stop this from being exactly satin smooth.
- Form into a ball and place in a buttered bowl covered with clingfilm, and leave to prove overnight in the fridge.
- Preheat the oven to gas mark 7/220ºC/200ºC Fan/425ºF. Take the dough out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature.
- Punch the dough down, and knead it again until it is smooth and elastic. Divide into 16 balls and shape into smooth round buns. I wouldn't start worrying unduly about their size: just halve the dough, and keep halving it until it's in eight pieces, and use that piece to make two buns. Or just keep the dough as it is, and pinch off pieces slightly larger than a ping pong ball and hope you end up with 16 or thereabouts. Not that it matters.
- Sit the buns on a baking parchment or Bake-O-Glide-lined baking sheet. Make sure they are quite snug together but not touching. Using the back of an ordinary eating knife, score the tops of the buns with the imprint of a cross. Cover with a teatowel and leave to prove again for about 45 minutes — they should have risen and almost joined up.
- Brush the buns with an egg wash, and then mix the flour, sugar and 2 tablespoons of water into a smooth, thick paste. Using a teaspoon, dribble two lines over the buns in the indent of the cross, and then bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
- When the hot cross buns come out of the oven, mix the sugar and 1 tablespoon of boiling water together for the glaze, and brush each hot bun to make them sweet and shiny.
- Heat the milk, butter, orange zest, clove and cardamom pods in a saucepan until the butter melts, then leave to infuse. I have gone rather cardamom mad recently, but this short aromatic infusion gives a heavenly scent to the little fruited buns later.
- Measure the flour, yeast and dried fruit into a bowl and add the spices. When the infused milk has reached blood temperature take out the clove and cardamom pods, and beat in the egg. Pour this liquid into the bowl of dry ingredients.
- Knead the bowl either by hand or with a machine with a dough hook; if it is too dry add a little more warm milk or water. Keep kneading until you have silky, elastic dough, but bear in mind that the dried fruit will stop this from being exactly satin smooth.
- Form into a ball and place in a buttered bowl covered with clingfilm, and leave to prove overnight in the fridge.
- Preheat the oven to gas mark 7/220ºC/200ºC Fan/425ºF. Take the dough out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature.
- Punch the dough down, and knead it again until it is smooth and elastic. Divide into 16 balls and shape into smooth round buns. I wouldn't start worrying unduly about their size: just halve the dough, and keep halving it until it's in eight pieces, and use that piece to make two buns. Or just keep the dough as it is, and pinch off pieces slightly larger than a ping pong ball and hope you end up with 16 or thereabouts. Not that it matters.
- Sit the buns on a baking parchment or Bake-O-Glide-lined baking sheet. Make sure they are quite snug together but not touching. Using the back of an ordinary eating knife, score the tops of the buns with the imprint of a cross. Cover with a teatowel and leave to prove again for about 45 minutes — they should have risen and almost joined up.
- Brush the buns with an egg wash, and then mix the flour, sugar and 2 tablespoons of water into a smooth, thick paste. Using a teaspoon, dribble two lines over the buns in the indent of the cross, and then bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
- When the hot cross buns come out of the oven, mix the sugar and 1 tablespoon of boiling water together for the glaze, and brush each hot bun to make them sweet and shiny.
Additional Information
MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
The baked buns will keep for 1-2 days in an airtight container. They can also be frozen in an airtight container, with pieces of baking parchment in between the layers (or wrapped individually, if preferred) for up to one month. Thaw at room temperature for about 2 hours. Best served split and toasted.
MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
The baked buns will keep for 1-2 days in an airtight container. They can also be frozen in an airtight container, with pieces of baking parchment in between the layers (or wrapped individually, if preferred) for up to one month. Thaw at room temperature for about 2 hours. Best served split and toasted.
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Show more commentsThe best hot cross bun recipe bar none!
I made some with raisins and mixed peel. I made the mistake of adding egg too soon to the hot milk. Didn’t rise well but taste great. Second lot I added 100g sugar to flour and after knocking back, I kneaded in 175g chocolate chips, these ones turned out perfect with a really good rise.
This dough is perfect. I used exactly the quantities listed and used my Panasonic Bread Machine on the Dough setting. Knocked back the dough and then prepped the sixteen buns. I personally thought they were too small, next time I will cut into twelve. Cooked as directed, but be careful not too let burn. Syrup water was literally the icing on the cake and made a perfect glaze. Will not be waiting until Easter before making these again! Thank you Nigella for the recipe ~ Paul x
My first attempt at these and they turned out great. The flavour is subtle and not too sweet and whilst my presentation could be finessed it’s a thumbs up from me!
Just made these this morning for Easter Sunday! Look and smell amazing. I used dried cranberries and dried blueberries soaked for a few hours in forest fruit tea to plump them up!
I don't like Hot Cross Buns, but these are nice because the recipe omits the candied peel which I just don't like. I use orange zest for extra flavour. Thanks a lot!
I made these today, used 500g flour and had soaked the fruit overnight in cold tea and Cointreau, one and half 5ml teaspoon. yeast a dessert spoon of malt extract in the milk and all other quantities the same. Really wish I’d been organised to make night before and leave overnight but wasn’t! I got 14 buns out of this mixture. Lovely warm with butter for lunch. Will definitely make again.
10/10 would glaze again
I made hot cross buns yesterday - for the first time ever. More a matter of necessity as I am living in Saudi Arabia. I loved making them and posted pics up step by step on Facebook. I LOVE your comment about the rising dough. I thought the same thing myself - it IS all a matter of faith.
Despite making Marguerite Patten's Hot Cross Buns recipe for the past 30 years I decided to try Nigella's this year. Although I made a couple of mistakes, the results were still pretty good and I haven't stopped eating them - I'm not kidding - I've already had 5 for the day! The flavours are truly lovely! The mistakes I made were: 1. on kneading the dough the second time I left the entire thing to rise for 45 minutes as opposed to diving the dough into 16 and allowing to rise. 2. I forgot to baste the buns in egg wash :-( I also made a few changes that I think were worthwhile : 1. I added 50g of caster sugar and 1/2 tsp salt to the flour mix and 2. I added 50-100ml more milk than was specified as the dough was quite tough and dry 3. I set the oven to 190C as opposed to 220C and baked for 15 mins. Would I make them again? A resounding YES (with my changes).
A gorgeous recipe, one I come back to every year because I love the infusion spices. But I find I need a lot more flour than specified ... maybe it's the weather here? This year I soaked the fruit in some tea, just because. I place all 16 buns in a 9-inch cake tin so they bump up nicely against each other.
your recipe looks like one that I could have success with and I will give it a try. Hot cross buns here I come!