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Homemade hot cross buns that are super soft, fluffy + a little sweet. An absolute must for Easter – they will be gone very quickly!
These buns are something I look forward to every single Easter. They are so light, so soft, and so sweet.
Garnished with orange-soaked raisins (to help fill them out), these rolls have the most perfect fluffiness to them with all the warming spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.
It’s like a warm, cozy hug in a bun, and they’re best served warm from the oven with a little butter and a hot cup of tea. There is nothing like it.
IMPORTANT TIPS
The most important thing here is to make sure your yeast is nice and active otherwise it won’t rise. And a sticky, soft dough is key for the softest rolls possible. A stand mixer will also become your best friend, and it won’t require any elbow grease. But if you don’t have a mixer, you can completely knead the dough by hand.
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup orange juice
- 3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¾ cup whole milk, 105-110 degrees F
- 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
- ½ cup and 1 tsp brown sugar, divided
- 6 spoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon extra vanilla
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
for the cross
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 6 spoon water
- 2 spoon unsalted butter, melted
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In a small saucepan over low heat, combine raisins and orange juice until heated through, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Drain raisins from orange juice, discard orange juice; set aside.
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In a large bowl, combine flour, orange zest, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg; set aside.
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Combine milk, yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in a small bowl; let stand until frothy, about 5 minutes.
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In the bowl of a electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and remaining 1/2 cup sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs and raisins until well combined.
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Using the dough hook, add the flour and yeast mixture until a soft, smooth dough ball is formed. The dough should feel elastic and slightly sticky to the touch. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 3-5 minutes.
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Lightly oil a large bowl or coat with nonstick spray; put the dough in the bowl, turning to coat. Cover with a clean dishtowel and let rise in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
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Gently deflate the dough by punching down. Roll into a 15-inch rope; cut into 15 1-inch pieces, pressing each piece into a disk, then shaping into a ball.
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Lightly oil a 9×13 baking dish or coat with nonstick spray. Place the dough balls in the prepared baking dish. Cover with a clean dishtowel and let rise in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, about 30-45 minutes.
for the cross
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In a small bowl, mix the flour and water until a smooth paste forms. Transfer to a Ziploc bag, making a small slit in the corner of the bag. Pipe mixture into each dough ball, creating a thick cross.
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place in oven and bake until golden brown, about 22-25 minutes; brush tops with melted butter.
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Serve hot.