Easter Hot Cross Buns: Easy to Make Ahead for Good Friday

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Ham always makes the list, but so does this fruited rice pilaf. Hard-boiled eggs, a traditional coconut bunny cake, and chocolate Easter eggs are also musts.

But Hot Cross Buns… It wouldn’t be Easter without them.

History of Hot Cross Buns

While the exact origins of hot cross buns are unclear, it is generally agreed they go back to a 12th-century Anglican monk who baked sweet buns for the poor on Good Friday and etched a cross in each bun to celebrate the Easter holiday.

The first definite record of hot cross buns, however, comes from a 16th and 17th-century text stating:

“Good Friday comes this month, the old woman runs,
with one or two a penny hot cross buns.”

Hot Cross Buns and the Queen Elizabeth 1

Centuries later, Queen Elizabeth I limited the sale of sweet buns to 3 specific occasions.

The reason, Smithsonian Magazines says, “They’re too sacred to eat any old day.”

They continue: “In 1592, Queen Elizabeth I decreed that hot cross buns could no longer be sold on any day except for Good Friday, Christmas or for burials. They were simply too special to be eaten any other day. To get around this, FoodTimeline explains that people baked the buns in their own kitchens—although if they were caught they had to give up all of the illegal buns on their premises to the poor.”

Ancient Records of Hot Cross Buns Recipe

A fascinating mention of an earlier origin in Sue Ellen Thompson’s Holiday Symbols and Customs:

“When archaeologists excavated the ancient city of Herculaneum in southwestern Italy, which had been buried under volcanic ash and lava since 79 C.E., they found two small loaves, each with a cross on it, among the ruins.”

An early hot cross bun?

Here’s how to make your own…

But first.

The distinctive cross on hot cross buns can be made in two ways.

1. Icing:
This is the easiest of the two crosses. A piped cross can be added after the buns are baked by making a simple icing.

2. Pastry: 
Roll out store-bought pastry very thinly (about 1/8-inch thick) and cut into narrow strips. Apply the egg wash to the buns just before baking and place two strips on each bun to form a cross. Bake.

How to Make Hot Cross Buns

Full step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below, but this will give you a quick overview of how to make these buns.

Step 1: Warm milk and proof yeast

Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl or stand mixer base. Then stir in the warm milk, melted butter, sugar, and salt.

Step 2: Make the dough

Add flour, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, egg, raisins, and orange zest to the yeast mixture and beat until you have a smooth dough.

Step 3: Knead the dough

Once the dough comes together, knead until smooth and elastic; about 3-4 minutes in a mixer or 5-7 minutes by hand.

Step 4: First Rise

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and let rise until dough doubles.

Step 5: Shape the buns

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface, divide into 12 equal portions and shape into a smooth ball (more directions in the recipe card). Place in a greased 9 x 13-inch baking pan, cover, and let rise until doubled; about one hour more.

Once doubled, if making pastry crosses, do this before baking. If you’re making icing crosses, you can skip this step. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Step 6: Bake the buns

Whisk together the egg wash and brush over each bun. Bake the buns for 18 to 24 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Do not over-bake. Transfer buns to a rack to cool.