These brioche hot cross buns are your classic hot cross buns elevated! These buns are soft, rich and buttery with thanks to the classic French brioche dough. They’re perfectly sweet, perfectly spiced and just lovely warm and slathered with butter.
While traditional in hot cross buns, if you don’t like dried fruit just leave it out (or swap it for some chocolate chips). The warming spices and the cross on top will still give you a lovely hot cross bun feeling.
You’ll love these chocolate hot cross buns too.
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Brioche is an enriched dough, meaning it’s not only sweetened but also has more fat than a typical bread dough. That fat is in the form of butter and eggs and they make for a much richer, softer and more delicious bun.
Technically speaking, it’s no more difficult to make than any other bread dough aside from time. Brioche dough just needs more time to knead and to rise.
Kneading the dough with a stand mixer is my preferred option as it does take around 30 minutes in total and doing that by hand will be more like 45-50 minutes, aka really hard work.
The dough also needs more time to proof (rise). This is due to all the fat in the dough which can slow down the yeasts ability to create air in the dough.
Ingredients & substitutions
These brioche hot cross buns have very typical bread ingredients but I’ve elaborated below with some of them.
Jump to the recipe card for full ingredient quantities and instructions.
- Bread flour: Bread flour will give you the classic chewy texture you want from bread (as opposed to the softness you want from cake). Bread flour is higher in protein than plain flour / all purpose flour which not only helps with that chewy texture but also means it will absorb more moisture. You can use plain / all purpose flour in it’s place but you’ll need to reduce the milk in the recipe so make sure to read the recipe notes.
- Yeast: The all important ingredient to get your brioche buns to rise and to add flavour. I use dried instant yeast but you can swap it for active dry. As I always activate my yeast before adding the rest of the ingredients, you won’t need to change any steps.
- Spices: You’ll find the classic spices in these brioche hot cross buns – cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. If you don’t have or don’t like any of them you can reduce or leave them out but keep in mind you want get the comfort and flavour you should from a classic HCB. If you don’t have all spice, just add a good pinch of ground cloves if you have that and a pinch of ground cardamom too.
- Dried fruit: I use a combination of sultanas and currants here. I get it, not everyone loves dried fruit. It softens in these buns but if you want to leave it out, you can. You can also swap the dried fruit for chocolate chips, or use another dried fruit like glace cherries or cranberries just like these white chocolate cranberry hot cross buns. You can use a mixed fruit mix that often includes raisins, dried peel and cherries too. If you like, you can add a couple of teaspoons of orange zest too.
How to make brioche hot cross buns
This brioche hot cross bun recipe is much like making any sweet bread dough (like cinnamon rolls or classic hot cross buns) however it requires a little more time so make sure to plan ahead.
Jump to the recipe card for full ingredient quantities and instructions.
1. Bloom the yeast
Technically you can skip this step if you’re using instant yeast but you must do it if using active dry yeast. I do it even though I use instant yeast purely because I’ll know if my yeast is working before wasting any other ingredients. If the yeast doesn’t start to get puffy, you’ll likely need to buy a fresh batch before making any dough.
Blooming the yeast just means adding it to some warm liquid (in this case, milk) and a little sugar in the mixer bowl and allowing it to sit for 5-10 minutes to start puffing up.
2. Add other wet ingredients
Add the eggs and vanilla and give it a whisk just to break up the eggs.
3. Add dry ingredients
Add the remaining sugar, flour, salt and spices then knead the dough for 4 minutes. This is just to get the ingredients well incorporated into each other.
It’s best to use a stand mixer with dough hook attachment for this recipe as the kneading does take some time. If you want to knead it by hand, depending on how much experience you have of course, you could be going for 45 minutes.
4. Add the butter
Being an enriched dough, the brioche hot cross buns have lots of butter in them. Make sure it’s softened before you begin then add the butter in 4 instalments making sure each is fully mixed into the dough before adding the next portion. Just use the low setting in your mixer to do this and it will take 1-2 minutes for each portion to be fully incorporated.
The dough will be very soft at this point and will not look like it’s going to turn into a dough you can handle but I promise it will.
5. Knead for 15-20 minutes
This is where all the kneading really does its magic. Knead on setting number 2 for about 15-20 minutes. It will start out really loose and sticky (like the photo above) and eventually be soft but easy to handle. At the end of this stage, you’re looking for the following signs to know your dough is ready;
- it will be soft but won’t stick to your hands
- it will look smooth and a little shiny
- it will easily slide off the dough hook
- it will no longer be sticking to the sides of the bowl
- you can do the window pane test. Gently stretch a piece of dough until you can almost see through it without it breaking.
Knead in the soaked and drained dried fruit, then
6. The first rise
Let the brioche hot cross bun dough rise for 1-2 hours until doubled in size in a warm place (not hot), covered. The rising time will depend on the environment it’s sitting in. Under the rangehood lamps works well or if you have a dough rise setting in your oven, do it in there however as this recipe has a lot of butter in it, and sometimes the dough rise setting will go above the temperature required, it’s best to put it in once heated, then turn the oven off.
7. Shaping the brioche buns
I like to weigh the whole ball of dough, then divide it by 12 and weigh out each mini ball of dough individually. This way they’re even sizes and will bake evenly. Cup a ball of dough between the little fingers of each hand, and drag it towards yourself, against the surface (not floured) until the top is smooth.
8. The second rise
Evenly space the brioche hot cross bun dough balls in a 23x33cm / 9×13 inch baking tray, lined with baking paper. Let them rise in a warm place for another 45-60 minutes (or until doubled and puffy).
9. Make the dough for the crosses
The classic cross on top of the buns is a mixture flour and water paste that is baked onto the buns. Mix together the flour and water for the crosses in a bowl, then transfer it to a piping bag or a small ziplock bag with the corner cut off. If you prefer, you can make a cross using a thick icing glaze after they’ve baked but they will need to cool completely and you won’t be able to toast them or serve them hot.
10. Pipe the crosses and bake
Pipe a thin line of the cross dough all the way across a row of 3 hot cross buns, then repeat on the other 3 rows of 3. Now turn the pan 90° and pipe a line across each of 4 hot cross buns. Now, they should all have a cross.
Bake them for around 22 minutes. Bread dough is baked when a thermometer inserted into the centre of a bun is around 90°C / 190°F.
Storage
Your super soft and fluffy hot cross buns should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months. They are best on the day they’re baked though.
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Ingredients
- ½ cup whole milk + 1 tablespoon (145ml, notes 2)
- 2 ½ teaspoons instant dry yeast or active dry yeast
- ½ cup caster sugar or white granulated sugar 100g/ 3 ½oz
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 520 g bread flour (see notes 2 for other flour)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon all spice (notes 3)
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (notes 3)
- 200 g unsalted butter softened (7oz)
- ¾ cup mixed dried fruit or raisins / sultanas (notes 4) (115g / 4oz)
for the top
- 1 egg yolk
- dash milk
- 75 g bread flour (2½oz)
- ⅓ cup water + more as needed
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Equipment
- stand mixer with dough hook attachment
- 23x33cm / 9×13 inch baking pan
Instructions
- In a small bowl, cover the dried fruit with boiling water and set aside.
- To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the yeast, warm milk and 1 tablespoon of the measured sugar. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it looks puffy.
- Add the eggs and vanilla to the bowl and give it a whisk to break up the eggs.
- Add the remaining sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, all spice and nutmeg and just use the dough hook attachment with your hand to roughly mix it to shaggy dough.
- Attach the dough hook attachment to the stand mixer and knead the dough for 4 minutes on low speed. This will get everything really well incorporated.
- Add ¼ of the softened butter and knead on low speed for roughly 2 minutes or until the butter has all been incorporated. Repeat this 3 more times with the remaining butter, each time allowing the portion of butter to be incorporated before adding the next portion. By the end of this step the dough will be very loose and sticky.
- Turn the mixer up 1 setting (low-medium speed) and beat for 15-20 minutes until the dough has pulled away from the sides, looks smooth and is soft but not sticky. You should also be able to do the window pane test where you gently pull a piece of dough out thin enough that you can nearly see through it without it tearing.
- Drain the fruit and dab dry with paper towel then add it to the dough. Use your hands to knead the fruit into the dough until it is just combined.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm (not hot) place until doubled in size (1 – 2 hours). The time required will depend on the ambient temperature it is left sitting at.
- Line a 23x33cm / 9×13 inch pan or lamington pan with baking paper.
- Punch the dough down. Divide the dough into 12 even portions.
- For even brioche hot cross buns, weigh the ball of dough, then divide that by 12 and weigh each portion as you make the buns.
- Working with one portion at a time, shape the dough into balls – start by folding the sides in to roughly smooth off the other side, then sit it bottom side down, smoothest side up onto a clean work surface (not floured). Cup your little fingers around the bottom edges of the bun and drag/roll it towards you until you have a smooth little ball.
- Place the dough balls into the prepared pan, cover with plastic wrap and leave to double in size again 45-60 minutes (or you can proof them in the fridge for up to 24 hours)
- Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan forced) / 400F. If your buns proofed in the fridge overnight, bring them out 1-2 hours before baking to give them time to puff up to double their original size.
- Whisk together the egg yolk and the dash of milk, then brush lightly over the buns with a pastry brush.
- In a small bowl, mix together the remaining flour and water until you have a smooth pipeable paste (add a little water as necessary but make sure it’s of a pipeable consistency).
- Transfer the paste into a plastic sandwich bag or piping bag and snip off the corner or tip to leave just a small hole.
- Pipe a line of paste along the middle of one whole row of buns, then repeat on the remaining rows. Turn the pan 90 degrees and pipe another line over the middle of each row so you have a cross over each bun.
- Place in the oven and cook for 22-25 minutes or until the top is nice and golden brown. Bread is fully baked when a thermometer inserted into the centre hits 90°C / 190°F.
- Let them cool a little before serving but they can be served warm or at room temperature, or you can toast them. Spread with butter, jams, fruit curds or whatever you love.
- Please take a moment to leave a comment & rating. It's appreciated and so helpful.
Notes
- Tablespoons: I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (equal to 4 teaspoons). Check yours before measuring.
- Bread flour absorbs more moisture than plain flour (all purpose flour) due to it’s higher protein content. If you want to use plain or all purpose, reduce the milk to ½ a cup.
- Spices: If you don’t like nutmeg or all spice (or don’t have any), simply leave them out. Likewise, the cinnamon can be reduced or left out for a plain brioche roll.
- Dried fruit: If you don’t like dried fruit, leave it out. You could even add chocolate chips in place of the dried fruit.
- Nutrition details are approximate only – scroll below the recipe to find the full nutritional information.
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2 Comments on “Brioche Hot Cross Buns”
Just out of the oven. Followed your recipe to the letter and it worked perfectly. (I did add a teaspoon of grated orange rind). Perfect!
I’m so happy to hear this, Effie. Love the addition of orange rind. I truly appreciate you dropping back to leave a review.