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Delicious Guyanese Hot Cross Buns Recipe

A cozy Easter recipe for homemade hot cross buns. Soft, warm, and perfect for family time.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Rising 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 12
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Guyanese
Calories: 217
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

BUNS
  • 3 tsp instant or rapid rise yeast (9 grams)  CHECK if it is still active!
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1½ cups milk, warm
  • 4¼ cups bread flour (or plain / all purpose)
  • 2 tsp cinnamon powder
  • 2 tsp All Spice
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1½ cup sultanas
  • 1-2 oranges, zest only
  • 50 g (3.5 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 egg
EXTRA FLOUR FOR DOUGH
  • ¼ cup Extra bread flour
CROSSES
  • ½ cup flour
  • 5 tbsp water
GLAZE
  • 1 tbsp apricot jam
  • 2 tsp water

Method
 

  1. Mix dry – Place flour, yeast, sugar, all spice, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Briefly mix with stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
  2. Add wet – Add butter, milk, egg, sultanas and zest.
  3. Standmixer: Mix for 5 minutes until a smooth elastic dough forms. Start on speed 2 then once the ingredients are combined, increase to speed 4. After 1 minute, add extra flour if required, just enough so dough comes away from side of bowl when mixing and doesn't stick terribly to your fingers. 
  4. Hand kneading: Alternatively, dust a work surface with flour and knead by hand for 10 minutes.
  5. Dough is kneaded enough when it's smooth and does not break when stretched
RISE #1
  1. Leave dough in the bowl, cover with cling wrap and place in a warm, wind free place to rise until doubled in size. This will take anywhere between 30 minutes to 1 1/2 hours depending on how warm it is
FORMING BALLS
  1. Line a 31.5 x 23.5 cm / 9 x 13″ tray with baking paper with overhang.
  2. Remove cling wrap and punch dough to deflate.
  3. Dust work surface with flour, place dough on work surface, shape into a log – this will deflate the air. Cut into 12 equal pieces.
  4. Take one piece and press down with palm, then use your fingers to gather into a ball, then roll the dough briefly to form a ball. This stretches the dough on one side and that’s how I get a nice smooth surface.
  5. Place the ball with the smooth side up on the tray. Repeat with remaining dough. Line them up 3 x 4.
RISE #2
  1. Spray a piece of cling wrap lightly with oil (any), then loosely place over the tray.
  2. Return tray to warm place and leaver 30 – 45 minutes, until the dough has risen by about 75% (less than double in size).
  3. Partway through Rise #2, preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (all oven types).
CROSSES
  1. Mix flour and water until a thick runny paste forms – see video for thickness required.
  2. Spoon into a round 3 mm piping bag or small ziplock bag then snip corner.
  3. Remove the cling wrap and pipe crosses onto the buns. Go slow so it hugs the curves.
BAKING/GLAZE
  1. Bake in preheated oven (180°C/350°F) for 22 minutes, or until the surface is a deep golden brown. The surface colour is the best test for this recipe.
  2. Meanwhile, place jam and water in a bowl, microwave for 30 seconds. Mix to combine.
  3. Remove buns from oven. Use overhang to lift buns onto a cooling rack.
  4. Brush with jam mixture while warm. Allow to cool to warm before serving.