On Hot Cross Buns

Keep calm and eat a hot cross bun

When I was a kid, hot cross buns were something out of a nursery rhyme from the books my parents got for me at the time I was learning how to read. I think I was around six or seven years old - around my time in the first grade - when I discovered that they were an actual food - one with an interesting backstory.

Hot cross buns are traditionally baked and eaten during Holy Week, the final stretch of the season of Lent, particularly in the United Kingdom and in countries that used to be British colonies. While these are now available practically all year round, the demand for these baked goods booms in the days leading up to Easter Sunday.

Best when split and buttered

If you want to try your hand at making them, check out my recipe below:

Hot Cross Buns

For the dough:

• 500g bread flour or all-purpose flour;
• 50g granulated white sugar;
• 7g fast-acting / active dry yeast (one sachet);
• 150mL milk;
• 75g salted or lightly-salted butter;
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon;
• 1/4 teaspoon ground green cardamom;
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg;
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger;
• 1 tablespoon honey;
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• approximately 1 cup dried fruit and nuts of your choice

For the crosses and glaze:

• 3 tablespoons flour
• 3 tablespoons water
• 3 tablespoons runny honey or vanilla syrup

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, yeast, sugar, spices, and your fruit and nut mix. Stir well and make a well in the centre; set aside.

Place the milk and butter in a heatproof bowl and microwave on HIGH for around a minute and a half. Remove from the microwave and whisk until the butter has melted. Crack in the eggs and add the honey and vanilla extract; whisk well. 

Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry mix and stir until you've hydrated everything and the mixture is a shaggy sort of dough. Flour your hands well and knead the dough for 10 to 12 minutes, until you achieve a smooth-surfaced ball, adding flour if the dough gets too sticky. Cover the dough with a clean dishcloth and place in a warm area; leave to rise for an hour to an hour and a half.

Ready for proofing

Grease and line a 9" x 13" baking pan. Uncover your dough and punch it down. Dust a clean work surface with flour, then divide the dough into 16 rolls as evenly as you can. Place the rolls in the pan as shown above. Cover the rolls again and allow to prove for 30 to 45 minutes.

Pre-heat your oven to 350° / Gas Mark 4. Whisk together the three tablespoons of flour with three tablespoons of water to make a runny paste. Pour this paste into a squeeze bottle. Five minutes before baking, carefully pipe crosses onto each bun as shown below:

Easy does it...

Bake the buns for 20 to 25 minutes. Immediately remove from the oven, allow to cool for about two to three minutes, then brush the tops with the reserved honey.

Makes 16 buns. These are amazing when freshly-baked and slathered with butter, though my friend Kathi tells me she remembers her classmates' mums baking these buns and serving them with lashings of good jam and creme fraiche. I daresay some clotted cream and a drizzle of honey would also be good.

Historico-Cultural Notes

While hot cross buns are now associated with British culinary culture, they have been a part of Christian history since around the 6th century AD when Greek Christians stamped crosses on cakes used for sacred feasts.

The form and flavour of this seasonal treat are also symbolic of Christ's execution: the cross, of course, speaks for itself, while the spices call to mind those used for His burial.