Sticky Hot Crossed Buns | Recipe | Gig House Kitchen

A British classic that’s fun and easy to make, perfect for a lazy afternoon with the family this Easter.

Photo courtesy of Gig House Kitchen on YouTube

Why not make these sticky sweet Hot Crossed Buns this weekend and delight your loved ones? A British classic these are so easy and fun to make, perfect for a lazy afternoon with the family.

Thought to originate from St Albans in the 1300s, Hot Crossed Buns were traditionally eaten on Good Friday to celebrate the upcoming Easter Sunday.

Using enriched bread dough and mixed dry fruit, these are perfect for breakfast or for an afternoon snack with a cuppa.

This is a great recipe for a novice chef who wants to learn to bake bread, it’s extremely forgiving, and could even be a great activity with the kids.

Why not try them yourself. Make sure to leave a comment to let us know how you get on!

What you need for this recipe

• Mixing bowl (metal or glass is fine)*
• Measuring jug
• Large baking tray*
• Baking parchment
• Pastry brush
• Piping bag (no essential, but helpful)
• Digital kitchen scales*

You will also need a variety of plates, small bowls, and cutlery on hand for this recipe to weigh ingredients into, portion spices, etc.

Watch the video

Video courtesy of Gig House Kitchen on YouTube

Ingredients

Buns:

• 300ml Milk
• 50g Butter
• 1tsp Cinnamon
• 75g Caster Sugar
• 500g Strong Bread Flour
• 1tsp Salt
• 1 sachet (7g) Active Dry Yeast
• 1 egg (beaten)
• 125g Mixed Sultanas & Citrus Peel (or dry fruit of choice)

Crosses:

• 75g Plain Flour
• Cold Water (enough to make a paste)

Optional Glazes:

• 1 Egg (mixed with water for egg wash)
• 1tbsp Caster Sugar & 1tbsp Water (for sugar syrup glaze)

Pre-heat oven to 200°C / 392°F / Gas Mark 5–6

Method

Buns:

• Put milk into a saucepan and warm on the stove until lightly simmering and then turn off the heat (do not boil)
• Add 75g caster sugar, cinnamon and butter and allow them to steep in the milk as it cools down to room temperature (warm)
• Put flour and salt in a mixing bowl and stir together
• When the milk is warm to the touch (approx. 37ºc / 98ºf) pour in the active dry yeast and allow it to bloom for 10–15 minutes or until it becomes frothy.
• When the yeast has bloomed, pour the milk into the flour along with your beaten egg and stir the mixture together using a round-bladed knife until it becomes a sticky dough.
• Pour the dough onto a clean, well-floured work surface and knead for 5 minutes, until the dough becomes smooth and pliable. The dough will be very sticky, so keep your hands and work surface well-floured as you work.
• Clean your mixing bowl and lightly oil the inside and allow the kneaded dough to rest in the bowl, covered with clingfilm, for at least 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size. Leave the dough in a warm place as it will rise faster.
• When the dough has risen, pour it out onto a well-floured work surface and pour your dried fruit onto the dough and knead it for another 5 minutes to incorporate the fruit.
• Return the dough to your lightly greased mixing bowl, cover with cling film, and allow to rise again for 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.
• Clean off your work surface and prepare your baking tray by greasing it with butter and lining with a sheet of baking parchment.
• When the dough has risen, pour it out onto a clean work surface (the dough shouldn’t be sticky at this point) and shape the dough into a large sausage shape so that it can be portioned into 12 equal pieces.
• Arrange the buns on the baking tray approximately 2cm apart so they have space to rise, cover loosely with clingfilm, and allow to rise again for 1 more hour, or until they have doubled in size.
• When the dough is risen, pre-heat the oven to 200°C / 392°F / Gas Mark 5–6
• Optional: Score the buns using a knife to mark out where you will put your crosses
• Optional: If you decide to egg wash your buns, mix a beaten egg with a few spoonfuls of water and brush it over the buns using a clean pastry brush (silicone works best)

Crosses:

• To make the crosses, mix plain flour with a few spoonfuls of water until it makes a thick but pourable slurry.
• Use a piping bag to pour the flour mixture over the buns in long lines hatching over the surface of the buns so they each have a distinct (X) cross on them.

Baking & Finishing:

• Bake the buns in a hot oven for 10–15 minutes, or until they are golden brown, and the dough is cooked all the way through. The egg wash will mean they brown quicker, so keep an eye on them.
• Optional: Put 1equal parts caster sugar and water (approx. 1tbsp) into a saucepan and warm on the hob to make a sugar syrup, you want to let the mixture reduce very slightly but don’t let it caramelise. This is just to help the syrup stick.
• Optional: While the buns are still warm, brush the sugar syrup over the buns using a clean pastry brush.
• Allow the buns to cool on a wire rack, they are now ready to eat.

Final comments

Make sure the milk is warm before adding the yeast, if the milk is too hot it will kill the yeast and the recipe will not work. You should be able to keep your finger in the milk and it will feel warm but not hot.

If the yeast doesn’t become frothy after 20 minutes it means it’s probably inactive and not usable.

Using an egg wash will cause your buns to brown quickly, so keep an eye on them after they’ve been in the oven for 10 minutes and pull them out if they getting too brown.

For the crosses, if you don’t own a piping bag, you could also use a spoon or cut the corner off a sandwich bag to use as a makeshift piping bag.

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