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There are a few bakes that feel tied to the spring season. Hot cross buns are one of them. Soft, lightly spiced, just sweet enough, and best eaten the same day, ideally still a little warm.

They have a reputation for being more work than they’re worth. In practice, they’re straightforward. A simple enriched dough, a rise, a shape, and into the oven.

We like to bake a full batch in a No.12 skillet, especially when we’re feeding a crowd. It keeps everything contained, helps the buns rise upward instead of outward, and gives you soft sides with a lightly golden base. You end up with a pan of buns that pull apart easily and hold their shape.

If there are any left, we’ll slice and freeze them. Then it’s just a matter of popping one in the toaster and finishing it with a good amount of butter for an easy breakfast or snack that feels like you planned ahead.

Field Notes:

  • You can make these the day before by working up to step 3. Instead of doing the 1 hour rise, do an overnight rise in the refrigerator. The next day, continue with step 4-6. 

  • A well-seasoned skillet helps the buns release cleanly. If your seasoning is still developing, you can line the pan with parchment.

  • Baking them close together in the skillet helps them rise upward and stay soft along the sides.

  • Cast iron holds steady heat, so the bottoms brown evenly without overbaking the tops.

A staple spring treat.

Recipe: Cast iron Hot Cross Buns

Print Recipe

Bun Ingredients 

  • 14g dried instant yeast  (2 standard packets)
  • ¾ cups water
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • ⅔ cup + 1 tsp sugar 
  • 1 lemon or orange, zested 
  • 6 cups bread flour (+ up to a ¼ cup more as needed)
  • 1¼ tsp kosher salt 
  • ¼ tsp ginger 
  • ¼ tsp cloves 
  • ½ tsp nutmeg
  • ½ tsp allspice 
  • ¾ tsp cinnamon 
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened plus more for greasing the skillet 
  • 2 eggs + 1 egg for egg wash
  • 1 cup raisins (or dried fruit of your choice)
  • ½ cup candied peel*

     

    *You can find this online or in specialty stores. If you can’t, don’t panic. Just sub more dried fruit. 

Cross Ingredients

  • 75g All purpose flour 
  • ¼ tsp almond extract 
  • ⅓ cup water

Glaze Ingredients**

  • ½ cup sugar 
  • ¼ cup water

    **You can also make the glaze with a few tablespoons of marmalade thinned with boiling water.

     

Tools

No.12 Field Skillet

Bench Scraper

Resources

The Field Method 

To Make Hot Cross Buns 

1.

Activate the yeast: In a small saucepan, heat the water and milk until warm, not hot. Turn off the heat and stir in the yeast and 1 tsp sugar. Set aside until slightly foamy.

2.

Make the dough: In a stand mixer, combine the flour, salt, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, sugar and zest. Add the yeast mixture, two eggs, and the butter. Mix with the dough hook until the dough is supple, shiny, and pulling away from the sides. Continue mixing for 6–8 minutes. The dough will still be sticky—avoid adding more flour. Use a bench scraper if needed.

3.

Add fruit and first rise: Mix in the dried fruit and candied peel. Cover loosely and let rise for about 1 hour, until doubled.

4.

Shape & second rise: Lightly butter a No.12 Field Skillet. Divide the dough into 14 equal pieces (about tennis-ball size) and shape into rolls. Arrange them snugly in the skillet so they are just touching. Cover loosely and let rise for another 1 hour, until puffed.

5.

Pipe crosses & bake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix the flour, almond extract, and water to form a smooth paste and transfer to a piping bag. Brush the buns with the remaining egg (beaten with a little water or milk), then pipe crosses over the tops. Bake for 45–50 minutes, until deeply golden and cooked through. If you are a nerd like us, you are cooking these until the internal temperature is at least 185°F.

6.

Glaze: While the buns bake, heat the sugar and water until dissolved. Brush the buns with the glaze as soon as they come out of the oven.

 

Seasoning Rating: Better

Baked in a greased pan, these Hot Cross Buns are an excellent way to continue developing your seasoning. Once done serving, transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag for later enjoyment. 

Seasoning Ratings:

Best—These dishes are the best options for building resilient seasoning, and surefire choices for getting tricky pans back on track.

Better—The best way to keep your skillet in great shape is to cook frequently, and cast iron-friendly dishes like these are your bread and butter.

Safe—These recipes won't strip seasoning away from your pan, but won't really add any, either.

OK—Be sure to clean up promptly. Recipes with this rating might feature acidic ingredients which can affect seasoning if not washed soon after cooking.

 

 

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