Bread Machine Hot Cross Buns: A Classic Good Friday Treat
Sneak Preview: Celebrate Good Friday with these spiced, raisin-filled Bread Machine Hot Cross Buns—soft, flavorful, and easy to make using your bread maker, stand mixer, or by hand.
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Do you have memories connected with Hot Cross Buns? One of my co-workers brought them to work every year on the Friday before Easter. I still think of her on Good Friday, although I haven’t seen her in years. Shared food is like that.
It’s no surprise that most Hot Cross Buns from the grocery store don’t hold a candle to the ones you make yourself.
What Makes These Hot Cross Buns Special
- Cozy spices: Cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg with sweet raisins
- Tailor to your preferences: Swap raisins for cranberries, cherries, or currants.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: Prep dough the night before.
- Adaptable Method: Use your bread machine for easy kneading. See recipe notes for making these by hand or with a stand mixer.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- MILK: Any variety; plant-based options work well.
- BUTTER: Unsalted is best; try oil or non-dairy butter. Chop finely before adding.
- SPICES: Use cinnamon or apple pie spice blend.
- FLOUR: All-purpose or up to one-third whole wheat.
- RAISINS: Substitute dried cranberries or currants.
Step-by-Step: How To Make Bread Machine Hot Cross Buns
Making the Dough:
- Cover ½ cup (72g) raisins or currants with hot water and let sit while preparing the dough
- Load all ingredients into the bread machine pan. Select the DOUGH cycle and START.
- First Peek: Open the lid and ensure the paddles are engaged properly. The dough should start to come together in a clumpy ball.
- Check Dough Consistency: After 12-15 minutes of kneading, the dough should stick to the sides, then pull away cleanly.
- If too dry, add liquid 1 tablespoon at a time.
- If too wet, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Add drained raisins when the add-in beep sounds. If you forget, knead them in by hand at the end of the DOUGH cycle.
- First Rise: When the DOUGH cycle finishes, check that the dough has doubled. If not, leave it in the machine a bit longer.
- Transfer dough from the bread machine pan to a lightly floured service at the end of the DOUGH cycle.
Shaping the Dough:
- Compress Bubbles: Remove dough onto a floured surface, lightly knead to remove air bubbles.
- Divide into 12 equal portions.
- Shape into balls and place in a greased 9×13-inch pan.
- Cover with a towel and place in a warm place until rolls touch each other.
- Prepare for baking: Slash a cross on each roll using a sharp knife or razor blade. Brush with glaze, avoiding drips to the pan.
Bake and Decorate:
- Bake at 350˚F (180˚C) for 20 minutes, or until rolls reach an internal temperature of 190˚F (88˚C). Let cool on a wire rack.
- Decorate: Once cooled, pipe frosting crosses using a small zippered plastic bag with the tip snipped, or simply drizzle with a spoon.
Shared & Loved
“Wonderful recipe, turned out perfectly, only cooked for about 16 minutes at 350
I added 1/2 cut of mixed dried fruits along with the raisins. They were gone before I could even finish icing them!”–BARB
Bread Machine Hot Cross Buns: A Classic Good Friday Treat
Soft, spiced, and slightly sweet, these Bread Machine Hot Cross Buns are a traditional Good Friday favorite. Made with warm spices, raisins, and a tender dough, they are easy to prepare using a bread machine, stand mixer, or by hand.
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Video
Ingredients
Dough
- ½ cup (72 g) raisins or currants
- ⅞ cup (198 g) milk (7 oz) (any kind, but whole milk is best)
- 1 large (50 g) egg
- 1 large (17 g) egg yolk (save the egg white for the glaze)
- 3 tablespoons (36 g) brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon cloves
- ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons grated rind of one lemon (or grated rind of a small orange)
- 3 cups (360 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2¼ teaspoons bread machine yeast
Glaze:
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 (33 g) egg white from a large egg
Frosting
- 1 cup (114 g) powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 + tablespoon milk to make a thick icing
Instructions
- Soak Raisins: Pour hot water over a ½ cup (72 g) raisins or currants and let while preparing the dough.
- Prepare Dough: Add ⅞ cup (198 g) milk (7 oz), 1 large (50 g) egg , 1 large (17 g) egg yolk , 3 tablespoons (36 g) brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon allspice, ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg, ⅛ teaspoon cloves, ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter, finely chopped, 2 teaspoons grated rind of one lemon, 3 cups (360 g) unbleached all-purpose flour, and 2¼ teaspoons bread machine yeast, to the bread machine pan.
- Start DOUGH cycle: Select the DOUGH cycle, then press START. Check during the first minute to ensure the paddles are engaged and the dough is clumping together.
- Check Dough Consistency: After 15-18 minutes, the dough should stick to the sides, then pull away.If too dry, add liquid 1 tbsp at a time. If too wet, add flour 1 tbsp at a time. Read more about this surprising secret to success with a bread machine here.
- Add Raisins: Drain and squeeze out excess water. Add when the machine beeps for mix-ins or knead in by hand later.
- First Rise: When the cycle finishes, ensure the dough has doubled in size.
- Shape Rolls: Divide into 12 portions, shape into balls, and place in a greased 9×13-inch pan. Lightly cover the rolls with a tea towel and allow the rolls to rise until almost double.
- Slash & Glaze: Score a cross on each roll, brush with glaze.
- Preheat oven to 350˚F or 180˚C.
- Bake: Bake at 350˚F (180˚C) for 20 minutes or until rolls reach 190˚F (88˚C). Let cool.
- Decorate: Pipe icing crosses using a small zippered bag or drizzle with a spoon.
Glaze:
- Whisk together1 tablespoon milk and 1 (33 g) egg white from a large egg. Brush the rolls after slashing them immediately before putting them in the oven.
Icing:
- Combine 1 cup (114 g) powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 + tablespoon milk to make a thick icing, stirring until smooth. Pour over cooled rolls
Notes
Alternative Mixing Methods:
Using a Stand Mixer:
- Add ingredients to the bowl in order.
- Mix on low speed until moistened, then use a dough hook on speed 2-3.
- Knead until smooth and elastic (5-10 minutes).
- Cover, let rise until doubled, then shape as directed.
- Mix ingredients in a large bowl until a shaggy dough forms.
- Knead on a floured surface until smooth and elastic (10-20 minutes).
- Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled.
- Deflate, shape, and proceed with recipe instructions.
Equipment
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 165kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 185mg | Potassium: 114mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 146IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg
All images and text ©️ Paula Rhodes for Salad in a Jar.com
5-Star Ratings Are My Favorite!Help others find this recipe in search results on the web.
FAQ
- Can I make the dough ahead?
- Yes, refrigerate it overnight and bake the next day.
- How can I make a cross without icing?
- Score the dough before baking.
- Can I use whole wheat flour?
- Yes, replace up to one-third of the flour.
- Do I need to warm ingredients before adding them to the bread machine?
- No, the friction of the paddles warms them during kneading.
- How do you shape the dough into smooth balls?
- Pinch and pull the dough from the top, tucking it underneath until smooth. This technique creates surface tension, helping the buns keep their round shape while baking. See the video.
Final Thoughts
I don’t know about you, but making these rolls inspires me to sing and clap to “Hot Cross Buns.” I hope you have fun with them.
Although I’m no expert in English teacakes, I’m told these buns are similar. Let me know what you think.
More Bread Machine Posts You Might Find Interesting
Need help troubleshooting? Please email me: Paula at saladinajar.com–photos welcome!
I would leave 5 stars if I could.
I’ve made these twice in the last week.
Just doubled the spices because I like more.
Otherwise, perfect as far as instructions.
Hi Lois,
Good job! Adding extra spices is always the baker’s prerogative. Something to note: Extra cinnamon can slow down the yeast a bit. Watch for that.
Wonderful recipe, turned out perfectly, only cooked for about 16 minutes at 350
I added 1/2 cut of mixed dried fruits along with the raisins. They were gone before I could even finish icing them!
Ooooooh, I love mixed dried fruit in bread. Good idea. Glad they were a hit!
In your instructions, it says “6 1/2 t” of cinnamon (which I put in). I went back to list of ingredients to see it should have been 1/2 tsp. I tried to get most of it out. Still in machine – not sure what I’ll get. Maybe you could change that in the instructions.
Thank you, Jean. I have erased the “6”. Seems like no matter how many times I check, I still miss something. I appreciate you taking the time to let me know. Hope you like the rolls even if they are rather cinnamon-y.
@Paula, time will tell. Also had the other spices in so probably lost most of those as well. It is a good trial run for Easter!
If a recipe calls for homestyle white bread flour, can I use WHOLE WHEAT BREAD FLOUR using the same measurement for all ingredients?
Hi Miles,
I wish it were that easy. Because there is not as much gluten in whole wheat flour, it’s easy to go from light-and-fluffy to “bricks” in a hurry. I recommend you start out by substituting a third of the white flour with the same amount of whole wheat flour and see how that goes. If that works well, increase it a little more the next time. If you are a beginner, I recommend you stick to recipes designed for whole wheat flour until you understand how whole grain flour acts differently. It really is a different game and it takes experience to understand the rules. Good luck!
@Paula, thank you. I’ll heed your advice.
Thanks for listing the measurements by weight and adding the nutritional info! To this recipe I added 25g candied peel (using up the last of the holiday fruitcake mix) and subbed mixed spice. A great recipe!
Hi Sharon,
You’re welcome on the measurements by weight and nutritional info. Glad you liked the recipe. I can imagine the candied peel took these rolls over the top.
Oh i am so going to make these! I love them but cant make much due to a frozen shoulder so this is ideal.
Thank you for posting the recipe, i will add it to my file of your wonderful, well written easy to follow and make breads 🙂
Oh no, Ann. I’m sorry to hear about your frozen shoulder. Hope you are back to normal and baking bread soon.