Hot Cross Buns Recipe [Video] (2024)

FAQs

What is the criss on a hot cross bun made of? ›

The traditional method for making the cross on top of the bun is to use shortcrust pastry, though some 21st century recipes recommended a paste of flour and water.

History of the hot cross bun

Although the Ancient Greeks, Romans and Saxons all baked a type of bun to mark the changing seasons, it was Brother Rocliffe who made the Alban Bun in 1361. A sweet, fruity bake bearing a cross on top, the buns were given to the local poor on Good Friday.

DO NOT add too much flour – results in dry dough = tough buns. Sultanas: Some recipes say to add sultanas after the dough has been kneaded or risen. If you do this, you'll find it very hard to disperse them evenly throughout the dough. By adding them before kneading, some do get squished.

They are symbolic of this significant day in the Christian faith when Jesus was crucified. Each bun is decorated with a cross made from flour paste, which represents the cross on which Christ died. The spices in hot cross buns are said to represent the spices that were used to embalm Christ after his death.

Traditionally eaten on Good Friday to commemorate the Crucifixion, hot cross buns found an enemy in Elizabeth I, who, in 1592, finding too much Popery in their popularity, banned their consumption except on specific holidays.

Iceland is trialling a new kind of hot cross bun which has a tick on the top of it instead of the traditional cross. The supermarket faced controversy for the move on Tuesday, after it was accused of being offensive to Christians.

Revive. If your buns are starting to turn stale, sprinkle with water and heat for a few minutes in the oven. If they're very stale, blitz into breadcrumbs and add to puddings, like our hot cross bun treacle tart. You can freeze hot cross buns.

Pagans worshipped Eostre, the goddess of dawn and spring. As spring arrived, the pagans would celebrate a month long festival of the transitioning time from winter entering into spring. This festival saw the Saxons making buns marked with a cross, which represented the four phases of the moon, to offer to the goddess.

The traditional food for Good Friday is the Hot Cross Bun. These are spicy fruit buns, marked with a cross on the top, and eaten hot from the oven. The origin of the hot cross bun is simple: it is eaten on this day of fasting as a replacement for other food. Good Friday is a day when normal meals are not eaten.

Chocolate Chips: For an indulgent treat, swap out raisins for chocolate chips of your choice—dark, milk, or white. The creamy sweetness of chocolate will melt into each bite. Dried Figs: Lastly, step up your hot cross bun game with the sweet and earthy flavour of dried figs.

What is the white stuff on the bottom of hot cross buns? ›

The white topping on hot cross buns is typically a mixture of flour, water, and sugar. This simple yet versatile combination is known as a “cross paste” and is piped onto the buns before baking. Once the buns are in the oven, the paste sets and forms the iconic cross shape that gives these treats their name.

Serve the buns warm from the oven, cold or lightly toasted - whichever way make sure to add a generous spread of my tangy orange and nutmeg spiced butter.

Palm Sunday, officially known as Passion Sunday, is celebrated by Christian communities on the Sunday before Easter. It commemorates Jesus Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, where he would be crucified days later.

The egg itself became a symbol of the Resurrection. Just as Jesus rose from the tomb, the egg symbolized new life emerging from the eggshell. In the Orthodox tradition, eggs are painted red to symbolize the blood that Jesus shed on the cross.

Etymology. The term Good Friday comes from the sense 'pious, holy' of the word good. Less common examples of expressions based on this obsolete sense of good include 'the good book" for the Bible, 'good tide' for Christmas or Shrovetide, and Good Wednesday for the Wednesday in Holy Week.

Traditionally, the cross decorating the buns was made from a simple paste of flour and water. Over time the cross has changed and some bakers mark their buns with a sweet frosting called fondant, which is similar to the icing used to top a cinnamon roll.

Mix 75g plain flour with about 5 tbsp water to make the paste for the cross – add the water 1 tbsp at a time, so you add just enough for a thick paste. Spoon into a piping bag with a small nozzle. Pipe a line along each row of buns, then repeat in the other direction to create crosses.

The white topping on hot cross buns is typically a mixture of flour and water, which is piped onto the buns before baking. This creates the iconic cross shape and adds a slightly chewy texture to the top of the bun.

Mix together confectioners' sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Place glaze in a piping bag or a sandwich bag with the corner snipped off; pipe a cross onto each roll.