Hot cross bun loaf recipe

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A twist on the traditional Good Friday treat, use a breadmaker to make this hot cross bun loaf and enjoy with your evening cuppa.

Hot cross bun loaf
(Image credit: TI Media Limited)
  • Nut-free
Serves6–10
SkillMedium
Preparation Time10 mins
Cooking Time4 hours (or other appropriate cycle in the breadmaker)
Total Time4 hours 10 mins
Cost RangeCheap

A light a spicy hot cross bun loaf that makes a great treat at any time of day.

If you like hot cross buns for breakfast and tea, this loaf is a brilliant idea. It slices into 6-10 pieces. You can pop them in the toaster for a minute in the morning and have them buttered, first thing with a cup of coffee. Alternatively, they make a lovely teatime slice. Leave them un-toasted and plain, or with a little dot of jam and a pot of tea. You'll need around four hours to make this recipe, but that includes time for the dough to rise. It's a nice afternoon project if you have other kitchen jobs to do in between.

Ingredients

For this Easter recipe you will need:

  • 400g premium white very strong bread flour
  • ½ x 7g easy bake yeast sachet
  • 3 tbsp light muscovado sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • Grated zest of 2 oranges
  • 50g chopped mixed peel
  • 100g mixed dried vine fruits, e.g. sultanas, currants
  • 30g butter
  • 1 egg, beaten

For the glaze:

  • 3 tbsp sugar

For the topping:

  • 3 tbsp plain flour
  • 2 tbsp sugar

WEIGHT CONVERTER

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Method

  1. In a bowl, mix together the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, cinnamon, grated orange zest, mixed peel and sultanas.
  2. Add this to the pan in the breadmaker. Add in the butter, beaten egg and 100ml water.
  3. Set to a programme for a small or standard loaf, with raisins, on the breadmaker, and turn on.
  4. Meanwhile, mix up the glaze. Combine the sugar with 3 tbsp hot water until the sugar is dissolved, set aside with a pastry brush, ready for when the loaf is cooked.
  5. To make the topping, mix the flour, sugar and 3 tbsp water together, and have ready in a piping bag with a thin nozzle.
  6. When the bread is cooked, turn out of the pan, and immediately brush with the glaze thinly. Pipe the topping on in a cross shape, or alternatively in a crisscross pattern, making several small crosses. To serve, slice and spread with butter.

Top tip for making this hot cross bun loaf

You can add a little extra sweetness to this loaf by sprinkling the top with a layer of golden caster sugar.

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Jessica Dady
Food Editor

Jessica Dady is Food Editor at GoodtoKnow and has over 12 years of experience as a digital editor, specialising in all things food, recipes, and SEO. From the must-buy seasonal food hampers and advent calendars for Christmas to the family-friendly air fryers that’ll make dinner time a breeze, Jessica loves trying and testing various food products to find the best of the best for the busy parents among us. Over the years of working with GoodtoKnow, Jessica has had the privilege of working alongside Future’s Test Kitchen to create exclusive videos - as well as writing, testing, and shooting her own recipes. When she’s not embracing the great outdoors with her family at the weekends, Jessica enjoys baking up a storm in the kitchen with her favourite bakes being chocolate chip cookies, cupcakes, and a tray of gooey chocolate brownies