Hot Cross Buns Recipe from Mrs. Rabbit (Peter’s Mother)
This hot cross buns recipe is a foolproof, easy, step by step recipe with phenomenal results. If you love soft, fluffy, hot cross buns, laced with a hint of mixed spice, and dotted with currants, this classic British recipe is for you!
Originally published on March 27, 2015.
This hot cross buns recipe is not a normal recipe post for me.
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First of all, I took some of the photos below long before I even began Christina’s Cucina. I didn’t make the hot cross buns in those pictures, and the recipe belongs to a storybook rabbit!
When my children were young, I used to entertain them with all things ‘Beatrix Potter’, and one of the coloring books I bought for them was called, “Peter Rabbit’s Easter.” It contained lots of activities for the Easter holiday, and one of them was a recipe for children to make hot cross buns.
Here’s another great recipe to make with, or for children at Easter: Italian Easter bread rings.
Well, I pulled out that particular page and kept the recipe because it sounded really good, but it wasn’t until my daughter was 13 years old, that she actually made them. (Yikes, time flies!)
The photo of the page below is from that little coloring book. It contains the recipe she followed and we continue to follow. Please note, I am quite sure the 1 tablespoon of yeast is a typo, as this is a very large amount of dried yeast for the amount of flour, so please follow my printable recipe instead.
You may also like my homemade cinnamon roll recipe.
We make hot cross buns in our bread machine (this is the one I have, but there are many less expensive models), and if you’d like to do the same, just follow the directions below.
You can see from the very last photo below, we either added our own little touch of icing the first time my daughter made them (as the recipe didn’t include it). However, for true and authentic British hot cross buns, you’ll skip the icing and make the proper crosses. Here are a few more English recipes.
Flour and water is made into a loose paste which is piped onto the buns before baking. I can assure you, these hot cross buns taste even better than they look! Delicious, anyway you eat them, and they are so good toasted the next day (cut them in half first), then slather with butter, jam or marmalade!
Mrs. Rabbit’s Hot Cross Buns
adapted from a coloring book recipe makes 12 medium sized buns
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW (see recipe card for stand mixer directions)
Ingredients
Buns
- milk
- butter
- sugar
- flour
- mixed spice
- salt
- yeast
- currants
- flour
- water
Glaze
- sugar
- water
Add the milk and melted butter to the bread machine bowl. Place the flour, sugar, salt and mixed spice* (see below) on top of the liquid and make a well in the center, to which the yeast can be added. Set the bread machine to the dough setting and press start. Add the dried fruit when the machine beeps to “add ingredients”.
*To save yourself ordering the British spice blend, you can make your own with this recipe for the British mixed spice.
When the cycle has ended, make sure the dough has doubled in size, then shape into 12 equal pieces and place in a buttered 9″ x 13″ pan.
As I stated above, just mix water and flour until it forms a thick, glue-like consistency.
Put the mixture into a sandwich bag, piping bag, (or condiment bottle) and trim a tiny piece from one corner, if using the bag.
Pipe across the rows in each direction. NOTE: DO NOT MAKE Xs ON EACH BUN. Follow these instructions and you will have proper looking hot cross buns.
Allow the buns to rise until almost doubled in size. I place mine in the oven with a jug of boiling water (so they won’t form a crust). Then remove from the oven, and set it to 400°F (200°) and allow to come to temperature before placing the buns to bake in the center of the oven for about 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown.
Meanwhile, make the glaze by melting the sugar in the water in a small pot over low heat. Allow to simmer for about two minutes, then brush the buns with the glaze as soon as they come out of the oven.
Allow to cool slightly before serving, preferably with a hot cup of tea. It always seems nicer with a real china cup and saucer, too.
The picture below is of my daughter’s first time making hot cross buns from Mrs. Rabbit’s recipe. Excuse the poor quality of photo as it was never meant to end up on my page, especially since she didn’t want her photo on here–well, I sort of cut her out. ;)
As you can see, I’ve managed to fix up the recipe a bit–I think Mrs. Rabbit would be proud, too!
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Mrs. Rabbit's Hot Cross Buns Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 oz milk
- ¼ cup butter softened or melted, if using a bread machine
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour or bread flour (you may need more flour if the dough is too sticky)
- 2 tsp. mixed spice (more or less, depending on your preference - recipe for mixed spice is below this recipe card)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp. yeast dried
- ¾ cup currants
Cross Mixture
- 2 Tbsp water more or less as needed to get the gluey consistency
- 2 Tbsp flour
Glaze
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp water
Instructions
- Add the milk and melted butter to the bread machine bowl. Place the flour, sugar, salt and mixed spice on top of the liquid and make a well in the center, to which the yeast can be added.
- Set the bread machine to the dough setting and press start. If the dough is too sticky (sticks to your finger when touched, add a little more flour.) Add the dried fruit when the machine beeps to “add ingredients”.
- When the cycle has ended, make sure the dough has doubled in size, then shape into 12 equal pieces/rounds and place in a buttered 9″x13″ pan.
- Allow the buns to rise until almost doubled in size. I place mine in the oven with a jug of boiling water (so they won’t form a crust).
- While the buns are rising, mix the water and flour until it forms a thick, glue-like consistency.
- Put the mixture into a sandwich bag, piping bag, (or condiment bottle) and trim a tiny piece from one corner, if using the bag.
- Remove the buns from the oven, and set it to 400°F (200°). Pipe the flour and water mixture across the rows in each direction. See the photo above (do not pipe an X on each bun)
- Place the buns in the center of the preheated oven for about 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Meanwhile, make the glaze by melting the sugar in the water in a small pot over low heat. Allow to simmer for about two minutes, then brush the buns with the glaze as soon as they come out of the oven.
- Allow to cool slightly before serving, preferably with a hot cup of tea.
- The next day, slice them in half and toast them to serve with butter, and of course another cup of tea!
Notes
- Activate the yeast in the warm milk with a pinch of sugar.
- Meanwhile, mix the softened butter and sugar until well combined, then add a little of the milk mixture.
- Remove the paddle and insert the dough hook then add some flour. Add the rest of the milk, flour, salt and mixed spice and let the machine knead the mixture into a dough. (If using cups, begin with the lesser amount of flour, and only add more to acheive a workable dough.)
- Continue run the machine for about 5 minutes; after a soft and smooth dough has formed add the currants. Mix through then stop the machine. Cover and let the dough double in size, then proceed with STEP 2 in the main recipe to shape the dough, etc.
Nutrition
Mixed Spice (British Recipe for the US/Canada and Recipes to Use it)
Special Equipment
- 1 glass jar
Ingredients
- 2 tsp cinnamon ground
- 2 tsp nutmeg ground
- 2 tsp coriander dried, ground spice (not cilantro)
- 1 tsp ginger ground, dried spice (not fresh)
- 1 tsp allspice ground
- ½ tsp mace ground
- ½ tsp cloves ground
Instructions
- Mix all the spices together and place in a glass jar or container.
- Keep sealed in a sealed container in a dry place.
Notes
Nutrition
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Seems to me, that to substituting a spice mix, apple pie spice would be closer It contains more of the same spices. But this mix is so easy, why not make it? I have all the ingredients in my spice rack. At most some might need to buy a couple, such as cardamom. I’m going to try this it’s so easy.
Yes, the mixed spice will be different. I’m not an apple pie spice fan, but adore mixed spice. Let me know what you think!
I don’t have a bread machine anymore, would the recipe come out good using a kitchen aid mixer and what changes to the instructions should be done
Absolutely perfect, Francoise. Just add the dry ingredients to the bowl, put the yeast into the water for a few minutes and then add the liquid to a well in the flour and use your kneading attachment. Easy, peasy! Let me know what you think!
I tried to make these, and the dough was WAY TO DRY, I mixed in my kitchen aid and then by hand to mix in dry bits…and it didn’t rise. The yeast is good as it’s new and it bloomed nicely. I bake breads for my business so not sure where i went wrong. I work with yeast all the time. Could it be less flour than 3 2/3 cups?
Hi Liz, I have the metric measurements and always recommend using those. I wish I could delete cups as they are not reliable. The recipe is solid so I don’t know what transpired. Not sure why it didn’t rise. I would recommend using a scale next time as they are just gorgeous buns. Good luck.
Did you just email me ?
I did! It’s me.
will try this recipe
Hi Giles, hope you come back to click on the 5 stars once you try it! :)
Can hot cross buns be made in advance at all? Or partially made in advance? I volunteered to make baked goods for my church’s Easter service and am trying to find traditional recipes that preferably I won’t have to get up at 4am to make. Our church’s architecture is that of an English country church (despite being in the US), so I thought this would be a fun thing to make.
Hi Eve, you can definitely make them the day or night beforehand. Your church sounds LOVELY!!
I’ve been reading a book series, where the protagonist’s favorite afternoon treat is an Eccles cake. So, I made some! Very tasty … though, I used regular home made pastry, so, apparently , these are called Chorley cakes.
Very cool! Glad you like them!