✨ Hot Cross Buns Recipe 🍞🍇

Soft, fluffy, and lightly spiced buns filled with juicy raisins and topped with the classic cross — perfect for breakfast, tea time, or festive baking! 🤎✨

🧺 Ingredients

🍞 For the Dough

• 4 cups (500 g) bread flour or all-purpose flour
• 2¼ tsp (1 packet) instant yeast
• ¼ cup (50 g) sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1½ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• 1 cup (240 ml) warm milk
• ¼ cup (60 g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 egg
• 1 cup raisins or currants
• Zest of 1 orange (optional) 🍊

✝️ For the Cross

• ½ cup (60 g) flour
• 5–6 tbsp water

✨ For the Glaze

• 2 tbsp apricot jam or honey
• 1 tbsp warm water

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1️⃣ Make the Dough

In a large bowl, mix together:

• flour
• yeast
• sugar
• salt
• cinnamon
• nutmeg

Add:

• warm milk
• melted butter
• egg

Mix until a soft dough forms.

Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth, soft, and elastic.

Add raisins and orange zest during the final minute of kneading.

2️⃣ First Rise

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl.

Cover and let rise for 1–1½ hours or until doubled in size.

3️⃣ Shape the Buns

Divide dough into 12 equal pieces and shape into smooth balls.

Arrange them in a greased or lined baking tray, slightly touching each other.

Cover and let rise again for 30–45 minutes until puffy.

4️⃣ Pipe the Crosses

Mix flour and water into a thick paste.

Transfer to a piping bag or zip bag and pipe crosses over each bun. ✝️

5️⃣ Bake

Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 20–25 minutes or until deep golden brown. 🔥

6️⃣ Glaze

Warm the apricot jam or honey with water.

Brush over the hot buns for a beautiful shiny finish. ✨