I wrote my original hot cross buns post in April 2009.
Over the past eight years, it’s become one of the most used recipes on our blog. Since that time, we’ve simplified the methodology (ie. I’ve gotten lazier), so that it can now be made by hand with very little kneading, or in a large stand mixer. Two tips: buy a fresh box of yeast before you start, and don’t rush the second rise. And remember, as my friend Jay says, there’s no such thing as too much glaze!
I’ve now updated our old post and hope you’ll give these a go for Easter! ♥
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial Yeasted Hot Cross Buns
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
They are simply breathtaking.
Thanks Kim! :)
They are gorgeous and look sooooo good! But please, as a novice baker, what is in “mixed spice?” I’m in California so, if this is an Australian product, we don’t seem to have it here.
Cathey, it’s a sweet spice mix. I think you could use use allspice or pumpkin pie spice instead?
YOU BET!! It’s on my list, just finished three 22″ long, 6 braid Challahs. These breads are SO fun. Happy Easter to you and yours!!
Braiding IS so much fun – thank you for the reminder. I haven’t made them for ages! Happy Easter to you too!
They loomy so delicious. I would so love to make some.
Go for it, girlfriend!
They look absolutely amazing, you clever lady!
Thanks lovely! Happy Easter to you all! xxx
Have you ever tried making sourdough HCBs Celia? I was going to give it a try with my new starter today…. Guessing they won’t be as soft but hopefully more digestible :)
Yes I have. There’s a link on the original post but they do take a lot longer to prove!
Oh Celia how I love you! I was sitting on my lounge last night thinking “I really should give hot cross buns a go” and then picked up my phone and checked my emails and there was your post! So guess what I’m in the middle of right now – making your hot cross buns! Just waiting whilst the dough does its first 20 minute rest, with a lovely cup of tea.
I don’t comment very often at all so may I take the time now to say thank you for your blog, which I have been reading for years, I truly admire you Celia, you are a wonderful person, so inspiring. Happy Easter to you and your family xo
That’s so lovely, thanks Cath! Happy Easter to all at your place too! :)
I was looking through your previous recipes and thinking about whether I would bother this year and now, here’s an updated recipe. Celia you are a mind reader and national treasure. xx
Hahaha…not a mind reader, but maybe we’re just in sync, Fra! Hope you have a wonderful Easter with your gorgeous fam! xxx
And all my Easter love to you and your family too Celia.xx
I bought self rising flour just so I could make hot cross buns. I have made the sourdough version several times and substituted craisins instead of the dried fruits. The childen (and I) love them.
Manuela, I actually haven’t made the SD version for ages – there’s always such a high demand that only the yeasted ones prove quickly enough! :) Happy Easter and congratulations on your latest addition – wonderful news! xxx
I always loved hot cross buns but haven’t had them in years. Yours look perfect. Happy Easter to you and your family.
A lovely recipe, thanks Celia. I’ve tweaked it a tiny bit & whipped some up last night.
I haven’t made hot cross buns for a couple of years but after looking at yours, I must have another go. Happy Easter!
Celia, those buns look like perfection! I love how you simplified it; I’m doing more and more of that!
[…] more digestible than the common supermarket variety. If you are a beginner at yeasted baking, try Celia’s recipe here. It is foolproof and very […]
Dear Celia, you are a life saver! I was getting panicky about not finding a good recipe for Easter buns, as the batch I made a few days ago wasn’t very nice. Then this post dropped into my lap on Wednesday night and I knew it would be brilliant, just as all of your recipes and tutorials have shown me. So I made them today, Good Friday, and they are just sensational. Well they must be good, there’s only one left! I followed your instructions step by step.. it’s definitely no fail, and I love that you’ve taken all the guesswork out of it, even saving us the task of calculating how many grams each ball of dough should weigh. These are the best Easter Buns we’ve ever tasted! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. Happy Easter to you and your family. X
Oh and I forgot to mention….that glaze..!!! Heavenly..!! I reheated some buns tonight and the glaze held up well.
Tried them and loved them! I’ll add this recipe to my collection for years to come – thank you!
Made these yesterday, they were awesome! I admit I didn’t make your glaze, I just heated up some ginger marmalade that a local shop was selling off for 5p (UK money) and then tipped it over and it worked very well. The buns were incredibly light and not too sweet, my Easter house guests loved them.
I have been making your sourdough hot cross buns (without the crosses) all year as they go down so well here. I can only imagine how good your kitchen smelled after making those. Yumm…..
Thanks for this fabulous Hot Cross Buns recipe- my almost 5 year old grandson and I spent quite a bit of time in the kitchen on Good Friday, following the recipe with all of the proving stages. We ended up with less dried fruit even though I was very generous in weighing them out. The sultanas kept popping up to the surface and so they were immorality popped in to his mouth and that of his younger brother who wanted to ” hep” The recipe is a keeper!~ :-)
Love hot cross buns, my husband is Irish, so I started a tradition to make them at Easter!