Hot cross buns are made from an enriched yeast dough. Milk, butter, an egg and a little sugar make the crumb softer than plain bread. This version uses cinnamon and nutmeg, currants and orange zest, a piped flour paste cross, and a glaze of powdered sugar and orange juice.
Plan on about 2 1/2 hours from start to finish. Most of that is rising time when the dough does not need you.
Bake day schedule
| Clock | Step | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00 | Warm the milk and proof the yeast | 10 minutes |
| 0:10 | Mix and knead the dough, then work in the currants and zest | 10 minutes |
| 0:20 | First rise, covered, until doubled | 1 hour |
| 1:20 | Divide into 12 and shape the buns | 10 minutes |
| 1:30 | Second rise; heat the oven to 375°F | 30 minutes |
| 2:00 | Pipe the crosses and bake | 20 to 25 minutes |
| 2:25 | Cool 5 minutes, then glaze | 5 minutes |
Ingredients (12 buns)
Dough
- 4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for dusting
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup whole milk, warmed to about 110°F
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled to lukewarm
- 1 large egg, at room temperature, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup dried currants or raisins
- Zest of 1 orange
Cross
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- About 4 tablespoons water
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
Making the buns
- Stir 1 teaspoon of the sugar into the warm milk, sprinkle the yeast on top and wait 5 to 10 minutes until foamy. No foam means the yeast is old or the milk was too hot or too cold; start again.
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, remaining sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Make a well, add the yeast mixture, butter and egg, and stir from the center out into a shaggy dough.
- Knead on a lightly floured counter for 5 to 7 minutes (about 4 minutes with a dough hook). Flatten the dough, scatter the currants and zest over it, fold, and knead 1 to 2 minutes more.
- Set the dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and let it rise somewhere warm for about 1 hour, until doubled.
- Press out the air, divide into 12 equal pieces (weigh them for even buns) and roll each into a smooth ball. Set them 1 inch apart on a parchment-lined sheet, cover loosely and let them rise 30 minutes.
- Mix the cross flour and water into a thick paste that holds a line. Spoon it into a piping bag or a zip-top bag with a corner snipped and pipe one line across each row, then across each column.
- Bake at 375°F for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden on top and hollow-sounding when tapped underneath. Cool 5 minutes, whisk the powdered sugar and orange juice smooth, and drizzle it over the warm buns.
Signs the dough is ready
- After kneading: smooth, a little tacky but not sticky, and it springs back when pressed.
- After the first rise: about double the size; a floured finger pressed in leaves a dent that fills back slowly.
- After the second rise: the buns look puffy and are just touching each other.
- Out of the oven: an internal temperature around 190°F. If the tops brown before that, cover them loosely with foil.
Dense buns come from too much flour added during kneading or a short rise. If the cross spreads in the oven, the paste was too thin; stir in flour a teaspoon at a time.
With or without the glaze
| Per bun | Calories | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| With orange glaze | about 304 | 6.5 g |
| Without glaze | about 264 | 6.5 g |
A glazed bun has about 5 g fat, 58 g carbohydrate and 2 g fiber. The glaze adds about 40 calories a bun and no protein. These are a sweet bread, not a protein food. If you serve them for breakfast, a cup of plain Greek yogurt on the side adds about 22 grams of protein, and these high-protein breakfasts have more ideas.
Plain nonfat Greek yogurt has about 10.2 g of protein per 100 g, per USDA FoodData Central.
Keeping them soft
They are best the day they are baked. Keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, and toast them after the first day. The fridge makes them stale faster. To freeze, cool them completely without the glaze, wrap each one, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature for an hour or warm in a 300°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes, then glaze.
Ingredient protein figures are based on USDA FoodData Central. How we calculate nutrition.
