• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Mrs Jones's Kitchen logo

  • INTERNATIONAL
    • All
    • African
    • Asian
    • European
    • Indian
    • Oceania
    • North American
    • South American
  • MEALS
    • Breakfast | Brunch
    • Lunch
    • Lunch Box Ideas
    • Dinner
    • Baking Recipes
    • Snacks
    • Baby Led Weaning
  • SEASONAL
    • Spring
    • Summer
    • Autumn/Fall
    • Winter
  • About
  • SERVICES
    • All
    • Recipe Shop
    • Recipe Creation
    • Recipe Audits
    • Photography
    • Videos
    • Content
    • eBooks
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • International Recipes
  • Meals
    • Breakfast | Brunch
    • Lunch
    • Lunch Box Ideas
    • Dinner
    • Baking Recipes
    • Snacks
    • Baby Led Weaning
  • Seasons
    • Spring
    • Summer
    • Autumn/Fall
    • Winter
  • eBooks
    • 12 Christmas Cookies
    • Welcome To ME
    • 10 Muffins
    • 10 Soups
  • Services
  • Recipe Shop
  • About
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
  • ×

    Hot Cross Bun Scrolls

    By Robyn | Published: Mar 27, 2021 | Modified: Mar 27, 2021

    TAKE ME TO THE RECIPE!
    pin for easy and delicious hot cross bun scrolls showing an overhead picture and side view

    Hot cross bun scrolls are a fun take on the traditional Easter bun recipe, Hot cross buns. Soft dough spiced with hot cross bun spices is swirled with cinnamon sultanas, and topped with a glaze and icing cross decoration.

    overhead shot of easter buns showing the icing decoration
    Jump to:
    • Why we love this recipe
    • Ingredients for this Easter bun recipe
    • Step by step instructions and photos
    • FAQ
    • My Tips for making these the best Easter buns
    • Storing
    • You may also like these other baking recipes
    • Hot Cross Bun Scrolls

    Along with chocolate nests, lemon biscuits, another recipe we always make at Easter are Easter hot cross buns. This year I decided to adapt my Chelsea Bun recipe to make a cinnamon bun type Easter bun.

    Why we love this recipe

    • The dough can be made in the bread machine, stand mixer or by hand.
    • The dough is so soft and fluffy!
    • This is a family friendly recipe – young and old alike will love them!
    • They are also great fun to bake with kids.
    • They smell amazing when baking and will fill your kitchen with the scent of Easter.

    Ingredients for this Easter bun recipe

    It may look like a long list of ingredients is needed for this recipe, but many are used in both the dough and the swirls.

    ingredients for hot cross bun scrolls and lemon icing laid out in bowls

    Step by step instructions and photos

    Please note the full recipe and exact quantities is in the recipe card below. These are a few extra details to help you.)

    1. Heat the butter and milk until the butter has just melted.
    2. Mix the flour with spices, salt, yeast and sugar.
    3. Add the beaten egg and warmed milk.
    4. Knead for 5 minutes.
    5. Leave to rest for an hour.
    6. It will double in size.
    7. Roll out on floured surface.
    8. Mix butter with lemon zest and spread over the dough.
    9. Sprinkle over sultanas.
    10. Sprinkle over the cinnamon sugar.
    11. Roll tightly.
    12. Cut into 9 pieces.
    6 images to show first 6 steps of how to make hot cross bun swirls
    steps 7 - 12 of making the Easter rolls: rolling the dough, spreading with butter, fruit, sugar, rolling and cutting

    Once the dough is rolled and cut into pieces:

    1. Place in your lined tin.
    2. Leave them to rise until they’ve filled the tin.
    3. Bake.
    4. Whilst warm, brush with the sugar glaze. Cool before icing.
    4 process shot of putting the scrolls in a tin, letting them rise, cooking and glazing
    overhead shot of hot cross bun scrolls which have just been iced

    FAQ

    Which country has the tradition of eating hot cross buns at Easter?

    Easter buns are traditionally eaten in England on Good Friday to commemorate the Crucifixion.

    How can I make my icing thicker?

    Add a little more sifted icing sugar until you get a thicker icing.

    My icing is too thick – how can I make it thinner?

    Add ¼ teaspoon of water and stir. If it’s still too thick add another drop of water.

    Side view of Easter hot cross buns with the icing dripping down the side

    My Tips for making these the best Easter buns

    • Make sure your yeast isn’t past its expiry date and is active.
    • Make sure your spices are in their best before date. If they aren’t then their flavour won’t be as strong, and you won’t get such a flavourful spicy Easter bun.
    • Heat the sugar and water for the glaze over a low heat. You want the sugar to dissolve. If you don’t let it dissolve, the crystals will form and you’ll have a crunchy glaze rather than soft and sticky glaze.
    • Don’t overcook the glaze – you don’t want it to take on any colour.
    • If you don’t want to use a lemon icing, you can use water or fresh orange juice.

    Storing

    As with many homemade breads, these buns are best eaten on the day they are made.

    If you do have leftover Easter bun scrolls, then cut them in half, and toast them under the grill, cut side up. Then spread with butter and enjoy warm!

    You can free them, without the icing. Defrost and reheat in a moderate oven, wrapped in foil, for around 5-7 minutes until warmed through.

    side view of soft and fluffy Hot cross bun scroll to show light dough

    You may also like these other baking recipes

    • Chocolate Fudge Slice
    • Cherry Bakewell Cake
    • Japanese Milk Bread
    • Nanaimo Bars

    Hot Cross Bun Scrolls

    Author: Robyn

    Soft spiced dough is swirled with cinnamon brown sugar and sultanas, then topped with a glaze and icing cross decoration to make these fun and delicious Easter buns.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 25 mins
    Dough resting time 1 hr 30 mins
    Total Time 2 hrs 15 mins
    Course Snack, Snacks | Lunchbox
    Cuisine Australian, British
    Servings 9 scrolls
    Calories 378 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 200 g milk
    • 50 g butter
    • 450 g plain flour
    • pinch salt
    • 1 tsp mixed spice
    • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
    • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
    • ½ lemon zested
    • 7 g dried yeast
    • 35 g granulated sugar
    • 1 egg beaten

    Sultana filling

    • 25 g butter softened
    • ½ lemon zested
    • 150 g sultanas
    • 30 g soft brown sugar
    • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
    • ½ tsp mixed spice

    Glaze

    • 1½ tbsp granulated sugar
    • 1½ tbsp water

    Icing

    • 50 g icing sugar
    • 2 tsp lemon juice or water

    Instructions
     

    • Place the milk and butter in a small saucepan and heat over a low heat until the butter is just melted.
    • In a roomy mixing bowl, mix together the flour, salt, mixed spice, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, lemon zest, dried yeast and sugar.
    • Stir in the beaten egg and warm milk.
    • Mix to make a soft dough then knead for 7 minutes by hand or 5 minutes in a stand mixer until smooth and elastic. (If making in a bread machine, see note below)
    • Place in a clean bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and leave in a warm place for 1-1½ hours, until the dough has doubled in size.
    • Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured board and roll out to a rectangle size 20cm x 30cm (8" x 11")
    • Mix 25g softened butter with the lemon zest and spread this in an even layer over the dough, then sprinkle over the sultanas.
    • Mix the brown sugar with cinnamon and mixed spice and then sprinkle this in an even layer over the sultanas.
    • Press down the long side closest to you on the board. Take the opposite long edge and roll tightly towards you.
    • Cut the roll into 9 even sized pieces – around 4-5cm thick (1.5-1.8")
    • Line the bottom (not the sides) of a 20cm x 20cm(8" x 8") square tin with baking paper and place the scrolls, cut facing up, into it, leaving an even gap between them all.
    • Cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm place for 30-40 minutes until the scrolls have grown and are now touching.
    • Preheat the oven to 180ËšC fan/ 200ËšC / 356ËšF Convection / 392ËšF
    • Place the scrolls into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, checking after 15 minutes – if the scrolls are starting to brown and the sultanas are catching then cover with foil.
    • Once baked, leave to cool in the tray for 5 minutes before topping with the glaze.

    To make the glaze

    • Heat the sugar and water in a small saucepan over a low-medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
    • Brush the glaze over the tops of the scrolls.
    • Leave for 5 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. When completely cold, ice the scrolls.

    Icing

    • Sift the icing sugar into a bowl, add the lemon juice (or water) and mix.
    • Using a teaspoon, drizzle over the scroll to make a 'cross' shape on each scroll.
    • Leave for a few minutes for the icing to set, then enjoy!

    Notes

    Bread Machine: Place dry ingredients into the bowl of the bread maker, add the egg and warm butte-milk mixture then set the machine to ‘knead and rise.’ Once risen (mine takes 1.5 hours), tip out the dough, roll and top, leave for a second rise and bake as above.
    Milk Temperature: If the milk gets too hot, let it cool in the pan for a few minutes before adding to the flour mixture.
    Make sure your yeast is active.
    Heat the sugar and water for the glaze over a low heat. You want the sugar to dissolve. 
    Icing: Instead of the lemon icing, you could make it with water or fresh orange juice.
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 378kcalCarbohydrates: 69gProtein: 8gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 81mgPotassium: 250mgFiber: 3gSugar: 26gVitamin A: 276IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 59mgIron: 3mg
    Keyword easter baking, Easter buns, hot cross buns, Sultana scrolls

    HAVE YOU MADE THIS RECIPE?

    I’d love to see your creation!

    Tag me! #atmrsjoneskitchen
    Tag me! @atmrsjoneskitchen

    Or just leave a comment below!

    Previous Post: « Chocolate Fudge Slice
    Next Post: Feta Herb Platter (Sabzi Khordan) »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Alex says

      April 03, 2021 at 9:58 am

      5 stars
      These were perfect for our breakfast this morning! Such a fun take on hot cross buns 🙂 And very delicious.

      Reply
      • Robyn says

        April 04, 2021 at 10:35 am

        They make a delicious breakfast don’t they? 🙂

        Reply

    Let me know your thoughts! Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    Robyn Jones, Recipe Developer & Food Photographer

    Robyn Jones

    Recipe Developer | Food Photographer | Writer

    Hi! I'm Robyn, a toddler mum with a passion for all things food! Having moved internationally 7 times in the past 12 years I have developed a love of making international recipes into family friendly ones you can make in your own home, with local ingredients; wherever you live!

    Newsletter

    Sign up & receive this
    FREE eBook containing 7 RECIPES

    Latest

    • Baby Led Weaning Savoury Palmiers
    • Strawberry Baby French Toast Sticks
    • Stewed Pears with Ginger and cinnamon
    • Walnut Dill Pesto

    Loved Right Now

    • Raspberry Bircher Muesli
    • Vegan Dan Dan Noodles
    • Coconut Chickpea Curry
    • Indian Spiced Chickpea Salad

    Footer

    Services

    Recipe Creation
    Recipe Audits
    Photography | Portfolio
    Videos
    eBooks

    Information

    About
    Contact
    Disclaimer
    Terms & Conditions
    Privacy Policy
    Cookie Policy

    Recipe Customers

    Register
    Log in
    Recipe Shop
    Terms of Business