Easter 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, spread with a sugar glaze, and drizzled with lemon icing.
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What are Easter scrolls?
Enriched soft bread dough is rolled with a filling, sliced and then baked, before being topped with a glaze and icing to make a sweet treat that can be enjoyed for Easter brunch or with a cup or tea or coffee later in the day. They are similar to cinnamon rolls or the English Chelsea buns, and the Australian bakery classic coffee scrolls. For an Easter twist, I’ve made a cinnamon sultana scroll with flavours of hot cross 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 love the homemade scrolls!
- 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 Notes and Substitutions
- Flour – plain flour. If you are America, you can use AP flour.
- Sugar – three types of sugar are used in this recipe: granulated sugar in the dough and the glaze, soft brown sugar for that caramelised cinnamon swirl, and icing sugar (confectioners sugar) for the icing.
- Butter – unsalted butter is best in this recipe.
- Lemon – fresh lemon zest adds a bright citrus flavour to the dough and the filling, and lemon juice adds a sharp note to the icing. You can substitute it with zest and juice from a small orange if you prefer.
- Sultanas – you can also use raisins instead, or mixed dried fruit.
- Spices – mixed spice, ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg are in the dough, with an additional sprinkle of mixed spice and cinnamon in the sultana layer. Mixed spice: This British spice mix is a blend of spices used in baking. If you are not able to get it, pumpkin pie spice is a good substitute.
- Egg – an egg enriches the bread dough and lightens the texture.
- Yeast – dried instant yeast. Make sure it is in use by date.
- Salt – kosher or sea salt.
Step by step instructions and photos
- Heat the butter and milk in a saucepan over a gentle heat until the butter has just melted (you don’t want it to boil.)
- Mix the flour with spices, salt, yeast and sugar.
- Add the beaten egg and warmed milk to the flour.
- Knead the dough for 5 minutes.
- Leave the dough to rest for an hour.
- It will double in size.
- Roll the spiced dough out on floured surface with a floured rolling pin.
- Mix softened butter with lemon zest and spread in an even layer over the dough.
- Sprinkle the sultanas over evenly.
- Sprinkle over the cinnamon sugar.
- Taking one long edge, roll the dough tightly in to a sausage shape.
- Cut into 9 equal sized pieces.
Once the dough is rolled and cut into pieces:
- Place the dough swirls in your lined tin.
- Leave them to rise until they’ve filled the tin and are touching.
- Bake in a preheated oven until lightly golden.
- Whilst warm, brush with the sugar glaze. Cool before icing.
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 small amount sifted icing sugar / confectioners sugar to your icing and stir, adding a little more sugar at a time 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.
Can I freeze scrolls?
Yes you can! It is best to freeze them un-iced. Wrap well and freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost and reheat in a moderate oven, wrapped in foil, for around 5-7 minutes until warmed through.
My Tips for making these the best Easter buns
- Make sure your yeast isn’t past its expiry date and is active.
- Use spices that 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 instead.
Storage
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!
Freeze: These fruit scrolls will freeze for up to 2 months.
You may also like these other Easter recipes
Easter Scrolls
Author: Robyn
Easter 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, spread with a sugar glaze and topped with an icing cross decoration.
Ingredients
- 200 g milk
- 50 g butter
- 450 g plain flour
- pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon 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 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon mixed spice
Glaze
- 1½ tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1½ tablespoons water
Icing
- 50 g icing sugar
- 2 teaspoons 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 180˚C fan/ 200˚C / 356˚F Convection / 392˚F
- 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
Flour – plain flour. If you are America, you can use AP flour.
Sugar – three types of sugar are used in this recipe. granulated sugar in the dough and the glaze, soft brown sugar for that caramelised cinnamon swirl, and icing sugar (confectioners sugar) for the icing.
Butter – unsalted butter is best in this recipe.
Lemon – fresh lemon zest adds a bright citrus flavour to the dough and the filling, and lemon juice adds a sharp note to the icing. You can substitute it with zest and juice from a small orange if you prefer.
Sultanas – you can also use raisins instead, or mixed dried fruit.
Spices – mixed spice, ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg are in the dough, with an additional sprinkle of mixed spice and cinnamon in the sultana layer. Mixed spice: This British spice mix is a blend of spices used in baking. If you are not able to get it, pumpkin pie spice is a good substitute.
Egg – an egg enriches the bread dough and lightens the texture.
Yeast – dried instant yeast. Make sure it is in use by date.
Salt – kosher or sea salt.
Making scrolls in the 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
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Alex says
These were perfect for our breakfast this morning! Such a fun take on hot cross buns 🙂 And very delicious.
Robyn says
They make a delicious breakfast don’t they? 🙂