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Air Fryer Hot Cross Buns in air fryer profile picture

Air Fryer Hot Cross Buns

Janice Pattie
Air Fryer Hot Cross Buns are delicious sweet, and spicy bread rolls speckled with juicy dried fruit with the traditional cross on top. They are easy to make in your air fryer and the perfect Easter treat.
5 from 3 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 17 minutes
Rising time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 27 minutes
Course afternoon tea, Baking, Breakfast
Cuisine British
Servings 4
Calories 292 kcal

Equipment

  • Air Fryer
  • weighing scales
  • Measuring spoons
  • medium bowl
  • measuring jug
  • baking parchment
  • small baking tray or plate
  • Large plastic bag
  • Piping bag or small plastic bag
  • small bowl
  • Pastry brush

Ingredients
 

  • 150 g strong white flour
  • 1 tsp fast action yeast
  • 30 g sugar
  • 1/2 tsp mixed spice
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 medium egg
  • 25 ml milk or enough to make up to 85ml liquid with egg
  • 15 g butter
  • 50 g mixed dried fruit

Crosses

  • 50 g plain flour
  • water

Glaze

  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 25 ml milk

Instructions
 

  • Weigh out 150g (1 ⅛ cups/5 oz) with strong white flour into a medium bowl and add 1 tsp fast action yeast, 30 g (2 tbsp) caster (superfine) sugar, ½ tsp mixed spice and ¼ tsp salt. Keep the salt away from the yeast.
  • Break 1 medium egg into a measuring jug and add approx 25 ml (2 tbsp) milk until you have 85 ml (⅓ cup) liquid. Beat the egg and milk together.

To make in a stand mixer with dough hook

  • Put the dry ingredients and the egg and milk into the stand mixer with 50 g (⅓ cup) mixed dried fruit.
  • Knead the dough with the dough hook on the stand mixer for 5 minutes.

To make by hand

  • Put the dry ingredients and dried fruit in a bowl and add the liquid. Mix together with a knife or your hands. Then knead on an oiled surface for 10 minutes until smooth and no longer sticky.
    Knead bread

To make in a bread machine

  • Put the dry ingredients and wet ingredients in your bread machine. Put it on a setting for dough. If it has a dried fruit dispenser then you can put the mixed dried fruit in that and it will be dispensed at the right time. If not then knead the fruit into the dough once it has been made.
  • Your bread machine will have proved (risen) your dough so you can go straight to knocking back the dough, making the buns and the second rise.
  • Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover and leave for 1-1½ hours.
  • The dough should have doubled in size.

All methods

  • While the dough is rising, cut a piece of baking parchment to fit the base of your air fryer.
  • Place the dough on an oiled surface and knead it for 1-2 minutes to 'knock it back'.
  • Divide the dough into four even pieces.
  • Roll the dough between your hands to make round buns. Put the parchment onto a small baking tin or plate and lay the buns on top. Rub a little oil inside a plastic bag large enough to contain the buns and leave for a further 30 minutes to rise.
  • The Hot Cross Buns should double in size.

For the crosses

  • Mix 50g (4 tbsp) of flour with enough water to make a paste that is thick enough to pipe. Fill a piping bag or a small plastic bag with the paste.
  • Preheat your air fryer (if your model requires it). Lift the baking parchment with the buns into your air fryer.
  • Cut the corner of the bag or the tip off the piping bag, and pipe a cross on each bun.
  • Bake the Hot Cross Buns at 160c (325F) for 15 minutes. Check the buns are cooked by tapping the base. They should sound hollow.
  • If they need a little more baking then turn them over and bake for a further 2 minutes at the same temperature.

For the Glaze

  • Warm the 25ml (2 tbsp) milk (in the microwave) and stir in 1 tbsp caster sugar until it is dissolved. Brush the Hot Cross Buns with the glaze and leave them to cool on a cooling tray.
  • Serve the Air Fryer Hot Cross Buns with butter and jam for breakfast or as a snack. They are also delicious toasted.

Notes

To make a larger batch 

Double the quantities of ingredients in the recipe to make 8 Hot Cross Buns or triple them to make 12.
Note: You only need to use one egg for double the quantity, but increase the milk so the total liquid is 170 ml (3/4 cup). However, use two eggs if you are making 12 buns.

To freeze the dough

You must freeze the dough after the first rise and have formed the dough into buns. Take care not to overproof the dough during the first rise. Open freeze the buns on a baking tray covered with baking parchment or a non-stick reusable mat. Once frozen protect the dough from freezer burn by storing it in an airtight container.

To bake the frozen dough

    • Remove the number of dough pieces you want to bake and place on a small baking tray (sheet) lined with baking parchment. Cover with plastic wrap or place the tray or plate in a large oiled plastic bag. 
    • Let the dough defrost overnight in the fridge.
    • Bring the thawed dough out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for its second rise.
    • Once the dough has risen you can treat it the same as if it had not been frozen. And follow the rest of the recipe.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 292kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 8gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 51mgSodium: 194mgPotassium: 198mgFiber: 3gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 176IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 53mgIron: 3mg