Sourdough Hot Cross Buns

These fluffy homemade hot cross buns are the perfect sourdough bread recipe for Easter! They are lightly spiced, sweet, filled with plump raisins, and made with sourdough starter. Sourdough Hot Cross Buns are decorated with a cross to symbolize the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, making them perfect for a traditional Easter celebration.

Imagine soft sourdough dinner rolls and cinnamon raisin bread had a baby. That baby would be sourdough hot cross buns! Theses naturally leavened buns are easy, delicious, and make such a wonderful good friday treat. The dough for this sourdough hot cross bun recipe has a long ferment time, so if you plan to make these as part of your easter recipe line up, check out my sample bakers schedule so you can plan ahead.

Ingredients

The Dough

• Milk – We love raw milk in our home!
• Sourdough Starter – I use 100% hydration sourdough starter at its peak.
• Butter – Use unsalted butter that has been melted and cooled a bit.
• Egg – One large egg is all you need.
• Sugar – Raw cane sugar or coconut sugar work best.
• Salt – Sea salt, celtic salt, or pink salt all work for this recipe.
• Vanilla – Vanilla adds depth to the flavor.
• Cinnamon and Nutmeg – Just enough to give these buns a light spice.
• Flour – I use organic unbleached bread flour.
• Raisins – If you don’t care for dried fruit, you can make sourdough hot cross buns without raisins by using chocolate chips instead!

The Cross

• Flour – I used organic unbleached all-purpose flour.
• Water – Filtered water or spring water work well.

The Glaze

• Sugar – Raw cane sugar or coconut sugar work best.
• Water – Filtered water or spring water work well.

How to Make Sourdough Hot Cross Buns

Step 1: Mix the Dough

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the milk and sourdough starter until the starter has fully dissolved into the milk. Stir in the melted butter after it has been allowed to cool down to a point it is no longer hot to the touch.

In a small bowl whisk together the egg, sugar, and vanilla before adding it to milk mixture.

Sift together your flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients a little at a time until fully incorporated.

Step 2: Add the Raisins During Stretch & Fold

After mixing, cover the dough with a damp cloth and allow it to rest for 30 minutes. Once the dough is rested, pour in the raisins and perform a set of stretch and folds. As you stretch and fold the raisins will become more evenly distributed thought the dough.

Cover the dough and rest for another 30 minutes. After the second rest, perform another set of stretch and folds. The raisins should be fully incorporated into the dough after the second stretch and fold set.

Step 3: Bulk Rise Overnight

Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and allow the dough to rise overnight for 10-12 hours at 70°F(21°C). Bulk rise will take more or less time depending on the temperature of your home. The dough will be smooth, domed, and have doubled in size by the end of bulk fermentation.

Step 4: Shape and Second Rise

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 12 equal sized portions using a bench scraper or knife. You can use a kitchen scale to weigh each roll for accuracy if you like. They should each weigh 95-100 grams.

To shape each roll fold the edges into the center of the dough. Flip the roll over so that it is seam side down and roll it gently with your hands until it is smooth and round.

Place the rolls seam side down in a lightly greased 9″x13″ baking dish. Drape a damp kitchen towel over the baking dish and allow the rolls to rise for 2-3 hours at 70°F(21°C), or until they have risen about 50% of their original size. This will take more or less time depending on the temperature of your home.

Step 5: Make the Cross

When the rolls are ready, mix together the flour and water in a small bowl until a thick paste forms and no lumps remain.

Scoop the flour paste into a piping bag, or into a sandwich bag with the corner clipped. Pipe a line across each row of buns lengthwise and crosswise.

Step 6: Bake and Glaze

Preheat your oven to 350°F(180°C). Once heated bake the rolls for 25 minutes on the center rack, until the tops are golden brown.

While the rolls bake, make the glaze. Heat the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring continuously. When the sugar is fully dissolved and the glaze begins to simmer, pull it from the heat and set it aside.

Brush the glaze onto the rolls right out of the oven using a pastry brush.

Serve the rolls warm or at room temperature. The rolls will keep covered at room temperature for up to 48 hours.

Sample Bakers Schedule

11 AM Day 1: Feed your sourdough starter.

7 PM Day 1: Mix the dough.

7:30 PM Day 1: Stretch and fold set.

8 PM Day 1: Stretch and fold set followed by bulk ferment.

8 AM Day 2: Shape the rolls and second rise.

11 AM Day 2: Add the cross and bake.

11:30 AM Day 2: Glaze and serve.

More Sourdough Recipes to Love

• No-Knead Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
• Sourdough Babka
• Glazed Sourdough Donuts
• The BEST Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies