Sourdough Hot Cross Buns
Soft, fluffy sourdough hot cross buns with rooibos-soaked fruit, warm spices, and a shiny apricot glaze. Perfect for Easter or anytime you're craving something cozy and nostalgic.
Ingredients
Tangzhong:
- 25 g bread flour
- 125 g full-cream milk
Fruit Soak:
- 190 g baker’s mix sultanas, raisins, currants
- 2 cups hot rooibos tea or hot water
Dough:
- 150 g tangzhong all of it you prepared
- 475 g bread flour
- 125 g active sourdough starter
- 50 g light brown sugar
- 50 g white sugar
- 150 g full-cream milk
- 1 large egg approx. 50g
- 60 g salted butter softened and cubed
- 7 g salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Spices:
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
Add-ins:
- 95 g mixed peel
Crosses:
- 45 g plain flour
- 45 g water
- 1/4 tsp orange essence optional
Glaze:
- 1 tbsp apricot jam
- 1-2 tbsp hot water
Instructions
Prepare the levain the night before
- Mix the starter, flour, and water. Cover loosely and ferment at room temperature for about 12 hours until just past peak (starting to fall again).
Soak the fruit
- Cover the dried fruit with hot rooibos tea. Refrigerate overnight. Drain well before using.
Make the tangzhong (next day)
- Whisk the bread flour and milk in a saucepan over medium heat until thick like pudding. Spread onto a plate, covered with cling film to prevent a skin forming.
Combine the wet ingredients
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, whisk together the cooled tangzhong, milk, egg, sugars, vanilla, and levain until smooth.
Add the dry ingredients
- Add flour, salt, and all spices. Mix until no dry bits remain. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.
Develop gluten
- By hand: Slap and fold for 3–5 minutes until smoother. Rest 5–10 minutes. Perform a windowpane test and repeat if needed.
- By mixer: Knead on low speed for 5–8 minutes until the dough is smooth and passes a windowpane test.
Incorporate the butter
- By hand: Flatten the dough, smear butter over the top, fold, and knead until each cube is fully absorbed before adding more. If the dough resists you, let it rest for 5 minutes and come back to add the rest of the butter.
- By mixer: Add butter one cube at a time on low speed, letting each incorporate fully before the next.
Rest the dough
- Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
Add the fruit
- By hand: Stretch the dough into a large rectangle. Sprinkle over the drained fruit and mixed peel. Fold like a letter and repeat once. Tuck in any stray fruit. Do some slap and folds to distribute the fruit properly. The gluten should form a thin skin over the fruits - that's how you'll know if it is properly developed.
- By mixer: Add fruit and peel directly to the bowl and mix on low for a few minutes until well-incorporated. The gluten should form a thin skin over the fruits - that's how you'll know if it is properly developed. Finish with a few gentle folds on the counter.
Bulk fermentation
- Transfer dough to a lightly oiled container. Cover and let rise at 20–25°C until doubled. Do not under-proof. This may take 8–24 hours depending on temperature.
Divide and shape
- Lightly flour the top of the dough and your counter.Turn dough out and divide into 14 equal portions (~103g each). Shape each into a tight ball by tucking in the corners and then rolling on the counter to create tension. The balls should be nice and tight. Arrange in a prepared baking tray with a little space between them.
Second proof
- Cover loosely with plastic and proof until buns are very puffy and doubled in size, 4–8 hours. Watch the dough, not the clock.
Pipe crosses
- Mix the flour paste and pipe crosses over the buns using a ziplock or piping bag with a snipped corner.
Bake
- Bake in a preheated oven on the middle rack at 180°C (350°F) for 20–25 minutes, or until golden and baked through. Mine baked for 25 minutes.
Glaze
- Warm the apricot jam and mix with hot water. Brush lightly over the hot buns for a shiny finish.
Notes
- Quick-cooling the tangzhong: To cool your tangzhong faster, spread it onto a small side plate and cover with cling film that touches the surface. This prevents a skin from forming and helps it cool in a fraction of the time.
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Forgot to soften your butter?
- Cube the butter and leave it out while you mix and rest your dough — it’ll soften nicely at room temp.
- In a hurry? Microwave the cubed butter in 3-second bursts, checking between rounds until soft (not melted).
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Using instant yeast instead of sourdough:
- Omit the sourdough starter.
- Add 2 tsp (7g) instant yeast directly to the flour.
- Increase the flour by 35g.
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Adjust proofing times:
- First proof: 2–4 hours
- Second proof: 1–3 hours
- Still watch the dough, not the clock!
- Levain shortcut: Forgot to build your levain overnight? Use a 1:1:1 ratio (e.g. 45g starter + 45g flour + 45g water) and ferment at warm room temp until bubbly and doubled (approx. 4–6 hours).
- Avoiding sourness: Keep fermentation cool (20–25°C). Higher temps speed up fermentation and can lead to tangy buns, which we want to avoid.
- Checking if your buns are proofed: Gently press the side of a bun - it should leave a slight indentation and wobble slightly like a very delicate marshmallow. If they spring back quickly, they need more time.
- Mixing by hand tips: Butter and fruit incorporation is messier by hand, but doable. Don’t rush it. The butter will feel like it’s not going in - just keep kneading until each cube is absorbed. If fruit escapes during lamination, simply tuck it back under the dough.
- Spice flexibility: Adjust the spices to your liking. Add orange zest, nutmeg, or even a splash of rum to the fruit soak for a festive twist.
- Storage tips: Store cooled buns in an airtight container for up to 7 days. They stay so fresh for long because of the addition of the tangzhong. They also freeze beautifully.