This step-by-step post will teach you how to make soft & fluffy sourdough hot cross buns with active sourdough starter. They’re perfectly spiced, not too sweet and enjoyed by all. Simply the best!
I didn’t grow up eating hot cross buns at Easter. But my friend Celia did, and every year she makes the most gorgeous, perfectly plump hot cross buns for her family and friends to share. Talk about baker’s envy! (fun fact: she taught me how to bake sourdough bread too).
Inspired to start a new tradition, I created my own hot cross bun recipe with tangy sourdough starter for an updated twist. SO GOOD! Want to know my secret? Combine the butter and flour together first before adding the rest of the ingredients. This creates a soft, fluffy, tender bun with a texture that’s so signature, you’ll want to take a nap inside. You’ll see. It’s an excellent addition to your collection of sourdough bread recipes for sure!
What Are Sourdough Hot Cross Buns?
Generally speaking: hot cross buns are soft, sweet bread rolls typically leavened with commercial yeast. They’re filled with raisins and candied fruit (like orange peel) and scented with cinnamon and other spices that smell like Christmas (like pumpkin pie spice). A shiny lacquered glaze goes on top. The white cross, as I understand it, can be made from powdered sugar or a flour paste.
For my version, I use bubbly active sourdough starter to naturally leaven the dough. It adds wonderful flavor and a slight chewy texture. The rounded tops are glazed with fruity apricot jam. In lieu of making a flour and water paste for the cross, I use a quick cream cheese icing. Celia says this icing is very “American.”
Hot Cross Buns Ingredients (You Will Need):
For the dough
- Whole milk
- Bread flour
- Sugar (I use organic blonde cane sugar from Costco)
- Fine sea salt
- Unsalted butter
- Bubbly, active sourdough starter
- Large egg
- Raisins
- Pure vanilla extract
- Cinnamon
- Pumpkin pie spice
For the glaze
- Apricot jam (I like Bonne Maman)
- Splash of water
For the cross
- Cream cheese
- Unsalted butter
- Powdered sugar
- Whole milk
Step-By-Step Instructions:
TIP: Before you begin, this is an overnight dough which takes 12+ hrs to rise in cool weather, approximately 68 F. Start the night before, in the evening, and plan to bake the following day. For additional guidance, jump to my personal baking schedule at the end of this post.
Make The Dough
- Combine the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the softened butter, one cube at a time, while the machine is running. Add the sourdough starter, milk and egg. Mix to incorporate.
- Using your hands, form the dough into rough ball and leave it in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
While the dough is resting…
- Soak the raisins in vanilla extract. Dried fruit is typically soaked in water to plump their shape and to add moisture to the dough. I love the taste of vanilla extract instead.
- After the 30 minute rest, add the raisins, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice to the bowl.
- Knead the dough, using the dough hook this time, for 8 minutes. It will be smooth and supple when finished. It should not stick to your hands.
- Shape the dough into a ball and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. The dough is now ready to rise.
Bulk Rise
- Let the dough rise overnight, about 12-18 hours at room temperature (68 F). The dough is ready when it has almost tripled in size.
- Note: rise the dough directly in my 5 qt. KitchenAid mixing bowl covered with plastic wrap. It should rise about 3/4’s of the way up when ready. You can also use a 2 quart dough tub.
Optional Step: about 1 hour into the bulk rise, stretch and fold the dough. I do two sets, spaced 1 hour apart. This will increase the overall volume of the baked buns. You can see how I do it, with video, here.
TIP: Do not be alarmed if the dough is not ready at the 12 hour mark, especially if your kitchen is colder than 68 F! Cinnamon slows down the rise of the dough. To speed things along, either place the dough in a proofing box set to 75-80 F. Or, preheat your home oven to 75-80 F and then shut it off immediately (use an oven thermometer to make sure the temperature doesn’t go above 80F!). Place the covered bowl inside until it bulks up.
Shape The Dough
- When the dough is perfectly risen, remove it onto your work surface. Shape it into a log and divide into 12 equal pieces.
- To shape into balls: working with one piece of dough at a time, fold the sides over towards the center. Flip it over, keep it on the counter, and roll it into a ball with the palm of your hand.
- Place the balls seam side down in a generously buttered 9×13-inch pan. Make sure they’re spaced evenly apart, 3 pieces across and 4 down. Now, the dough needs to rise again.
Second Rise
- Cover the pan with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and rest at room temperature for 2 1/2 – 3 hrs (yes, it really takes that long…).
- Again, to speed things up, use the proofing box or oven trick mentioned in the box above. The rise time will decrease to 1 – 1 1/2 hrs @ 75-80 F. The dough is ready when it has puffed up and doubled in size. DO NOT RUSH THIS STEP! THE BUNS WILL BE DENSE.
- I use this resting time to make the icing for the cross; it needs to firm up in the fridge before using.
Bake The Dough & Glaze
- When the dough is nice and puffed up, bake on the center rack for for 28-30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the glaze: Gently stir together the apricot jam and a splash of warm water. The texture should be syrupy, but not too thin. Brush onto the baked buns while they’re still hot.
Pipe the Icing Cross
- When the buns are COMPLETELY COOL, pipe the cream cheese icing on top going in one direction first, and then in the other. Do not make individual crosses over the tops as you go- it will drive you crazy.
To Serve
Like all fresh bread, these sourdough hot cross buns are best enjoyed on the same day they’re made. I wouldn’t bake them ahead of time. But do share with everyone you know when they’re ready. Yum!
My Baking Schedule
This is an overnight dough, so make sure to start the night before. The buns will be ready for breakfast or brunch the following day. Feel free to adjust the times below to suit your own needs.
In the evening…
- 6:00 PM: Make the dough (we eat dinner while it’s resting).
- 6:30 PM: Add the raisins and spices, and run for 8 minutes in the stand mixer (this is when I clean up the kitchen).
- 7:30 PM: 1st Stretch & Fold
- 8:30 PM: 2nd Stretch & Fold
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise overnight on the counter, for 12-18 hrs @ 68 F.
The following morning…
- 6:30 AM: Check the dough (give it more time to rise, if needed). Shape into balls.
- 6:45- 8:00 AM: Second rise (give it for more time to rise, if needed). Make icing while dough is resting.
- 8:00 AM: Bake buns
- 8:30 AM: Brush with glaze… pipe icing on top when completely cool.
Best Sourdough Hot Cross Buns
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 12 buns
- Category: Sourdough Bread
- Method: Oven-Baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
We make these sourdough hot cross buns all year round. They’re delightfully fluffy, not too sweet, and enjoyed by all- especially the kids! If I’m pressed for time, I’ll do the glaze only and skip the cross.
A quick note about the flour: I use King Arthur bread flour for this recipe. It has a high protein content of about 12.7%. This is what gives the sourdough buns a lofty, high rise. If you’re using a different brand of flour, with a lesser protein content (i.e. Gold Medal) consider reducing the milk by 25 g for similar results.
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 240 g (1 cup) milk, whole or 2%
- 500 g bread flour (I use King Arthur)
- 50 g sugar (I use organic blonde cane sugar from Costco)
- 9 g fine sea salt
- 113 g (8 tbsp or 1 stick) unsalted butter, softened, cut into cubes (I use Kerry Gold)
- 100 g (1/2 cup) bubbly, active sourdough starter
- 1 large egg (50 g)
- 80 g (about a 1/2 cup) raisins, roughly chopped
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
For the Glaze
- 2 tbsp quality apricot jam (I like Bonne Maman)
- Splash of water
For the Cross
- 4 tbsp cream cheese, softened
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 6 tsp half-n-half or milk
Instructions
Before you begin: This is an overnight dough which takes approximately 12-18 hrs to rise @ 68 F. Start the night before, in the evening, and plan to bake the following day. See my note below on how to speed up the rise time in chilly weather. Enjoy!
- Warm the milk in a small saucepan or microwave and set aside. Note: if you use cold milk straight from the fridge, the dough will take longer to rise.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, and salt with the paddle attachment. Add the softened butter, cube by cube, with the machine running. The goal is to evenly disperse the butter throughout the flour; rub any large pieces together with your fingertips.
- Add the warm milk, starter, and egg to the bowl. Mix for 1 minute to combine. With your hands, work the dough into a rough ball incorporating any dry bits of flour at the bottom. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and rest for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, soak the chopped raisins in the vanilla extract.
- After the dough has rested, add the raisins (and any liquid), cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice to the bowl.
- Using the dough hook, mix on medium-low speed, about 3 on a KitchenAid for 8 minutes. If the dough starts to climb up the side of the bowl, stop the machine and push it back down. The dough will be smooth and supple when finished. It should not stick to your hands. If it does, add a sprinkle of flour.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise overnight at room temperature (about 68 F) for 12-18 hours. The dough is ready when it has tripled in size. Optional Step: about 1 hour into the bulk rise, I like to do 1 set of stretch and folds. I’ll do another set about 1 hour later. This technique will speed up the bulk rise time and the overall volume of the baked buns. **See note below.
- The following day, generously coat the bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch pan with butter.
- Remove the dough onto your work surface- no need to flour the surface first. Gently shape the dough into a log. Cut into 12 equal pieces, about 92 g ea.
- To shape into balls: working with one piece of dough at a time, fold the sides over towards the center. Flip it over, keep it on the counter, and roll it into a ball with the palm of your hand. Place the balls into the pan, evenly spaced, 3 across and 4 down.
- Cover the pan with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel, and let rise at room temperature until the dough has doubled in size. This can take up to 2-3 hours at 68 F. Personally, I like to use the proofing box or oven trick at this point (again, see me note below). The rise will only take about 1 1/2- 2 hours @ 75-80 F. The dough should look very puffy and plump when ready. Do not rush this step; the buns will be dense.
- While the dough is resting, make the icing for the cross. In a small bowl, whisk the softened cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and half-n-half. Add additional liquid as needed; the texture should be thick enough to pipe. Put the icing into a ziptop bag with the tip snipped off, or in a squeeze bottle and refrigerate to firm up before using. You will not use all of the icing. Save the rest for another use.
- Preheat your oven to 400 F. Place the dough inside, center rack. Reduce the heat to 350. Bake for 28-30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine the apricot jam and a splash of water in a saucepan.
- Remove the buns from the oven. Brush the tops with some of the glaze while they’re still hot.
- When the buns are COMPLETELY COOL, pipe the cream cheese icing on top going in one direction first, and then the other. Do not make an individual cross on top of each as you go- it will drive you crazy.
- Serve the buns fresh at room temperature.
Notes
**Do not be alarmed if the dough is not ready at the 12 hour mark, especially if it’s colder than 68 F in your kitchen. It’s because of the cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice- it slows down the rise time. To speed things up, you can either place the dough in a proofing box set to 75-80 F. Or, preheat your home oven to 75-80 F and then shut it off immediately (use an oven thermometer to make sure it’s set to exactly 80 F and not higher!). Place the covered bowl of dough inside until it bulks up.
Keywords: sourdough, sourdough hot cross buns, hot cross buns, sourdough recipe, artisan sourdough, easter recipes
Comments
June says
I made this and it was really fluffy and soft buns:) I will make this on Easters from now on.
Thanks for delicious recipe.
★★★★★
Jo Wall says
Haven’t made these yet but have loved all your other recipes. I don’t have a mixer – would this work if I knead/mix by hand? Or is the dough too sticky? Thanks! Jo
Dana Zia says
I made these and they are the BOMB! Tender and moist crumb, easy to make (for sourdough) and DELICIOUS! Thank you! I’m going to make them savory tonight.. maybe roasted garlic with rosemary?
★★★★★
Morgan Esperance says
I have a cold kitchen so started early anticipating an 18 hour rise. About to put them in the oven and they look incredible. This is the second year and likely becoming a permanent tradition.
★★★★★
Desiree says
I made these today and OMG – this is probably the best bread I have ever made! The buns were tender and perfect!
They took longer on both rises than I thought but well worth the wait. So glad I made them. Delicious! Would absolutely make them again!
★★★★★
Shelley Landbsurg says
I’m waiting for the ruse. It’s been 12 hours so still time yet. I made these last Easter and loved them so fingers crossed !
★★★★★
Ann Clay says
I made this recipe the first time. It took a little long to rise as I don’t have a proofing box. However the buns turned out perfect. Very soft and moist
Will definitely make for Easter !
★★★★★
Marg says
Hi Emilie
I always make your country farmhouse white & I do the overnight in the fridge. Works fabulously. With these hot cross buns, I’ve started making in a larger tin which saves the time with rolling buns. I now add a total of 8 teaspoons of spice mixture which takes a bit longer but It makes a SENSATIONAL spicy fruit loaf. My one question is, can I put in fridge after it has tripled in size, as sometimes my schedule sometimes doesn’t allow morning baking. I love love your hints and tips.
★★★★★
Renee B says
I’ve just pulled mine out of the oven and they look amazing! I added a tablespoon of instant coffee to the milk, and some choc chips in the stretch and folds and now have mocha hot cross buns. Great recipe, really easy to follow. I’ll be making more! Thank you!
★★★★★
Amelia says
Love all of your recipes I’ve tried so far! Hoping to make these for a girls trip but would like to bake them fresh. Can I do everything up to shaping them in the pan then store in the fridge for 12-24hrs before baking? Thanks :)
Maria says
Hi Emilie,
I made these HCBs for Easter this year but forgot to leave a comment and rating for you. Five stars isn’t a high enough rating. Your hot cross buns are the best I have ever eaten, let alone baked. Even the HCBs I have bought from boutique bakeries don’t come close to yours.
Thank you for sharing your recipes and all the hints you provide. My sourdough baking has improved so much since I found your website and then received your book,
‘Artisan Sourdough Made Simple’ as a birthday gift from my lovely daughter.
We especially love your sourdough bagels and bread. Your Busy Morning Breakfast Cookies are a family favourite and are baked often.
As I write this comment I am waiting for my starter to become bubbly and active enough for me to make a batch of your HCBs. Without the crosses they will be referred to as the Clever Carrot Spiced Fruit Buns.
Warmest regards,
Maria from Adelaide, South Australia.
★★★★★
Robin Gallant says
FANTASTIC! Moist, fluffy and flavor-filled!
★★★★★
Laura says
Your sourdough hot cross bun recipe is, by far, the best one I’ve ever made! The starter I used wasn’t recently fed, tho’ it was visibly healthy. I did the two stretches you recommended which yielded surprising rise; if I hadn’t, I agree that my rolls would have been more dense. I used blood orange jam to coat the rolls after cooking. Now, one day after baking, these rolls are as delectable as they were yesterday: perfectly cooked, airy, spongy, slightly brown in color, and with an enticing fragrance. YUM! Thanks for this great, fool-proof recipe, Emilie! An absolute favorite!
★★★★★
Dani says
Made these this weekend and the buns turned out beautifully. Subbed oatmilk, and used dried currants & candied orange peels soaked with a little rum + vanilla. I dont have pumpkin pie spice so I freehanded with an assortment of baking spices and they were gorgeous.
I might try making a tangzhong next time to retain tenderness (but these were completely gone within a day or two so likely not necessary).
★★★★★
Rachel says
Absolutely amazing! I soaked my raisins both in vanilla extract and triple sec. And I used the syrup from a mulberry jam I had. The dough was super wet when I first mixed it, so I did add another tablespoon or two of flour.
Holy moly, this was one of the best recipes I have found in a long time! It was like taking a bite of heaven! Thank you!
(I wish I could post a picture! They worked so well!)
★★★★★
Dana says
Wow wow wow. My first experience making or eating a hot cross bun. These turned out beautifully. They were light and tender. Added orange zest to both the bun and icing. These will be a new Easter tradition. Thank you!!
★★★★★
Emily says
Hi! This is my third time making my own sourdough bread. It has been rising for 18+ hours and hasn’t budged. What do you think I did wrong?
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Emily! There are 3 main factors that dictate the rise time of sourdough: Temperature, sourdough starter strength, and time.
For temperature, make sure the dough is rising in a warm spot, ideally 75+ F to give it a boost.
For starter strength, if it’s not strong, your bread dough will not rise. Next time, do the float test to double check before making the dough (read more about that here).
And finally, time: give it as much time as it needs (after troubleshooting the first two points here). It will happen!
Note: the cinnamon in this particular dough will slow down the rise considerably. Just something to observe as well. Have a look at this post too for more info: Why Won’t My Sourdough Bread Rise?
Good luck! :)
Rikki Herold says
I followed your directions exactly and they turned out great!!! Thank so much for the recipe!
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
You’re very welcome, Rikki! Enjoy :)
Happie says
What a delightful Sunday morning read!
This is so fun, my family will love to have these next weekend, perfect timing!
Question: Can you soak the raisins in vanilla & rum? Thinking of the classic rum & raisin combo… that would be a hit with the adults for sure. Any ideas or advice?
Thank you for always bringing something fun “to the table”!
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
ABSOLUTELY! Vanilla and rum soaked raisins sounds amazing. I’d do a 50/50 blend. Thanks for the suggestion! And your kind feedback :)
Haley Kirkpatrick says
Planning on making these again this year. They were so yummy last year! We’ve moved to the UK, and I’m without my stand mixer. Do you have any recommendations on kneading time if you’re doing that by hand? Thanks so much!
Emilie Raffa says
Haley, this is a great question. I would hand knead the dough for approximately 6-8 minutes if possible. You won’t be able to knead it in the traditional sense- it’s sticky. But folding the dough over itself several times, pushing it around as you go will help. This is your bread! Make sure to flour your work surface.
Haley Kirkpatrick says
Thanks so much! I’m making these again this year and completely forgot I’d asked this same question a year ago. Glad my past self asked and I’m grateful to have your answer.
Cat says
SO good! Worked really well for me, and I did a traditional cross because anything else would feel wrong to me as a Brit, though I bet the cream cheese version would taste amazing. Thank you!
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Cat! I totally get it ;) I’m glad it worked out the traditional way too.
Rose says
I have never seen cream cheese icing as a cross before. The cross is made out of dough and rises and bakes with the bun! Is this an American variation?
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! Yes: it’s an American variation. I talk about it in the post :)
Louie says
I cannot find a starter? How do I make one for this recipe and what time frame?
Thanjavur
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! Make a sourdough starter following the step by step instructions here. For timing, it will be ready in 7 days (or more). However, once it’s established, you’ll only need to feed and activate prior to baking (this should only take a few hours depending on temperature). Hope this helps!
Janis says
Lovely recipe but I find my dough doesn’t rise much. I leave it in my kitchenaid bowl n it only comes up halfway. And second rise as well not plump. I tried putting in the oven but make not much difference.
Also can I leave the second rise in the fridge overnight? Thanks
John Woodhull says
I made these for last Sunday morning; all parts of the recipe worked well and I thought the buns came out great. I did change things a little by making a preferment using the ratio of sugar/flour/water in the recipe to get my sourdough used to higher osmotic pressures so it would have a jump start when making the initial dough mix; this worked vey nicely, gas production was robust after a short lag only. When I checked on the dough very early the next morning the dough was starting to burst out of the container. The final rise was quick and the buns came out perfectly I thought.
★★★★★
Sadie says
Excellent hot cross buns. I’ve tried at least a dozen recipes, both yeasted and sourdough, and these buns are some of the best. The crumb is soft but slightly chewy, they’re picture perfect, and they taste great. The dough is slightly tacky, but handles beautifully. I added a few flavor enhancements (barley malt syrup, orange zest, allspice, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves, mace, a drop of butter rum oil) and soaked the raisins in rum, but otherwise followed the recipe. Did two S&F’s at the start of the bulk fermentation. I piped a pastry cross so that the buns would toast easily, and brushed the baked buns with a simple syrup which made them nice and shiny but not sticky. There’s very little hands-on time with these and the recipe seems foolproof!
★★★★★
peter g says
We made your hot cross buns – and they were the best that we have ever made. The texture, especially, was what struck us. Our kitchen seems to be a mite colder than yours, and the buns took 3 or 4 months to rise/cook (OK, 23 hours or so), but no matter – the result [breakfast this morning] was delicious. I also tried the ‘high hydrogenation sourdough’ recipe from your book = for supper tonight, the ‘holy grail’ – holes, holes! – attained, as they say. [Again, our kitchen is colder, etc. etc.] So not only did I feel morally bound to order your book, I am happy to have done so. Stupidly, though, I did it through Amazon instead of here, as that is where I saw the recipe – but I hope that’s okay. BTW, we have been making sourdough bread for the last twenty-five years (no exaggeration; we started when we were students, when we couldn’t afford to buy edible bread from the one excellent but unaffordable bakery in town; fortunately our excellent but free public library had a great cookbook selection); all to say, we will ignore the ‘beginner’s guide’ rubric on the cover of the book. Best wishes!
★★★★★
Connie says
Great! I added the raisins and spices after the overnight. This dough spoke to me, ‘Do you want to rest now?’ ‘Yes.’ How about later for the raisins and spices.’ ‘I think I’d like that.’ ‘Don’t let me get too pushy!’ ‘I trust you!’
A good experience.
★★★★★
Midge Franco says
Family loved these buns. I am not a fan of other fruit in my hot cross buns and the soaked raisins really made these taste terrific. I’ll be making several batches today!
★★★★★
Ali O. says
What an awesome recipe! Thank you so much! I’m a Brit living in Germany and every year at Easter I miss hot cross buns and make them myself. For the last 6 months or so I have completely changed over to sour dough bread so no longer use yeast at all so I was asking myself if I can make hot cross buns with sour dough. The answer is yes, and they are the best ever! Since I live in Germany, I couldn’t get pumpkin spice so substituted ‘Lebkuchen Gerwürz’ which is very similar. Otherwise I made this recipe just as its written here (although I reduced the milk to 210 g ), except I don’t have a machine so did all the kneading and folding by hand (after I first covered the kitchen in flour trying to use a hand blender!). I started in the afternoon mixing together the ingredients, made a kind of breadcrumb mixture with the flour, butter, salt and sugar, then mixed in the milk and kneaded it into a smooth dough. I left that about 1 hour before adding the raisins which I had soaked in water/vanilla essence, I also then added the cinnamon, Lebkuchen Gewürz and the zest of 1 orange. I folded again once more after about 1 hour, and then left it overnight. It was a lovely dough, light and airy and not sticky at all. In the morning I folded it one more time and then left it about 1-2 hours before making into the rolls. After about 2 hours when they were about doubled in size, I I used a regular flour/water mix for the cross and then baked them for 20 mins at 180C (first 8 mins with a second baking tray on top) and we just ate them, OMG, they are AMAZING! So light and fluffy and tasty and just delicious! They might be all gone by this afternoon and I’ll have to make another batch. Thank you! I’ll definitely be making these again.
★★★★★
Marni B. says
I made these and I am so impressed. They were moist, and super flavorful. Great recipe, I will be making these again. Yum.
★★★★★
Barbara Lopes says
This was a winning all the way, Thank you so much. Had to do another batch just because we can’t get enough! ops.
★★★★★
Christie says
Could I do a cold proofing for this recipe? I ask because my timing to bake these buns, with the recipe as written, would coincide with a work day. Thanks for your help!
Emilie Raffa says
Absolutely. Make the dough during the day, shape the buns, and chill overnight. Allow for more time, if needed, for the second rise the following day before baking. The flavor will deepen.
Crystal says
I would like to include the candied fruit. Can you tell me what the measurement would be? Thank you.
Emilie Raffa says
Crystal, I would add 1-2 tbsp, depending on how strong you want the flavor to be.
suzie says
I am a little uncertain over my sourdough, can I add 1 gram of yeast into the dough just to help it raise? any thoughts?
many thanks in advance, have a great Easter!
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Suzie! You can do whatever you want ;) Adding yeast will speed up the rise significantly; you’ll need to adjust the rise times stated in the recipe. Happy Easter!
Amy Boughton says
Hi Emilie,
I made this recipe last year and it was lush! If i double the batch will it make a difference to the proofing time or will it be the same? Happy Easter!
Amy x
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Amy! The easiest thing to do, is to double the batch in two separate bowls. Everything else per the recipe stays the same- easy! Happy Easter xx
Kim says
I’d say the only problem with doubling the batch is my KitchenAid not coping with the volume of dough. I usually (begrudgingly) make two batches instead of doubling the recipe in a single batch. Has anyone else found this? Any way around it?
Janice says
I have doubled in my Cuisinart (kitchenaid won’t fit under my cupboards). It was more work than it was worth so I now make it in two separate batches with better results. You already have the ingredients snd tools at hand so you are really only taking about 10 minutes more per batch to knead the doughs. Go ahead and triple it if you have enough starter. Your neighbours will love you.
★★★★★
Felicity says
Hi Emilie, Thanks I didn’t try your hot cross buns recipe but I did try the sourdough cinnamon rolls, which uses a similar enriched dough, omitting the egg altogether and just using oat milk and a couple of extra tablespoons of melted margarine and they came out perfectly. So I do believe this would work without the egg, too.
Emilie Raffa says
Sounds incredible. Thank you for sharing your tips!
Francesca says
If you use the traditional baked on paste for the crosses, they are much easier to rewarm or toast for a couple of days after baking. I like the idea of adding cubes of softened butter, a technique also use .for making Stollen.
Emilie Raffa says
Francesca, thank you for sharing your tips! xx
Janice says
Ah yes..I knew there was a good reason to use the paste vs. icing crosses. I’m going to do both and keep the icing ready in the squirt bottle to apply just before serving. Such smart people who hang out here. This recipe is fantastic Emilie!
★★★★★
Sharon Bennett says
Hi there,
Thank you so much for your gorgeous sounding recipe.
I’ve been baking with sourdough for 5 years now. Often I will make Sourdough Scones ahead of time and freeze before I bake.
Have you done this with your hot cross buns? If so do I let them go through their second rise first then freeze? Do you have any advise for the process?
Thanks so much,
Sharon
Emilie Raffa says
Sharon, for this recipe, I recommend baking the buns first and then freezing them when they have cooled down. Keep them unglazed. When you freeze the uncooked dough directly, sometimes it doesn’t hold up when baked.
Sharon says
Thanks so much for letting me know. I made them this morning, after a 12 hour room temp rise using a high protein All purpose flour (from my local farmer) with great results. Thanks so much for the recipe.
Sharon
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Wow! This is SO great to hear! Thanks for reporting back- enjoy :)
Nicola says
Hi Emilie, I haven’t made these buns yet but after reading the great reviews I would like to try them this week! Is it possible to freeze them do you know? Thanks! Nicola
Emilie Raffa says
Sure thing! Make and bake the recipe as directed (without the glaze + cross). Once the buns are completely cool, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze. Defrost at room temperature, warm in a very low oven to soften the texture, and then ddd the glaze and cross before serving.
Nicola says
Great! And thank you so much for taking the time to reply!
Emilie Raffa says
My pleasure :)
Deanne says
I make hot cross buns every year, excited to do sourdough ones this year. I use chopped dried apricots in mine instead of the peel.
Emilie Raffa says
Ooo, this sounds delicious. I love dried apricots- so colorful too! xx
Allan says
Tried it today. The buns came out beautifully. My critic (wife) loves them. Great recipe.
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Fantastic, thanks for sharing your feedback Allan!
Kandy says
Thanks for the in-depth directions! I want to make ahead and freeze for Easter. Any advice? I assume I should add the crosses after I thaw?
Thanks!
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! Make and bake the recipe as directed (without the glaze + cross). Once the buns are completely cool, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze. Defrost at room temperature, warm in a very low oven to soften the texture, and then ddd the glaze and cross before serving. Enjoy x.
Kandy says
Thank you! I appreciate your time and expertise.
Emilie Raffa says
My pleasure :)
Kandy says
I made these twice this week and they were delicious both times. One batch we ate right after they baked and on Easter, we ate a batch I had froze earlier in the week. I thawed them overnight then put them back in the 9X13 pan-covered with foil and warmed for ten minutes at 300. Then I added the glaze and crosses-it worked out great!
Thanks again for the recipe!
★★★★★