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–+ servings
hot cross buns on parchment paper and wooden cutting board

Hot Cross Buns

Melt in your mouth soft and sweet roll dough filled with raisins and candied orange peel with a sweet orange icing forming the signature cross over the top.
5 from 2 votes
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Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Cooling Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 20
Calories: 478kcal
Author: girlinspired

Ingredients

Sweet Roll Dough

Hot Cross Buns Add-Ins

  • 1/2 cup raisins dark or golden
  • 1/3 cup candied orange peel chopped
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon water

Sweet Orange Icing

  • 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon salted butter softened
  • 1/3 teaspoon orange extract
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

Hot Cross Buns

  • Prepare sweet roll dough and allow to finish the first rise cycle.
    raisins and orange peel mounded on top of dough in glass bowl, oranges and raisins in periphery
  • Punch down the dough and mix in the raisins and candied orange peel.
    prepared hot cross bun dough with oranges and raisins in periphery
  • Divide the dough into 15-20 pieces (you can see the size of the rolls if divided into 20 pieces in the original homemade dinner rolls recipe). Form the dough into balls.
    ball of dough with divided pieces set to the side, raisins and oranges in frame
  • Place the rolls evenly in a greased 9"x13" glass baking dish.
    hot cross bun dough rolled into balls and placed in baking dish
  • Cover with a light dish towel and allow the rolls to rise until doubled, 1-1 1/2 hours.
    risen hot cross buns in baking dish before baking
  • Whisk together the egg yolk with 1 teaspoon of water. Use a pastry brush to brush the tops of the rolls with egg mixture.
    egg wash in bowl with pastry brush held over hot cross buns
  • Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake the rolls until they are deep brown on the tops and cooked through, 12-15 minutes.
    golden brown hot cross buns in baking dish

Sweet Orange Icing:

  • Beat together all of the icing ingredients (or stir together with a spoon).
  • Transfer the icing to a piping bag. Pipe crosses over the tops of the rolls.
    buns in baking dish with icing crosses over the top
Tried this recipe?Follow me on Pinterest @girlinspired!

Nutrition

Calories: 478kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 387mg | Potassium: 103mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 805IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 1mg