How To make Cinnamon Swirl Sourdough Hot Cross Buns
It is almost Easter and these cinnamon swirl sourdough hot cross buns are my perfect version of a hot cross bun! They are soft and chewy with a cinnamon swirl and cream cheese icing cross……absolute HEAVEN!!!
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I don’t know about you, but I always get excited for hot cross bun season! They are the perfect bun in so many ways. Lightly sweet, studded with juicy raisins, warm cinnamon and are incredibly soft. I add even more goodness with a subtle cinnamon sugar swirl which makes these sourdough hot cross buns the perfect excuse to enjoy a treat for breakfast ;).
There are many different variations of hot cross buns out there. Some add spices like nutmeg or even ginger. Others use a variety of dried fruits like apricot, currants and raisins. The options really are endless and I think its fun to stray from your original recipes sometimes.
These buns are simple to make and follow a similar schedule and method to traditional sourdough with folding and a bulk rise. There is no mixer required and you can make the dough in advance to bake fresh up to a couple days later. Add these to your Spring/Easter baking list and thank me later!
Tips for Perfect sourdough hot cross buns
- Use a nice and active sourdough starter at its peak. This recipe uses active sourdough starter for ultimate rise and flavor. I recommend feeding your starter a 1:5:5 ratio about 8 hours before you want to make the dough.
- Be sure to do at least 2-3 sets of stretch and folds before your bulk rise. This dough is a bit thicker than traditional sourdough bread dough, so you will have to work to stretch it a bit more. Doing the stretch and folds helps build structure and elasticity in your dough. Essential it replaces having to knead your dough.
- Allow the dough to bulk rise long enough. After the stretch and folds, you let your dough rest on the counter. This is the main rising period of your dough so you want to allow it enough time to almost double in size. Depending on the temperature in your house this can take anywhere from 4-8 hours.
- After you shape the buns, you want to let them rise again until about doubled in size. When shaping the buns, you are flattening the dough back out. You want to allow the buns to puff back up before baking so you get ultimate rise in the oven.
Cinnamon Swirl Sourdough Hot Cross Bun Ingredients
Sourdough Starter– As mentioned above, you want to use a nice and active sourdough starter at its peak for this recipe.
Milk– You can use whole milk or 2% milk for these buns.
Eggs– These aid in both the texture and flavor of the hot cross buns.
Butter– Salted or unsalted butter works! I use salted because that is typically what I have at home.
Flour– You can use unbleached all purpose flour or bread flour. Unbleached all purpose four is always my go to.
Sugar– There are both brown sugar and white sugar in these buns. White sugar for the dough and brown sugar for the cinnamon swirl.
Cinnamon– This is an essential flavor in hot cross buns. I add some to the dough as well as the cinnamon swirl.
Salt– Do not skip the salt! It allow the flavors in these buns to shine.
Vanilla Extract– You can omit the vanilla if you do not have any, however I HIGHLY recommend you do not.
Cream cheese– I think hot cross buns are so much better with a cream cheese icing cross than the tradition flour cross. Use brick cream cheese as opposed to spreadable cream cheese.
Powdered Sugar– Every good cream cheese icing involves powdered sugar.
How to make the dough
1.Start by whisking together the milk and sourdough starter in a large bowl with a dough whisk. Add in 2 of the eggs, vanilla and soft butter and continue to whisk.
2. Once the butter has blended in, add in the flour, salt and cinnamon. Mix until a shaggy dough forms and no dry spots remain.
3. Finally, add the raisins to the dough and gently fold them in until well combined. Cover the dough with a tea towel and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
4. After 30 minutes perform a set of stretch and folds. Cover the bowl and let rest another 30 minutes.
5. Repeat this step, 2 more times. After the last stretch and fold, cover the dough and let it rest at room temperature for 4-8 hours or until almost doubled in size. The length of time will just depend on how warm your house is.
6. After the dough has finished its bulk rise, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge over night or for up to 36 hours.
Shaping and Baking
7. 3-4 hours before you want to bake the buns, remove the dough from the fridge and cut it into 12 roughly equal sized pieces.
8. In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar and 1/2 tbsp cinnamon. Gently roll each piece of dough into a rectangle. Sprinkle a layer of the cinnamon sugar mixture on top then fold the top third of the dough into the middle and the bottom third over top (just like if you were folding a loaf of sourdough).
9. Starting at one end, roll the dough up and then pinch the sides closed to keep the filling inside. Then I like to gently roll it on the counter to smooth out the top.
10. Place each shaped bun into a 9×13 baking dish so they are evenly spread apart. Cover the buns with a teat towel and allow them to rest on the counter for 3-4 hours or until nicely puffed up and almost doubled in size.
11. Once the buns are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F. Take the remaining egg and whisk it in a small bowl with a splash of milk. Brush this egg wash over the tops of each bun.
12. Bake the sourdough hot cross buns for 30-35 minutes or until lightly golden.
Making The Cross
13. While the buns cool, make the cream cheese cross. Stir together the softened butter and cream cheese in a small bowl until smooth. Slowly add in the powdered sugar, mixing until smooth.
14. After the buns are fully cooled, add the cream cheese icing to a plastic bag and cut the corner. Pipe the crosses across all of the buns. I like to do this while they are still in the pan and just keep the lines continuous the across al the buns.
15. Serve the buns warm as is or with some butter and/or jam. Enjoy!
Equipment used to make Sourdough Hot Cross Buns
Large ceramic bowl. This is my all time favorite bread bowl. https://amzn.to/422N9Uc
Dough Whisk. These are great because they are made for stiffer bread doughs. Find my favorite one here https://amzn.to/3Rz1CRv
Rolling Pin. I absolutely love a small wooden rolling pin. This one is affordable and works great. https://amzn.to/4214k8B
If you make these Cinnamon Swirl Sourdough Hot Cross Buns let us know what you thought below or leave the recipe a review!
Soft and chewy sourdough hot cross buns with raisins, a cinnamon sugar swirl and a cream cheese icing cross. * If you do not care for raisins you can omit them or sub with a different dried fruit that you prefer. *These buns are the softest when they are warm so I always recommend enjoying them heated up. * You can freeze these buns fully iced for up to 2 months. 
Cinnamon Swirl Sourdough Hot Cross Buns
Ingredients
Instructions
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