If you're looking for an easy way to make soft, fluffy hot cross buns at home, this Bread Machine Hot Cross Buns recipe is the perfect solution. With minimal hands-on effort you can create these spiced buns, traditionally served at Easter, right in your own kitchen.
Table Of Contents
Hot cross buns are lightly sweet, spiced yeast buns traditionally marked with a cross on top and filled with dried fruit. They're especially popular around Easter but are delicious any time of year. Using a bread machine takes the guesswork out of kneading and rising, giving you bakery-quality results every time.
Bread machine hot cross buns go with all of your favorite Good Friday and Easter dinner recipes, like leg of lamb roast, Middle Eastern grape leaves, and lamb meatballs and veggies. They are delicious served as an appetizer along with a bunny-shaped charcuterie fruit board (or an Easter candy board for the kids!).
Why You'll Love Bread Maker Hot Cross Buns
- The bread machine does most of the work so it's beginner friendly
- Soft and fluffy texture with a perfectly spiced flavor
- Great for Easter or year-round baking
- Customizable with raisins, currants or chocolate chips
Ingredients and Equipment Needed
Equipment
- Bread maker
- 9x9 inch baking pan
- Cloth or towel
- Piping bag or spoon
- Whisk or hand mixer (for the icing)
Ingredients
- Bread flour
- Yeast
- Milk
- Unsalted butter
- Egg
- Salt and sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Ground cinnamon
- Mix-ins: currants or raisins: dried peaches or oranges also work well
- Mix-ins: orange zest
- Glaze: confectioner's sugar, orange juice
- Egg wash: egg yolk and water
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except for those for the mix-ins, glaze and egg wash to the bread maker pan in the order your brand of machine requires. Set to the dough setting and select the 1.5 pound loaf. If your machine has a mix-in signal, make sure it is turned on. If your machine has a mix-in dispenser, add the currants to it. Select start to begin the cycle.
- *For the first 10 minutes of kneading, keep an eye on the dough. Scrape down any flour from the sides with a spatula if needed. If the dough is crumbly after 10 minutes, add more warm milk or water 1 tablespoon at a time until sticky and smooth.
- When the mix-in signal chimes, add the currants and orange zest.
- When the cycle completes, remove the dough from the pan and place on a lightly floured surface. Punch down a few times, then shape into a ball and let rest for 10 minutes. While the dough rests, grease a 9x9 inch baking pan with cooking spray or line with a piece of parchment paper.
- Divide the dough into pieces roughly 2 ounces each to form 16 individual dough pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and place into the prepared baking pan in rows of 4. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled in size, about 60 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mix the egg white with 1 tablespoon of water. Using a pastry brush, carefully brush the egg wash onto each dough ball. Bake for 25 minutes, until the buns are a deep brown.
- Let the buns cool completely. When cool, mix the glaze ingredients using a whisk or electric hand mixer. Add more orange juice or powdered sugar if needed to create a semi-thick paste. Put the icing into a piping bag (or use a spoon). Drizzle a cross over each bun, then allow icing to cool before removing from the pan.
- Carefully remove glazed buns from the baking pan by releasing the springform latch or pulling the parchment paper up by its ends. If you did not use parchment paper nor a springform pan, use a flexible spatula to remove buns.
- Serve warm.
Chef's Tips
- Use bread flour for the softest texture
- Don't skip the second and third rises- these ensure fluffy buns
- Add fruit at the mix-in stage to avoid breaking the dough
- I find it better to use a 9x9 inch springform pan than a traditional baking pan. The springform pan's sides can be removed which allows you to easily take the buns out of the pan without messing up the icing crosses.
How To Store and Freeze
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe storage container. Hot cross buns are best served within 2 days of preparing if making ahead of time. They are best served warm. Reheat in the microwave or oven before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can mix and knead the dough by hand or with a stand mixer.
Dense bread is usually due to under-proofing or too much flour. Make sure to complete the second and third rises outside of the bread machine and the dough is a pliable, sticky ball when kneading to prevent this.
Yes, prepare the dough the day before and refrigerate overnight after shaping in the pan. Or, bake the buns and freeze for up to 3 months, glazing the buns prior to serving.
Hot cross buns are slightly sweet and a little savory due to the currants, candied fruit, and icing. They are seasoned with spices, such as cinnamon and nutmeg, and orange zest. They can be described as warm and "spicy" with a touch of citrus.
Bread Machine Hot Cross Buns
If you're looking for an easy way to make soft, fluffy hot cross buns at home, this Bread Machine Hot Cross Buns recipe is the perfect solution. With minimal hands-on effort you can create these spiced buns, traditionally served at Easter, right in your own kitchen.
- bread machine
- 9x9 inch square springform pan
- cloth or towel
- electric hand mixer
- piping bag
- 3 cups bread flour
- ¾ cup milk (warmed to 115°F)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (cut into small pieces)
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 ¼ teaspoon yeast
- 1 cup currants (or raisins )
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 large egg yolk (whites reserved)
Glaze
- ½ cup confectioner's sugar
- 3 tablespoon orange juice
Add all ingredients except for the currant/raisins, orange zest, reserved egg white, confectioners sugar and orange juice to the bread maker pan in the order your brand of machine requires. Set to the dough setting and select the 1.5 pound loaf. If your machine has a mix-in signal, make sure it's turned on. If your machine has a mix-in dispenser, add the currants to it. Select start to begin the cycle.
*For the first 10 minutes of kneading, keep an eye on the dough. Scrape down any flour from the sides with a spatula if needed. If the dough is crumbly after 10 minutes, add more warm milk or water 1 tablespoon at a time until sticky and smooth.
When the mix-in signal chimes, add the currants and orange zest.
When the cycle completes, remove the dough from the pan and place on a lightly floured surface. Punch down a few times, then shape into a ball and let rest for 10 minutes.
While the dough rests, grease a 9x9 inch baking pan with cooking spray or line with a piece of parchment paper. Divide the dough into pieces roughly 2 ounces each to form 16 individual dough pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and place into the prepared baking pan in rows of 4. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled in size, about 60 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mix the reserved egg white with 1 tablespoon of water. Using a pastry brush, carefully brush the egg wash onto each dough ball. Bake for 25 minutes, until the buns are a deep brown.
Let the buns cool completely. Mix the glaze ingredients using a whisk or electric hand mixer. Add more orange juice or powdered sugar if needed to create a semi-thick paste. Put the icing into a piping bag (or use a spoon). Drizzle a cross over each bun, then allow icing to cool before removing from the pan.
Carefully remove glazed buns from the baking pan by releasing the springform latch or pulling the parchment paper up by its ends. If you did not use parchment paper nor a springform pan, use a flexible spatula to remove buns.
Serve warm.
Storing: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe storage container. Hot cross buns are best served within 2 days of preparing if making ahead of time. They are best served warm. Reheat in the microwave or oven before serving.
Tip 1: Use bread flour for the softest texture
Tip 2: Don't skip the second and third rises- these ensure fluffy buns
Tip 3: Add fruit at the mix-in stage to avoid breaking the dough
Tip 4: I find it better to use a 9x9 inch springform pan than a traditional baking pan. The springform pan's sides can be removed which allows you to easily take the buns out of the pan without messing up the icing crosses.
Tena says
If I don't have a mix in setting when do I add the raisins?
Kristina says
Wait about 10-15 minutes to give the dough a chance to knead a shape a bit, then add the raisins. Enjoy!