Mary Berry Hot Cross Buns Recipe

Calories: 335.47|Fat: 6.06|Carbohydrates: 64.89|Protein: 7.4 | 2 20

recipe

ingredients
tips

storage-tips

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These Mary Berry Hot Cross Buns are lightly spiced with cinnamon and mixed spice, studded with sultanas, and marked with a cross on top— a British Easter brunch treat. Eat warm or toasted with butter.

Soft, spicy, and fragrant: hot cross buns are sweet sandwiches of British origin, traditionally prepared during the Easter holidays, even if they are now available all year round.

Why You’ll Like It

A British staple bread for Easter! I look forward to baking hot cross buns every year.
The texture of soft, aromatic bread engraved with a cross on the surface filled with glaze
Fruit & Spicy: The bread is lightly spiced with cinnamon and mixed spice, with hints of lemon zest, raisins, and candied fruits.

The cross on the surface is engraved and filled with glaze. Every bite promises a blend of unique glaze made with flour, and golden syrup.
Homemade bread: Once you’ve tried the homemade hot cross buns, it’s hard to go back!

Tips

Prepare the dough the night before to bake fresh the next day.
Don’t skimp on the 1 hour 30 minutes waiting time to let the bread rise in a warm place. If your radiators are still on during Easter, place the dough next to one. Otherwise, place a bowl of boiling water in the oven with the dough to create a warm and humid environment. You can also switch on the oven light to create warmth.
Warm the milk for 30 seconds in the microwave or else you could kill the yeast. Always check it with your fingers before you pour it into the dough.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Yeast – 2 tsp dry yeast = 6 grams. I use the 7g sachets from Lidl, but you can find small sachets of dry instant yeast almost anywhere. Avoid buying a large packet, as it will lose effectiveness over time once opened. If your yeast doesn’t froth, your effort will be in vain and your buns will remain unleavened.
Flour – Use bread flour or subs with plain or white all-purpose flour.
Caster sugar – Try to stick with caster sugar. You can subs with normal sugar using a 1:1 ratio.

Milk – Subs the milk with almond milk or oats milk. Always make sure it’s warm and not hot!
Flavourings
- Spices – Subs the mixed spice with allspice or nutmeg. However, I would never bake my hot cross buns without the cinnamon.
- Sultanas – Subs with raisins
- Lemon zest – Subs with orange zest or 1/4 cup candied citrus peel.
- Candied peel – Subs with 1/2 cup raisins.
- Chocolate chips – Subs the sultanas with 1 cup of chocolate chips
Glaze – Use 1 tbsp apricot jam and 2 tsp water to glaze the Hot Cross Buns

Storing Hot Cross Buns

Store at Room Temperature: In my experience, whenever I bake these buns they never make it past a day, a maximum of two. Unfortunately, like all other bread, they quickly loose their soft texture and moisture. In fact, heating them in the microwave for 15 seconds will bring them their freshness – leave them 30s and they will become soggy. If you don’t want to eat 12 buns in one go, freeze some of them.

Freezing: Like usual allow to cool and then store in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator. You can defrost the buns and bake them at 150C for 5-8 minutes. As a quick hack, (as I don’t love waiting), just put them in the toaster directly from the freezer and then spread with butter – so yummy!

Healthy Info

Calories: 335.47
Sugar: 24.7

Sodium: 256.58
Fat: 6.06
Carbohydrates: 64.89

Fiber: 1.34
Protein: 7.4

More Bread Recipes:

Ina Garten Strawberry Scones

More Easter Recipes:

Ina Garten’s Coconut Cake

Catherine Fulvio Blueberry Cinnamon Swirls

Hot Cross Buns with Candied Fruit Recipe

Servings 12 buns

Calories 335.47

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 20

for rising 1 30

Total Time 2 20

Fat: 6.06|Carbohydrates: 64.89|Protein: 7.4

Pin Recipe

Description

Ingredients

4 cups (1lb 2oz) white flour plus extra for dusting
⅓ cup (2¾ oz) caster sugar

2 tsp mixed spice powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 lemon finely grated zest only

2 tsp (¼ oz) salt
2 tsp (¼ oz) fast-action dried yeast
3 tbsp (1½ oz) butter

1¼ cups (10fl oz) milk
1 egg beaten
1 cup (7 oz) sultanas

¼ cup (1¾ oz) mixed candied peel finely chopped
oil for greasing

For the Glaze

⅓ cup (2¾ oz) plain flour

2 tbsp golden syrup for glazing

Instructions

Start by placing the sifted flours, the sugar and the yeast in the bowl of a planetary mixer fitted with a leaf. (The kneading can also be done on a work surface using your hands)
Pour in the warm milk slowly as you start mixing the ingredients.

Pour in the tepid water, the egg and continue to mix with the leaf until the dough is homogeneous.
Replace the leaf with the hook.
Add the spices and lemon zest.

Add the softened butter one piece at a time, waiting for the previous for each piece to mix with the dough.
Finally add the salt and knead the dough until it’s homogeneous, smooth and elastic. Let it stick to the hook!
Place the dough on a work surface flattening it out and seasoning it with the well-drained raisins sultans, raisins and candied fruit on top. Wrap the dried fruits in the dough.

Place back the dough in the planetary mixer to incorporate all the dried fruits.
Place the dough in a bowl and cover with transparent film.
Let it rise for 1 hours and 30 minutes in the oven off with the light on.

Work the dough on a work surface adding flour on the surface or otherwise pour a drop of oil to prevent the dough from sticking.
Give the dough a quick knead, then give it the shape of a ball and back in the bowl for a second rising.
After the necessary time, the hot cross buns dough will have doubled its volume.

Now it’s time to shape the buns, divide the dough into bites of and give each one a spherical shape.
Place the buns on a baking tray lined with baking paper covering them with plastic and leaving them for another hour.
In the meantime, prepare the topping by pouring the sifted flour into a small bowl, adding the syrup and whisking until you get a smooth consistency.

Fill a ziplock bag with the glaze obtained and snip a corner creating a tiny tip.
Make the typical cross of hot cross buns and cook in a preheated static oven at 220° for around 15-20 minutes.
Once cooked, take the hot cross buns out of the oven and place them on a wire rack

Let them cool down and serve your hot cross buns for a sweet breakfast!

Recipe Notes:

Yeast: 2 tsp dry yeast = 6 grams. Use 7g sachets of dry instant yeast. Avoid large packets as they lose effectiveness once opened. Ensure yeast froths to avoid unleavened buns.
Flour: Use bread flour or substitute with plain or all-purpose flour.

Caster Sugar: Substitute with normal sugar using a 1:1 ratio.
Milk: Substitute with almond milk or oat milk. Ensure it’s warm, not hot. Warm the milk for 30 seconds in the microwave and check the temperature with your fingers before adding to the dough to avoid killing the yeast.
Flavourings
- Spices: Substitute mixed spice with allspice or nutmeg. Cinnamon is essential.
- Sultanas: Substitute with raisins or 1 cup of chocolate chips.
- Lemon Zest: Substitute with orange zest or 1/4 cup candied citrus peel.
- Candied Peel: Substitute with 1/2 cup raisins.
Glaze – Use 1 tbsp apricot jam and 2 tsp water to glaze the Hot Cross Buns.
Dough
- Make ahead for tomorrow – Prepare the dough the night before to bake fresh the next day.
- Leafening – Allow the dough to rise for 1 hour 30 minutes in a warm place. Use a radiator or place a bowl of boiling water in the oven with the dough to create a warm, humid environment. Alternatively, switch on the oven light.
Storing Hot Cross Buns
- Room Temperature – Store at room temperature for up to 1-2 days. Reheat in the microwave for 15 seconds to restore freshness.
- Freezing: Allow buns to cool, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Defrost and bake at 150°C for 5-8 minutes, or toast directly from the freezer and spread with butter.