Hot Cross Buns Currants Spices (Printable version)
Soft, spiced buns studded with currants and topped with a shiny cross glaze, perfect for teatime.
# Ingredient List:
→ Dough
01 - 4 cups strong white bread flour
02 - 1/3 cup caster sugar
03 - 1 sachet (7 g) instant dry yeast
04 - 1 tsp fine sea salt
05 - 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
06 - ½ tsp ground allspice
07 - ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
08 - 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
09 - 1 cup whole milk, lukewarm
10 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
11 - 2/3 cup currants
12 - Zest of 1 orange
→ Cross Topping
13 - ½ cup plain flour
14 - ¼ cup water
→ Glaze
15 - 3 tbsp apricot jam or honey
16 - 1 tbsp water
# How to Make It:
01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the bread flour, caster sugar, yeast, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg. Stir in orange zest and currants until evenly distributed.
02 - Create a well in the center of the dry mixture. Add the softened butter, lukewarm milk, and eggs. Mix thoroughly to form a sticky, cohesive dough.
03 - Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes by hand, or use a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment for 6–7 minutes, until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.
04 - Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a clean towel, and let rise in a warm, draft-free area until doubled in size, approximately 1 hour.
05 - Punch down the risen dough to release air. Divide into 12 equal portions and shape each into a smooth ball. Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet with slight spacing between buns.
06 - Cover the buns loosely with a clean towel and let rise for 30–40 minutes until puffy and visibly expanded.
07 - Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
08 - Mix the plain flour and water to form a thick, pipeable paste. Transfer to a piping bag or small plastic bag with the corner snipped off.
09 - Pipe a neat cross shape over the top of each risen bun using the flour paste.
10 - Bake for 20–25 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
11 - While buns bake, gently heat the apricot jam and water in a small saucepan until melted and smooth. Strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove any fruit pieces.
12 - Immediately brush the hot buns with the warm glaze after removing from the oven. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The dough is impossibly soft and yielding, almost like working with a cloud
- The balance of spices hits that sweet spot between cozy and aromatic without overwhelming the delicate currants
- Nothing compares to pulling a tray of these golden buns fresh from the oven, the crosses still pristine and the glaze glistening
02 -
- The milk must be lukewarm, barely warm to the touch, because hot liquid will kill the yeast and your dough will never rise properly
- Let the buns cool just slightly before eating, otherwise the steam will make the texture slightly gummy instead of fluffy
03 -
- Weighing ingredients rather than using cups gives you consistent results every single time
- The windowpane test, stretching a small piece of dough until it is thin enough to see light through, tells you when kneading is complete