Hot Cross Buns Currants Spices (Printable)
Soft, fragrant buns enriched with currants and warm spices, finished with a glossy cross topping.
# What You Need:
→ Dough
01 - 4 cups bread flour
02 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 tsp instant dry yeast
04 - 1 tsp ground cinnamon
05 - 1/2 tsp ground allspice
06 - 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
07 - 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
08 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
09 - 1 large egg
10 - 1 cup whole milk, lukewarm
11 - 3/4 cup currants
12 - Zest of 1 orange
→ Cross Paste
13 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
14 - 1/4 cup water
→ Glaze
15 - 2 tbsp apricot jam or honey
16 - 1 tbsp water
# How-To Steps:
01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine bread flour, sugar, yeast, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and salt.
02 - Add softened butter, egg, and lukewarm milk. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
03 - Knead by hand or with a stand mixer for 8–10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
04 - Add currants and orange zest, knead gently to distribute evenly throughout the dough.
05 - Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
06 - Punch down the dough and divide into 12 equal pieces. Shape each into a ball and arrange on a parchment-lined baking tray, spacing slightly apart.
07 - Cover and let rise for 45–60 minutes, until puffy and nearly doubled in volume.
08 - Preheat oven to 350°F.
09 - Mix flour and water to a thick paste. Transfer to a piping bag and pipe a cross over each bun.
10 - Bake for 20–25 minutes, until buns are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped.
11 - While buns bake, heat apricot jam and water together until melted.
12 - Brush warm glaze over buns immediately after baking.
13 - Cool on a wire rack before serving fresh or toasted with butter.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The kitchen fills with cinnamon and citrus while they bake, making the whole house feel like Easter morning
- These freeze beautifully so you can pull one out, toast it, and have fresh bakery bread on busy weekdays
02 -
- Warm milk activates yeast faster but never let it get hot or you will kill the yeast entirely
- The cross paste should be thick like toothpaste or it will spread and disappear in the oven
03 -
- Weighing ingredients is more accurate than volume measurements, especially for flour
- Brush the buns with the glaze while they are still hot so it sets into a shiny finish