Warm, spiced, impossibly soft hot cross buns. Can be made in a single afternoon with sourdough discard and an easy technique that keeps them fluffy for days. It's a recipe I honed for over a year and includes an optional glaze that makes them extra special and dries smooth, no sticky mess.
I didn't grow up with hot cross buns, but I gladly adopted them as an adult when I learned about them through friends at church.
They're soft, spiced rolls studded with dried fruit and topped with a cross, traditionally served around Easter. As with all things bread, I wanted to make a sourdough version, and after a year of experiments, I landed on my perfect hot cross bun.
🍞 New to sourdough? Check out my Sourdough Beginners Guide for all the details on starter maintenence and baking with discard.
Why This Recipe Works
The tangzhong method makes rolls impossibly soft
Tangzhong is a simple cooked mixture of milk and flour that you stir together until it thickens into a paste. Cooking the flour gelatinizes the starches so they can hold onto significantly more moisture and the result is buns that are lighter, softer, and stay that way for days instead of going stale overnight. It's the same technique used in Japanese milk bread. You’ll find the same method in my discard dinner rolls.
A clear gelatin glaze makes hot cross buns shine (not sticky)
In my early rounds of testing, I used apricot preserves the way most hot cross bun recipes suggest. It tasted good, but it was a mess and my kids weren't fans. You can absolutely skip the glaze altogether, but I learned about using a gelatin glaze the way high-end pastry shops do. My simplified version takes about five minutes to prep while the rolls are baking, dries completely smooth and shiny, and makes these look like the holiday treat they are.
Soaking dried fruit in juice for flavor and texture
Since this is a spring treat, we usually have a good bit of leftover citrus from the trees of friends and family. But the soak isn't just about flavor. You want to hydrate the dried fruit so it doesn't absorb moisture from the dough and dry out the buns.
Carefully balancing cinnamon in yeast bread recipes
These two spices together are incredibly fragrant, but I learned the hard way that you can take the cinnamon too far. Cinnamaldehyde (the compound that gives cinnamon its flavor) actually inhibits yeast activity. Too much, and your dough takes forever to rise. After testing at different amounts, I found the sweet spot: enough cinnamon for warmth and depth, paired with cardamom for complexity, without compromising the rise.
Using sourdough discard to make the crosses
Non sourdough recipes require you to make a paste of flour and water for piping on the crosses. But as you’ll see, we just use sourdough discard for both the dough and the crosses.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the Tangzhong. Whisk together 120g of milk with 25g of flour and microwave 40 seconds. Continue in 20-second intervals, then 10-second intervals, whisking between each, until the mixture reaches 149°F using an instant read thermometer and looks like a thick pudding. Set aside to cool.
Step 2: Soak the fruit. Place dried fruit in a small bowl and cover with orange juice or warm water. Soak for 10 minutes, then drain well and set aside.
Step 3: Bloom the yeast. Add warmed milk (100°F–110°F) and yeast to a large mixing bowl. Stir and let sit 5 minutes until foamy to confirm the yeast is active, then add sugar, softened butter, sourdough discard, and cooled tangzhong to the yeast mixture. Mix until incorporated. It's fine if it's lumpy.
Step 4: Add the dry ingredients. Add flour, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt. Stir until a shaggy dough forms and then knead for 5 minutes until the dough forms a solid, rather sticky, ball.
Step 5: Add the drained fruit to the dough and continue kneading another 5 to 7 minutes until a smooth dough forms and the fruit is evenly distributed.
Step 6: Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover.
Step 7: Let the dough rise in a warm spot for 60 to 90 minutes until doubled.
Step 8: Punch down the dough and divide into 12 equal pieces.
Step 9: Shape each one into a smooth, tight ball by tucking the edges underneath...
Step 10: Then roll against the counter to create surface tension.
Step 11: Arrange in a greased 9×13-inch pan, spaced about ½ inch apart. Cover and let rise 45 to 60 minutes, until the buns are puffy, jiggly when you nudge the pan. Set the oven to preheat to 375F.
Step 12: Brush the tops of the risen buns with egg wash.
Step 13: Transfer your sourdough discard to a piping bag or zip-top bag with a corner snipped off. Pipe a line across each row of buns, then turn the pan and pipe perpendicular lines to form the crosses. Then bake 20 to 25 minutes until deep golden brown and the internal temperature reads 190°F–195°F.
Step 14: While the buns bake, bloom the powdered gelatin in cold water for 5 minutes. Heat water and sugar in the microwave until boiling, stir to dissolve. Microwave the bloomed gelatin for 10 seconds to liquify, then stir it into the sugar water until completely clear.
Step 15: Brush a thin layer of the warm glaze over the hot buns as soon as they come out of the oven. The heat helps it set smooth and shiny. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before serving warm.
Tips, Swaps & Make-It-Your-Way Options
Stand mixer vs. hand kneading: Both work. The dough is sticky, so a stand mixer with a dough hook on medium speed makes the kneading phase easier. If kneading by hand, lightly oil your hands instead of adding flour. It keeps the dough soft without making it tough.
Dried fruit options: Raisins are classic, but you can use dried cranberries, currants, chopped dried apricots, candied orange peel, or a mix.
Oil instead of butter: If you'd rather skip the butter, a neutral oil (like avocado oil) works just fine.
No sourdough discard? For the dough, you can substitute the 100g of discard with 50g flour and 50g water added to the dry and wet ingredients respectively. For the crosses, a simple paste of ¼ cup flour mixed with a few tablespoons of water until thick but pipeable will do the job.
Make-ahead option: Shape the buns in the pan, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, pull them out, let them come to room temperature and finish rising (about 60 minutes), then bake as directed. This results aren't quite the same, but still outstanding rolls.
Storage & Reheating
Room temperature: Store buns in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. The tangzhong method keeps them noticeably softer than standard hot cross buns on days two and three.
Reheating: Warm in a 300°F oven for 5 to 8 minutes, or microwave for 10 to 15 seconds. They're also wonderful split and toasted with a generous pat of butter.
Joanie’s Balanced Bites
On their own, these are mostly carbs and can spike blood sugar when eaten alone. But hot cross buns are famously part of a bigger Easter spread, and that's where the balance happens naturally.
Serve them alongside protein like ham or my Tri Tip Roast and add a fiber-rich side like my Broccoli Lentil Salad or a spinach salad. Toss in a few deviled eggs for even more protein and fat, and you're setting your blood sugar up for a much steadier ride through the holiday.
What Else Goes Well With Sourdough Hot Cross Buns
Beyond Easter, these are lovely as an afternoon treat with tea. Split, toasted, and spread with butter or cream cheese. The fat from a good spread helps slow the glucose absorption.
Browse ➡️ Blood Sugar-Friendly Recipes
Description
Soft, spiced sourdough discard hot cross buns made with the tangzhong method for extra-fluffy texture that lasts for days. Includes an optional clear gelatin glaze and make-ahead options. Perfect for Easter.
Ingredients
For the Tangzhong:
- 120g (½ cup) milk
- 25g (3 tablespoons) bread flour
For the Dough:
- ½ cup (110g) whole or 2% milk, warmed to 100°F–110°F
- 9g (1 packet) active dry yeast
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons (28g) butter, softened, or neutral oil
- ½ cup (100g) sourdough starter discard, at room temperature
- 325g (about 2½ cups) bread flour or all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (3g) ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon (0.5g) ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon (5g) fine salt
- 1 cup (120g) dried fruit (raisins, dried cranberries, currants or candied citrus peel)
- Orange juice or warm water, for soaking the fruit
For the Egg Wash:
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon (15g) milk
For the Crosses:
- ¼ cup sourdough discard, at room temperature
For the Gelatin Glaze (optional):
- 1 teaspoon powdered gelatin
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Instructions
- Make the tangzhong. Whisk 120g milk and 25g flour in a microwave-safe bowl until smooth. Microwave 40 seconds, whisk. Continue in 20-second intervals, then 10-second intervals, whisking between each, until the mixture reaches 149°F and looks like a thick pudding. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
- Soak the fruit. Place dried fruit in a small bowl and cover with orange juice or water. Let soak 10 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
- Bloom the yeast. Add warmed milk (100°F–110°F) and yeast to a large mixing bowl. Stir and let sit 5 minutes until foamy.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Add sugar, softened butter, sourdough discard, and cooled tangzhong to the yeast mixture. Mix until incorporated. It's okay if it's lumpy.
- Add the dry ingredients. Add flour, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt. Stir until a shaggy dough forms.
- Knead. Knead 5 minutes by hand or with a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook until a ball forms. The dough will be sticky. If kneading by hand, rub some oil on your hands instead of adding more flour so you don't add excess flour to the rolls.
- Add the fruit. Fold in the drained dried fruit and knead another 5 minutes until all the fruit is evenly distributed and the dough is smooth and elastic.
- First rise. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel, and let rise in a warm spot 60–90 minutes until doubled.
- Shape. Punch down the dough and divide into 12 equal pieces (about 74g each). Shape each into a smooth, tight ball by tucking edges underneath and rolling against the counter to create surface tension.
- Second rise. Arrange buns in a greased 9×13-inch pan, spaced about ½ inch apart. Cover and let rise 45–60 minutes until puffy and ever so slightly jiggly when you nudge the pan.
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Egg wash. Beat egg with 1 tablespoon milk. Brush gently over the tops of the risen buns.
- Pipe the crosses. Transfer ¼ cup sourdough discard to a piping bag or zip-top bag with a corner snipped. Pipe a line across each row of buns, then turn the pan and pipe perpendicular lines to form crosses.
- Bake. Bake 20–25 minutes until deep golden brown and internal temperature reads 190°F–195°F.
- Make the gelatin glaze (optional). While buns bake, sprinkle gelatin over 1 tablespoon cold water and let bloom 5 minutes. Combine 2 tablespoons water and 1 tablespoon sugar in a microwave-safe cup, microwave until boiling (about 45 seconds), and stir to dissolve the sugar. Microwave the bloomed gelatin 10 seconds to liquify, then stir into the sugar water until fully clear.
- Glaze. Brush a thin layer of warm glaze over the hot buns immediately out of the oven. The heat helps it set smooth and shiny.
- Cool and serve. Let cool in pan 10 minutes before serving warm.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 roll
- Calories: 211
- Sugar: 15.5 g
- Sodium: 206.2 mg
- Fat: 2.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 42.2 g
- Fiber: 1.6 g
- Protein: 5.8 g
- Cholesterol: 5.5 mg
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!