Bread Machine Hot Cross Buns

An Easter tradition at our house, this Hot Cross Buns recipe is quick and easy to make in the bread machine. The bread maker produces light and fluffy dough that bakes into beautiful Hot Cross Buns to serve on Good Friday.

(I’ve also included instructions for mixing the dough by hand or in a stand mixer.)

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My six kids’ favorite Easter treat is Hot Cross Buns. One of my favorite kitchen appliances is my bread maker. Put the two together and you’ve got a tasty combination.

Bread machine hot cross buns come together easily since the machine does most of the work. You get to form the rolls, bake them, and pipe them with a luscious lemon glaze.

This recipe is worth making more than once a year!

Why Make Bread Machine Hot Cross Buns

They are tradition. It’s a longheld practice to make Hot Cross Buns for Easter. Tradition says that hot cross buns are best enjoyed on Good Friday, but they are good all season long.

They are delicious. Loaded with both golden and regular raisins as well as spices and lemon zest, these are a tasty treat. Eat them plain or split and toast them and slater on some butter.

They are easy to make with a bread machine. A bread machine can take the guess work out of baking bread from scratch. It mixes and proofs all in one space; the dough it produces is out of this world light and fluffy.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make my bread machine hot cross buns:

milk – You can use any kind of milk you like, the higher fat will make a richer dough. If you choose not to use the bread machine, you’ll want to warm the milk before prepping the dough.

butter – Butter makes these hot cross buns rich and flavorful. You can just cube it and the warmth of the bread machine takes care of the rest. If you’re mixing the dough by hand, you’ll want to use melted butter.

sugar – granulated sugar is best for this recipe, but you can use honey or brown sugar if you’re in a pinch. If you use honey, dial down the milk a bit.

yeast – While there is a “bread machine yeast”, this is not required for use in the bread maker. Instant yeast, rapid rise, and bread machine yeast all work well for this. For most brands of bread machine, you just add the yeast last, so be sure to check your manufacturer’s instructions. 

eggs – Eggs add richness and texture to your buns. You’ll need two beaten eggs for hot cross buns.

flour – I like adding whole grains to my home baking whenever I can, so in this recipe I use some whole wheat as well as unbleached bread flour.

lemon zest – Lemon zest adds great flavor to these hot cross buns. I use the juice to make a glaze at the end.

salt – Salt is necessary in bread. It adds both texture and flavor. Don’t skip it.

spices – Feel free to vary your spices, but I like to use a combination of ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground ginger. If you’ve got Pumpkin Pie Spice, you can use that as well.

raisins – Traditional hot cross buns often contain currants, something that can be hard to find in the States. I like to add both golden raisins and regular raisins as a substitute.

powdered sugar – After the rolls bake, I like to pipe frosting crosses across the tops. You’ll need powdered sugar and lemon juice for this. Remember you can make your own powdered sugar if you run out.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Here’s how to make these easy Bread Machine Hot Cross Buns:

• Combine all dough ingredients in the pan of your bread machine according to the manufacturer’s directions. This is usually liquids first and then the dry ingredients, adding the yeast last. Set on the dough cycle and start the machine.
• After the machine has been going for a few minutes, open the lid and scrape down the sides of the pan with a rubber spatula. You want to make sure that all the ingredients get incorporated into the dough. Sometimes the paddle can’t reach the bits in the corners.
• Some bread machines suggest that you add the fruit later in the process. The machine will beep when it’s time to add the raisins. I’ve done it both ways – add them at the start and halfway through and both seem to work.

To make the dough using a stand mixer:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the milk, butter, granulated sugar, and yeast. Allow this mixture to sit for five minutes while the yeast proofs. It will start to foam and bubble.
• Add in the eggs, flours, the lemon zest, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and raisins. Stir with the dough hook until the dough comes together.
• Increase the speed to knead and knead the dough until a dough ball forms around the hook. The dough will still be sticky.
• Place the dough in a greased bowl and allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about an hour.

To mix the dough by hand:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the milk, butter, granulated sugar, and yeast. Allow this mixture to sit for five minutes while the yeast proofs. It will start to foam and bubble.
• Add in the eggs, flours, the lemon zest, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and raisins. Stir with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead the dough until it’s smooth and elastic.
• Place the dough in a greased bowl and allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about an hour.

Once the dough has risen, it’s time to shape the buns:

• When the dough is ready, transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 16 equal parts.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Form each dough piece into a tight round and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Cover loosely with a tea towel and allow to rise for 60 minutes or until doubled in size.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut a cross into the top of each roll and bake the rolls for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool the rolls on a wire rack.
• In a small mixing bowl, combine the powdered sugar and enough lemon juice to make a thick icing. Stir in the zest from the remaining lemon. Spoon or pipe the icing into the crosses of each cooled bun. (I use a small plastic bag and cut off the tip.) Allow the icing to set and serve.

Freezer instructions: 

Once the buns have baked and cooled on a rack, wrap them tightly in a ziptop freezer bag, removing all air. Store in the freezer until 8 hours before serving. 

Thaw at room temperature. If you like you can refresh them in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes. Once they’ve cooled a bit you can pipe with the frosting.

Follow up your holiday weekend sweets with a batch of Easter Bunny Cinnamon Rolls and Easter Pretzels for fun and a Carrot Cake for dessert. Hot Cross Buns are a great snack for while you prep Easter Dinner.

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Easy Hot Cross Buns

Celebrate Easter weekend with these deliciously easy Hot Cross Buns. They've got all the bright flavors lemon and spice as well as two colors of raisins.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Bread, Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American, English

Prep Time: 2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 16

Calories: 249kcal

Author: Jessica Fisher

Ingredients

Dough

• 1 cup milk warmed if not using bread machine
• ½ cup butter melted if not using bread machine
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 2 egg beaten
• 3 cup bread flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 lemon , zested
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ cup raisins
• ¼ cup golden raisins

Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 to 2 tablespoon lemon juice

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

To make the dough in a bread machine:

• Combine all dough ingredients in the pan of your bread machine according to the manufacturer’s directions. This is usually liquids first and then the dry ingredients, adding the yeast last. Set on the dough cycle and start the machine.
  1 cup milk, ½ cup butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon active dry yeast, 2 egg, 3 cup bread flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 lemon, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ cup raisins, ¼ cup golden raisins
• After the machine has been going for a few minutes, open the lid and scrape down the sides of the pan with a rubber spatula. You want to make sure that all the ingredients get incorporated into the dough. Sometimes the paddle can't reach the bits in the corners.
• Some bread machines suggest that you add the fruit later in the process. The machine will beep when it's time to add the raisins. I've done it both ways – add them at the start and halfway through and both seem to work.

To make the dough in a stand mixer:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the milk, butter, granulated sugar, and yeast. Allow this mixture to sit for five minutes while the yeast proofs. It will start to foam and bubble.
  1 cup milk, ½ cup butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• Add in the eggs, flours, the lemon zest, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and raisins. Stir with the dough hook until the dough comes together.
  2 egg, 3 cup bread flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 lemon, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ cup raisins, ¼ cup golden raisins
• Increase the speed to knead and knead the dough until a dough ball forms around the hook. The dough will still be sticky.
• Place the dough in a greased bowl and allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about an hour.

To make the dough by hand:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the milk, butter, granulated sugar, and yeast. Allow this mixture to sit for five minutes while the yeast proofs. It will start to foam and bubble.
  1 cup milk, ½ cup butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• Add in the eggs, flours, the lemon zest, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and raisins. Stir with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together.
  2 egg, 3 cup bread flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 lemon, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ cup raisins, ¼ cup golden raisins
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead the dough until it’s smooth and elastic.
• Place the dough in a greased bowl and allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about an hour.

To form the buns:

• When the dough is ready, transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 16 equal parts.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Form each dough piece into a tight round and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Cover loosely with a tea towel and allow to rise for 60 minutes or until doubled in size.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut a cross into the top of each roll and bake the rolls for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool the rolls on a wire rack.
• In a small mixing bowl, combine the powdered sugar and enough lemon juice to make a thick icing. Stir in the zest from the remaining lemon. Spoon or pipe the icing into the crosses of each cooled bun. Allow the icing to set and serve.
  1 cup powdered sugar, 1 to 2 tablespoon lemon juice

Notes

Store baked rolls in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Nutritional values are approximate and based on 1 bun.

Freezer instructions:

Once the buns have baked and cooled on a rack, wrap them tightly in a ziptop freezer bag, removing all air. Store in the freezer until 8 hours before serving.

Thaw at room temperature. If you like you can refresh them in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes. Once they’ve cooled a bit you can pipe with the frosting.

Nutrition

Calories: 249kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 207mg | Potassium: 133mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 235IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1mg

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This post was originally published on April 8, 2011. It has been updated for content and clarity.