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Homemade Hot Cross Buns that are so soft, fluffy, and slightly sweet. An absolute must for Easter – they’re disappearing so fast!
I look forward to these rolls every Easter. They are so light, so soft and so perfectly cute.
Studded with orange raisins (to fill them up), these buns have the most perfect fluff with all the warming spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.
It’s like a warm, cozy hug in a bun, and they’re best served warm from the oven with some butter and a hot cup of tea. There is nothing like it.
IMPORTANT TIPS
The important thing here is to make sure your yeast is nice and active, otherwise it won’t thrive. And a sticky, soft dough is the key to the fluffiest buns possible. A stand mixer will also be your best friend, and it doesn’t require elbow grease. But if you don’t have a mixer, you can also knead the dough by hand.
- 1 Cup raisins
- 1 Cup orange juice
- 3 ¾ cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon Orange peel
- 1½ teaspoon Cinammon
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¾ Cup whole milk, 105-110 degrees F
- 2 ¼ teaspoon dry yeast
- ½ cup plus 1 teaspoon Brown sugar, divided
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 Big Eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
for the cross
- ½ Cup all purpose flour
- 6 tablespoon Water
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
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In a small saucepan, combine raisins and orange juice over low heat until heated, about 5 minutes. Remove from the stove; Leave for 10 minutes. Drain the raisins from the orange juice and reserve the orange juice; put aside.
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In a large bowl, mix flour, orange zest, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg; put aside.
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Combine milk, yeast, and 1 teaspoon sugar in a small bowl; let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
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In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and remaining 1/2 cup sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs, vanilla, and raisins until well combined.
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Add the flour mixture and yeast mixture with the dough hook until you have a soft, smooth ball of dough. The dough should feel elastic and slightly sticky. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for 3-5 minutes.
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Lightly oil or coat with nonstick spray a large bowl; Place batter in a bowl and turn to coat. Cover with a clean tea towel and let stand in a warm place until dough has doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
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Deflate the dough by punching it down. Roll into 15 inch rope; Cut into 15 1-inch pieces, press each piece into a disc, and then shape into a ball.
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Lightly oil or coat with nonstick spray a 9×13 baking pan. Place balls of dough in the prepared casserole dish. Cover with a clean tea towel and let stand in a warm place until dough has doubled in size, about 30-45 minutes.
for the cross
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In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and water until you have a smooth paste. Transfer to a Ziploc bag and make a small cut in the corner of the bag. Pipe mixture over each ball of dough to form a thick cross.
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place in the oven and bake until golden brown, about 22-25 minutes; Brush tips with melted butter.
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Serve warm.