Hot Cross Buns are a staple around this time of year. Let's make them with sourdough for the best tasting buns you've ever had!
I’m not sure where hot cross buns being an Easter thing quite began, and a Google search tells me all sorts of things to do with spices to embalm Jesus and the Cross He was Crucified on.
Here’s my honest take as a Jesus lovin’ Bible believer: you can make anything religious if those are how you get your meaning. I’m not trying to be crass, I just don't know how they became an Easter thing but either way, it's a fun excuse to make a special bun that we enjoy at Easter!
Some more options for a holiday brunch are Sourdough Cinnamon Buns or Blueberry Sourdough Scones.
Why You Need This Recipe
- Easy to make ahead!
- Use what ya got on hand - any dried fruit, icing or not, whatever flour.
- Adaptable to how many guests you have coming (or just to stock the freezer).
Key Ingredients
Sourdough Starter - Make sure your starter is nice and fed and bubbly, ready for action. I love the rhythm of sourdough and starting these the night before serving them.
Flour - Organic all-purpose is great here.
Spices - I found the most traditional mix to contain cinnamon, allspice, cardamom, and nutmeg.
Dried Fruit - I like a nice mix to give a great flavour, but use what is your family's favourite or just whatever is in the pantry needing to be used up.
Milk - The fat and sugar in your milk and butter are what makes a good sweet dough with the perfect crumb, so I recommending using milk and not water here.
How to Make Easter Hot Cross Buns
***See recipe card below for precise measurements and instructions.***
Step 1: Melt butter until juuuust warm, then add the sugar and milk.
Step 2: Stir the spices into the starter, then add the milk and butter mixture. Finally, stir in the dried fruit.
Step 3: Add the flour and stir until you have a shaggy, cohesive dough.
Step 4: Let rest 6-8 hours to sour and proof.
Step 5: Shape into desired amount of buns and let proof. Remember this step takes a while!
Step 6: Bake until just golden. Let cool completely before storing or icing.
FAQs
I recommend not icing until just before serving. Don't ice them all if you don't think you'll eat them up in a couple days. I highly recommend freezing - get your baking done before the holiday! Bake and cool completely, then freeze without icing. The day you are serving, thaw for an hour or two then pop in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes or so and ice. No one will guess you didn't bake them fresh that morning!
I never have much luck with freezing raw sourdough. The yeast just gets too sleepy and I don't get a rise out of them. That's why I much prefer to bake and freeze after. I promise that wrapped well and refreshed in the oven, they won't taste like day-old baked goods!
I aim for 24 to 36 buns. Especially with company when you have lots of food options, or with lots of little kids, you want smaller buns. This way people can always grab a second one, but you won't have a bunch of half-eaten buns because they were way too big.
Photos by Dante from Shire by the Sea
More Sourdough Recipes
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Sourdough Hot Cross Buns
Ingredients
- 60 grams butter
- 500 grams milk
- 100 grams sugar
- 600 grams active sourdough starter
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 4 teaspoon salt
- 150 grams currants, raisins, or dried cranberries
- 750 grams all-purpose flour
Icing for Cross
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons milk or water
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, melt butter and then add milk and sugar, warming until it's just nice and warm, not hot, or you will kill your yeast.
- Meanwhile weigh out your active starter, then measure in all your spices and salt.
- Add in the milk mix, stirring well, and then add in your dried fruit. Add in the flour and mix well until it comes together in a shaggy, somewhat cohesive dough.
- Let sit for 6-8 hours until doubled, then shape into 24-36 buns, depending on what size buns you want.
- When the buns have 1.5x their original size (this takes longer than you think for buns!) preheat oven to 375°F
- Bake 20-25 min, until just starting to brown and the internal temp, if you’d like to take, is between 180-190°F
- Let cool until warm and then ice with a cross.
Notes
- Make your icing to be drizzled but not so thin it simply runs right off the buns.
- To make ahead, cook and cool completely, and do not ice. Wrap well and freeze
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