Hot Cross Buns Raisins Orange (Printable)

Soft, spiced buns with raisins and a fragrant orange glaze, perfect for festive brunches or cozy breakfasts.

# 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 - 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
07 - 1/2 tsp salt
08 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
09 - 1 cup whole milk, lukewarm
10 - 2 large eggs
11 - 1 cup raisins
12 - Zest of 1 large orange

→ Cross Paste

13 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
14 - 1/4 cup water

→ Orange Glaze

15 - 3/4 cup powdered sugar
16 - 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
17 - 1/2 tsp orange zest

# How-To Steps:

01 - Combine bread flour, sugar, yeast, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
02 - Add softened butter and rub into dry ingredients with fingertips until mixture resembles fine crumbs.
03 - Whisk milk and eggs together in separate bowl. Pour into flour mixture and stir to form soft dough.
04 - Knead by hand or with stand mixer using dough hook for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
05 - Knead in raisins and orange zest until evenly distributed throughout dough.
06 - Place dough in lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise in warm place for 1 hour until doubled in size.
07 - Punch down dough and divide into 12 equal pieces. Shape each into ball and place on parchment-lined baking tray with slight spacing.
08 - Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise 30 to 40 minutes until puffy.
09 - Preheat oven to 375°F.
10 - Mix flour and water to form thick, pipeable paste. Transfer to piping bag and pipe cross over each bun.
11 - Bake for 22 to 25 minutes until golden brown.
12 - While buns bake, mix powdered sugar, orange juice, and zest to create glaze.
13 - Brush hot buns with orange glaze immediately after removing from oven. Cool slightly before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The orange glaze adds brightness that cuts through the rich spiced dough
  • These freeze beautifully so you can bake once and enjoy for weeks
  • The smell of cinnamon and allspice drifting through the house is worth the effort alone
02 -
  • The milk must be lukewarm, not hot, or it will kill the yeast before the dough can rise
  • Do not skip the second rise or the buns will be dense instead of light and fluffy
  • Pipe the cross paste gently and steadily to avoid deflating the proofed dough
03 -
  • Use room temperature ingredients to help the dough rise faster and more evenly
  • Let the buns cool for at least 15 minutes before glazing if you want the cross pattern to remain visible

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