Forget Hot Cross Buns | Make a Perfect Hot Cross Loaf Instead

Filled with dried fruit, candied citrus peel, flavoured with mixed spice, and marked with a cross, hot cross buns are an essential part of Easter. But this time we will turn them into a loaf.
You can find a dedicated recipe for buns on my channel in the Breads of Easter playlist. Although, you can use this recipe to make buns too. It is even simpler than the other one.
Simplicity is the main reason for this recipe. Instead of rolling a bunch of buns, we will make a couple of cute little loaves. It will be like eating a giant hot cross bun! You could even slice, toast, and top it with jam or anything you fancy.
For those who are not familiar with mixed spice or candied peel - Mixed Spice is a powdered spice mix which contains cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander, caraway, ginger, and cloves. Candied peel is a mix of lemon and orange peel that is cooked in sugar syrup. It is also known as mixed peel. Both ingredients are commonly sold in supermarkets here in the UK.
📖 Get the recipe ➡️ www.chainbaker.com/hot-cross-...
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[@ChainBaker]

📖 Find the written recipe in the link below the video ⤴ 🌾 If you would like to support my work click here ⤵ www.ko-fi.com/chainbaker 🔪 Find all the things I use here ⤵ 🇺🇸 www.amazon.com/shop/ChainBaker 🇬🇧 www.amazon.co.uk/shop/ChainBaker 🍞 Share your bread pictures here ⤵ www.flickr.com/groups/chainbaker/

[@Skincare_Lad92]

@ChainBaker.... Mr C. B...... Fine, that's it❕ Am on route.... I shall message you my flight information.... 😂🤩✈️🍞🏃‍♂️

[@ChainBaker]

😄

[@Skincare_Lad92]

@@ChainBaker ❤️... So this clip simply exhibits a piece of golden heaven, in a loaf tin... 😋

[@vaazig]

I'll surprise my wife with this. Thanks!

[@Skincare_Lad92]

@ChainBaker I & millions of other viewers will definitely agree with me, you are a bread/dough maven with such a soul soothing approach & that's beautifully translated in your clips and posts. KEEP UP THE AMAZING WORK💯🍞👌👏😇. And you've shed such important light on matters & utilization of certain ingredients that limited people like myself would've never imagined. I almost, always thought, you can NEVER dump or mix salt directly with yeast but that's just 1 example of how you proved me wrong. You are brilliant.

[@ChainBaker]

Thank you so much for the kind words! 😊 I'm just happy you're here enjoying the videos and baking along ;)

[@Skincare_Lad92]

@@ChainBaker humble pleasure & it's the truth... Please don't doubt your work.. It's truly inspiring & quite a world of assistance to many. Yip, I am just against the way it further antagonizes my taste buds🤣🤭

[@Food_video]

nice upload~ have a nice day😋😋💕😋🌺👌

[@eyewitness4560]

Wow those look very nice indeed. I'd probably swap the cross for that gummy salty topping you can sometimes see on pretzels though as I like inappropriately mixing sweet and savory things.

[@bon47ful]

Gonna try this! Thank you!

[@jvallas]

Lovely!

[@roxiviski9860]

Beautiful!

[@andybonneau9209]

Excellent! Thanks for the great bread making ideas.

[@Hello-rq9yx]

Looks very lovely. Love the colour the mix spice give to the dough.

[@AnthonyLeighDunstan]

Glad to see these suckers are hand kneaded. Will be making them tonight!

[@evanhdez]

What’s up Chain Baker!! Sorry I haven’t commented in a while! I’ve been catching up on your videos today that I have time. I’ve been working 2 full time jobs and I haven’t had time to watch these videos. I see that you’re making a lot Easter related breads and I’m super excited to see you make them. There is one that I haven’t seen though. In Mexico and United States (where Latino population is high) we make something called “capirotada” during lent which is basically Mexican bread pudding. I think it’s like supposed to replace meat on Friday since we can’t eat any. Anyways as always I love watching you bake and make new things I’ve never seen before!! I hope your channel keeps growing and growing because you deserve it! And don’t worry it will keep growing we can all see you’re putting maximum effort into your videos and it will pay off!!!

[@ChainBaker]

Hey! Cheers for popping in ;) Hope you're doing well Evan. It sounds and looks awesome! I'll add it to my Easter list for next year! Cheers. And thank you so much for the support 🤩

[@alexandersalamon7242]

As Always so nice thank you!

[@anniemariebeaulieurodopoul8589]

I love how you explane its relly easy i work whit levain i do all your recepie whit my levain its relly easy it turn relly wonderfull tankyou for your teatching a leurn alote whit you 🙂🌹i am from quebec, canada 😁

[@CP-fe6jr]

I think I'll be using my stand mixer!

[@Tbehartoo]

I've only heard about hot cross buns through the beginning music I've played. Never actually seen them. These loaves look delicious! Thanks

[@WhiteOpsDude]

Excellent work dude! and thanks for another piece of inspiration!

[@ChainBaker]

🙏

[@philip6502]

A beautiful outcome, Charlie. The bad boys turned out nice. 👍

[@ChainBaker]

The softest hot cross 'buns' to ever come out of my oven. This recipe is definitely a keeper ;D Cheers!

[@-kapitanzursee-haraldkrull1031]

Look‘s great mate

[@ChainBaker]

Thank you :)

[@Reinolds_Recipes]

I love your video, I want to try 😍🥰

[@syd2248]

The texture looks insane!! I swear there was going to be a tangzhong involved. Resembles milk bread in the way it pulls apart, yet dark, sweet and more substantial. Awesome work here. I look forward to trying this out!

[@ChainBaker]

The egg, butter, and sugar work their magic here :)) Let me know how it turns out!

[@familybjornestrand4548]

Brilliant! Gonna bake this for easter. Being an expat my kids have never tasted a hot cross bun, but they are quintessential to easter and a great way to use up that english mixed spice.

[@familybjornestrand4548]

@Chainbaker Ive only got one long IKEA loaf tin. How should I adapt the baking time or temp?

[@ChainBaker]

Depends how large it is. If you can fit the whole recipe in one tin, then you may need to bake it for 10 minutes longer. A sure way to check if it's done is by taking the temperature. If it reads above 94C in the middle, then it's done.

[@andy16005343]

They look great! That's a lot of proving time though! You have more patience than I.

[@ChainBaker]

Cheers! :) Make it warmer if you can't wait 😄

[@Quibus777]

beautiful! hmm i do have a bunch of spice mix, i mix a jar for the Sinterklaas (Dutch thing, early December) bakings every year and its pretty close to these spices. Cool ill do an Easterbread of some sort with that and this cool painting on bread idea :D thanks

[@lamenamethefirst]

This looks lovely. You have taught me a lot. Your stress on dough temperature was a revelation. Where I live, it's 37°C in summer and in the beginning I couldn't understand why it was fermenting so quickly.

[@ChainBaker]

Cheers 🤩

[@neverwonderneverremember5642]

would you ever be interested in making a video comparing different brands/qualities of flour? i usually just use the cheap store brand stuff because something like king arthur is significantly more expensive, and always wondered if springing for the more expensive stuff would be worth it at all.

[@ChainBaker]

I am planning to make a video comparing the cheapest vs the most expensive and a mid range one :)

[@mudge002able]

Could we get a tour of your kitchen? What equipment you use? Your ovens for example? I am new to your channel so I have no idea if you already did this, I looked for a bit but couldn't find one.

[@ChainBaker]

My kitchen is so tiny that there is barely space to turn around in there ;D The oven I use pretty bad. It only has a heating element on top. I really need a better one! I have not done a equipment tour, but you can find most of the equipment I use in my Amazon stores linked below the video 👍

[@Jahloveipraise]

I would love to see an experiment between scalded and unscalded milk. I’ve never been bothered to scald and always get great results but the internet says otherwise lol thanks so much!

[@ChainBaker]

I have no idea how it would change anything, but I will investigate ! :)

[@georgepagakis9854]

Syrup to make it shine? And I thought that you would use egg wash :/ you got me again! I will tell you what slows down fermentation better then sugar! The refrigerator LOL. dude almost 80K yay!!!!!! 100k just around the corner. When you get to 100k I want to see a jumbo pizza with 100 pieces of pepperoni :) I am so happy for you my friend! keep up the amazing videos!

[@ChainBaker]

The syrup works really well here. Sticky goodness! Oh yes I'm still trying to make the cold bulk fermentation video. The reminder is appreciated! 😁 Cheers for the support, George 🙏

[@rprasadk]

Great recipe. Would be grateful if you indicated changes needed to use whole wheat flour instead?

[@ChainBaker]

It would make it very different. But if you want to try it, then simply use more milk. Increase the amount to 270g as the whole wheat flour will absorb it much better.

[@kjdude8765]

Just made these today. Made the dough last night (used Cinnamon, cardamom, allspice and nutmeg for the warm spices) and put into the fridge overnight. Warmed and final rise in the oven with the lights on. The dough hasn't cooled yet so the glaze is still tacky. Hopefully it crisps up.

[@ChainBaker]

How was it? :)

[@kjdude8765]

@@ChainBaker Charlie, it turned out Amazing. So soft and fluffy. The glaze never really hardened but sticky fingers were just part of the experience. I used Golden Rasisns as well since dried currants are not easy to come by in the USA.

[@ChainBaker]

Awesome! :) Oh yes the stickiness is meant to be there 😉

[@Jeepy2-LoveToBake]

Just lovely - I 'd like to bake this - however, while I do have currants and candied peel, I don't have mixed spice. I do have cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander, caraway, ginger and cloves.

[@ChainBaker]

I think it will be even better with freshly ground spices :)

[@Jeepy2-LoveToBake]

@@ChainBaker Okay, I get the hint - I have ordered whole spices and will grind them myself to make this recipe. So maybe tomorrow 👍

[@syd2248]

Would love to know the individual amounts you end up using, thanks!

[@Jeepy2-LoveToBake]

@@syd2248 If you search for "British mixed spice recipe" online, there are several websites with the ratios to use for each spice. Out of respect for ChainBaker's YT channel, I won't post a link to another website. I used the small side of a box grater for the nutmeg and a mortar and pestle for the other spices. I'll start prepping the dough early tomorrow morning.

[@kenmore01]

@@Jeepy2-LoveToBake Best of luck!!

[@Chrisssssssssssssssssss]

Can you use this butter kneading concept while making scones as well? My recipe told me to grate a block from the freezer into the dough.

[@ChainBaker]

Scones require as little gluten development as possible, so this technique would not work very well. Go with the grating method and you will get a much better result :)

[@Chrisssssssssssssssssss]

@@ChainBaker That makes perfect sense :) Thank you!

[@laypengchoa7107]

Hi, I haven't tried this yet but wonder if it will be more softer if by Tanzhong/Yudane method (from one of your video)? Between, did you soak the raisins before adding into bread? Is it more ideal if we soak the raisins or else the raisins will suck the moisture from the bread and make the bread dryer after sometimes? That's what i noticed when i make raisin breads. Thanks

[@ChainBaker]

Oh yes that would take it to the next level! I did not soak them this time because they were quite juicy. If the raisins are dry and tough then it's a good idea to soak them.

[@oldvlognewtricks]

I’m curious to know more about degassing - I keep hearing it mentioned but I’m not sure I understand when and why to do it, and how I might know it was needed. Forgive me if I’ve missed the answer elsewhere.

[@ChainBaker]

I go over it in some detail in the folding video - kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZoGbY5WHeb-Gd6c Degassing ensures that the interior of the loaf does not end up with huge bubbles surrounded by dense dough. When we degas the dough those larger bubble split up creating a more even crumb. It also expels the old carbon dioxide and makes room for more carbon dioxide that the yeast will produce. But now you've given me an idea and I must make a full video about it! Cheers ;D

[@oldvlognewtricks]

@@ChainBaker Thank you for the extra detail. I will take notes from the folding video, and look forward to seeing your idea in the future!

[@lbamusic]

Why not melt the butter to ensure max absorbtion? Good vid!

[@ChainBaker]

Melted butter makes it harder to work with. Cheers! :)

[@lbamusic]

@@ChainBaker ok thanks!

[@AnthonyLeighDunstan]

Could I sub milk for buttermilk in this recipe?

[@ChainBaker]

Definitely. But keep in mind that buttermilk will make the dough tighter, so you may want to increase the hydration a bit.

[@laniakea4817]

Charlie, I have idea for a content. I Just tried the corn bread from my local bakert and it was awsome. Very tender, soft and yammy. I sure u could make better. I know, that u already have vid about how to make corn bread, but it not Just like recepie of "regular corn bread" ITS more like dinner dish, nether bread. So hope on you, I'm sure u could make fantastik corn bread. Becouse there are so Few recepie in Internet.. And they are very poor and bring. I Just want to know how to make exectly 1 loaf of corn bread, and thats make me crazy! I tried so many times to make it but it was always fail(

[@ChainBaker]

Try this - kzbin.info/www/bejne/bnvKk5yEf5iFmKs Perhaps it will lead you closer to that bread :)

[@chifylube]

Can you do some of that "brown bread" from Cheesecake Factory? I think it's a sweet molasses bread.

[@ChainBaker]

I'll add it to my projects list :)

[@ozansahin97]

can we see the differences of butter timing, like for one dough you melt the butter and add the first place, and the for second dough you do the same thing on this videos, sorry if i can't explaine perfectly 🌼🌼

[@ChainBaker]

It would take longer to knead the dough if you'd add melted butter. I would suggest not using melt butter for bread making at all :)

[@ozansahin97]

@@ChainBaker Thank youu so much for respond, i'm just curious about all these dough stuff amateurishly :))

[@fredfry5100]

While those do look nice, they don't look worthy of the multiple hours or skill you put into them.

[@ChainBaker]

Making breads like these takes time. That's just how it is. And it's not like you have to stand in the kitchen and watch it. The hands-on time is barely half an hour.

[@philip6502]

You know... I've always felt that way about the Mona Lisa. 🤨

[@ChainBaker]

I prefer the Mr. Bean version 😄

[@philip6502]

@@ChainBaker 💯

[@subscribetobahfies895]

If it was a girl I’d ask her out

[@subscribetobahfies895]

(The bread)

[@beautybabe7839]

If I want to make this recipe but make them chocolate hot cross buns, how much flour would you remove and replace with cocoa powder please? Would the fermentation times change too, if I add chocolate instead of candied fruit?

[@ChainBaker]

You can use this one as a guide - kzbin.info/www/bejne/bKfRhamuhqmMY80 10% is a pretty good amount. It will puff up and rise quicker as the dough will be weaker. Keep an eye.

[@beautybabe7839]

@@ChainBaker thank you very much 😀

[@LocrianDorian]

They came out incredible, well done, I've never actually eaten hot cross buns even though I've lived in UK for 10 years, lol, maybe the first time should be my own then.

[@ChainBaker]

The ones you make will be far better than the ones from the shop that is for sure! :)

[@sbettybop]

I note you let the dough rise 3 hours. Will the bread be over rise if I use instant yeast?

[@ChainBaker]

I used instant yeast in this recipe. It should be the same if the temperature is the same 👍