If it gets too warm, just let it cool down to skin temp before using.Īdd the sugar and yeast and whisk gently for 20 seconds or so. Drain the fruit in a sieve before using and reserve the liquid.Īdd the first measure of flour to a large mixing bowl.Īdd the milk to a heatproof bowl and microwave in 20 second increments until it reaches skin temperature – about 32c is ideal. Seal/cover and leave for an hour or so, or overnight. Add the fruit to a bowl or a resealable bag and pour the orange liquid in. Heat the orange juice and zest in a small saucepan until hot. Zest and juice of 2 oranges (I like to strip the peel off with a peeler then chop finely)ģ cups high grade white flour (or strong flour)ġ/3 cup reserved fruit liquid from above (make up with water if need be) Prep time – 30 minutes, plus 3-4 hours rising timeġ ¼ cups high grade white flour (or strong flour)ģ tsp active dried yeast (check expiry date)ġ ½ cups raisins, sultanas, chopped apricots or a mixture Try my gluten-free hot cross bun cakes instead. GLUTEN-FREE: Sorry, but you can’t use GF flour for this one, it just won’t work. VEGAN VERSION: Use 1 tbsp ground flaxseed (linseed) soaked in 3 tbsp water instead of the egg, and firm coconut oil (chopped up finely) instead of butter.

(And yes, you can add chopped up dark chocolate instead of fruit, you naughty people!)

And you probably only make hot cross buns once a year, so what’s your rush? Just enjoy the magic of breadmaking and then stuff yourself with the spiced buttered deliciousness. It adds a smidgeon more time to the process, but it’s so worth it. To get the buns super light and soft, you make a yeast ‘super booster’ at the start to get it all going. It’s taken me a while to perfect a hot cross bun recipe – and boy, it was worth the wait! They’re not at all hard to make but like all good bread recipes, they take a little time.

Hot cross bunsrecipe