Soft and Fluffy Hot Cross Buns

Close up of soft hot cross buns with vanilla mascarpone icing cross on top.

Soft and Fluffy Hot Cross Buns

[ see recipe VIDEO below ] Fluffy and soft, Hot Cross Buns are a treat any time of year but make Spring holidays feel extra special. Naturally sweetened with maple syrup, these buns are infused with flavor from lemon and orange zest with spice highlights from cinnamon and a touch of cardamom.

Dotted with currants soaked in rum or water, these yeasted buns can be made and baked on the same day or overnight for ultimate ease. Finished with an easy-to-make lightly sweetened vanilla-orange mascarpone cross or a powdered sugar drizzle. This recipe is vegetarian and easily dairy free.

Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine American

Diet Vegetarian

Keyword Easter Buns, Hot Cross Buns, Sweet Buns Recipe

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 25

Ferment/Proof 2 50

Total Time 4

Servings Buns

Calories 257kcal

Author Traci York

Ingredients

For the Buns:

1/2 cup (115 grams) Milk warmed to 105-110F (40-43C) plant or dairy milk with a pinch of sugar
2 1/2 teaspoon Quick Rise Yeast also known as Instant Yeast *see note
2/3 cup (95 grams) Dried Currants or raisins, **see note
4 tablespoons Light Rum or water
3 Whole Eggs two for the dough, one will be used for egg wash
1/2 cup (113 grams) Unsalted Butter melted and cooled to the touch, plant butter or dairy
1 1/2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Bean Paste
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon (75 grams) Pure Maple Syrup
2 2/3 cups (380 grams) All Purpose Flour plus more for dusting
1 3/4 teaspoons Cinnamon ground
1 1/2 teaspoons Cardamom ground
3/4 teaspoons Fine Sea Salt
1 Lemon zested, about 1 teaspoon of zest
1 Orange zested, about 1 1/2 teaspoons of zest

For the Icing (see notes for alternative drizzle):

8 ounces (226 grams) Mascarpone Cheese straight from the refrigerator
3 tablespoons Powdered Sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon Orange Zest from one large orange
1/2 Vanilla Bean Scraped or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste

Instructions

For the Buns:

Get Ready: Spray a 9"x9"x2" (23x23cm) baking pan with grease, then line the pan with parchment paper, and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, add the warmed milk, sprinkle yeast over the top, and add a pinch of sugar. Whisk and set aside for 15 minutes to proof. It will be bubbly and frothy when ready.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, pour the rum over the currants/raisins, cover and warm for 30 seconds in the microwave. This will plump them up. Drain, pressing the currants/raisins through a fine strainer just before using in the recipe.
Mix: To the frothy milk/yeast mixture, add 2 eggs, cooled melted butter, vanilla extract, and maple syrup. Whisk thoroughly.
To the wet ingredients, add the flour, cardamom, cinnamon, and sea salt. Use a wooden spoon to mix first, then as the ingredients come together mix by hand until there are no dry patches. Add the lemon and orange zest and the drained currants/raisins. Using one hand, gently lift and press the dough over and onto itself while rotating the bowl in quarter turns with each fold with the other hand. Do this for about one minute to thoroughly mix in the zest and currants/raisins. The dough will feel soft and greasy.
Knead: Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Actively knead the dough for about 9-10 minutes until the dough has a tacky, not sticky, feel to it. If the dough sticking to your hands and/or work surface, dust with flour and continue kneading.
First Rise: Roll into a ball by tucking the edges in underneath. Place in a lightly greased clean bowl, cover with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm location to rise (see tip in notes) to double in size.
Divide and Shape: Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently roll the dough into a log and divide into 12 equal pieces (use a scale if you have one to portion each piece to about 74 grams each). Roll each piece into a ball and place into the parchment lined baking pan. (see options A and B for finishing the buns).
Second Rise (proof):
A. Overnight Buns: Cover the buns with plastic wrap and place the buns in the refrigerator overnight (8-24 hours). In the morning, remove them from the refrigerator and allow buns to rise until almost doubled in size. When ready, they should be squishing against one another. Use the TIP in the notes to speed this process along (my overnight buns take about two hours to proof after removing them from the refrigerator using the oven proof method).
B. Same Day Buns: Cover the buns with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap and set buns in warm spot to rise (proof) until almost doubled in size. When ready, they should be squishing against one another. Use the TIP in the notes to speed this process along. (my same day buns take about one hour to proof using the oven proof method).
If using the oven to proof your buns, remove the buns from the oven before preheating the oven.
Bake: Preheat the oven to 375F (190C). Crack the remaining egg into a bowl and whisk with one tablespoon of water. Brush the tops of the buns with egg wash and bake for 23-25 minutes. If they're getting too dark, loosely place a piece of foil over the pan. Bake to an internal temperature of 190F/87C. The tops will be golden brown.
Finish: Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack. Cool completely before piping the mascarpone icing crosses. You can also share the buns warm without the cross, and serve the mascarpone icing on the side. Aternatively, cool 5-10 minutes, then add the optional the drizzle (see notes).

For the Mascarpone Icing (see notes for alternative drizzle):

In a small bowl, add the mascarpone. Sift in the powdered sugar, add the orange zest and vanilla beans. Gently mix the icing just until the ingredients come together. Do not whisk or mix vigorously or the mixture could break.
Transfer half the icing to a piping or zip bag and cut a small opening at the tip. Refrigerate the icing until ready to pipe. Once the buns are cool, pipe the icing in a cross shape over the buns. Share the remaining icing on the side for slathering.
Alternatively, you can share warm buns with the icing on the side. Slice the buns open and slather the icing inside the buns.

Video

Notes

*I use Red Star Quick Rise Yeast (aka Instant Yeast). You can use Quick Rise Yeast or Instant Yeast interchangeably.

**Currants are smaller than raisins and I prefer them in sweet buns, but they can be hard to find. Look for currants in the bulk bins or use raisins instead of currants.

TIP: Since kitchen temperatures vary, and in order to allow the buns to rise in a timely manner, you can use your oven to help control this process especially if your kitchen is on the cooler side. Simply turn on your oven light and place the covered dough into the oven. This will help the dough rise a bit quicker. This technique can be done for the first (fermentation) and second rise (proof).

For the Optional Drizzle:

Ingredients: 5 tablespoons powdered sugar (sifted), 1 1/2 tablespoons milk or orange juice, 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Method: In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, milk, or orange juice, and cinnamon. If it's clumpy, keep whisking until smooth. If holding for more than 10 minutes place plastic wrap right on the surface of the mixture, otherwise it will dry out and start flaking. After the buns cool for about 5-10 minutes, use the tines of a fork to drizzle the mixture over the buns.

How to Store and Reheat Hot Cross Buns:

With Icing/Drizzle: If finishing the buns with the mascarpone cross or simple sugar drizzle, they'll need to be refrigerated or frozen within a few hours of piping the cross or drizzling since mascarpone and milk are perishable. They reheat well either way - but the cross/drizzle will melt in a hot oven.

Without Icing/Drizzle: you can store the buns covered at room temperature for up to three days. After reheating, serve the mascarpone icing or drizzle on the side for slathering/drizzling.

Reheat: these buns reheat beautifully. Simply place the buns in a parchment lined baker, cover with foil and reheat at 375 Fahrenheit (190 Celsius) for 20-30 minutes. They can go from freezer to oven!

This recipe was inspired by Bouchon Bakery and Bo Fryburg's Pastry Chef

The nutrition below is only for the buns. Icing or drizzle is extra!

Nutrition