Hot Cross Bunnies

These Hot Cross Bunnies are a fun twist on an Easter classic which your kids will love! Recipe with step-by-step photos.

Hot Cross Buns

One of the foods I miss the most from Australia are Hot Cross Buns. As soon as Christmas is done and dusted, the supermarkets and bakeries are already in Easter mode (whether you like it or not) and you can find a huge assortment of flavours these days. Given that you can find some amazing Hot Cross Buns from just about any local bakery in Australia, I’m not sure if anyone there would even bother to make their own!

But alas, for us Aussies who live far across the pond, making your own Hot Cross Buns is often a necessary challenge to keep the homesickness at bay. I make a few batches every Easter, always ensuring that I have a few squirrelled away in the freezer for my favourite breakfast – toasted Hot Cross Buns slathered with French salted butter.

Hot Cross Bunnies

Although Hot Cross Buns do not exist in Switzerland (fruit bread, in general, does not exist here), the Swiss bakeries make Zopfhasen, or Easter Bunny Rolls, which are very popular with children.

So I decided to do a mash-up and combine both recipes to make Hot Cross Bunnies! The results are absolutely adorable and my kids can’t get enough of them. For me, it’s the best of both worlds – I get to make my beloved Hot Cross Buns, with a nod to the local customs of where we live.

How to Make Hot Cross Bunnies

Step 1

Heat the milk, butter, cardamom pods, cloves and brown sugar in a small saucepan. When the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved, set the saucepan aside for the mixture to cool to about 37°C/98°F.

Place all of the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of an electric stand mixer.

Step 2

Slowly add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients. Then add the eggs, one at a time. Finally, add the raisins.

Mix until everything is combined, and continue kneading the dough until it is smooth and elastic in texture. If you are using a stand mixer, this step will take about 10-12 minutes on medium speed.

Step 3

Lightly oil a large mixing bowl, and place the dough into the bowl. Cover with a clean tea towel, and place the bowl somewhere warm for the dough to prove for about 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.

Step 4

Gently remove the dough from the mixing bowl and place it on the kitchen bench (I like to use a silicone mat). From this recipe, you should have enough dough to make 12 bunnies, with a little left over for a small bun.

For each bunny, you will need 3 pieces as follows:

1. Ears – 20 g/0.7 oz each
2. Head – 30 g/1 oz each
3. Body – 50 g /1.8 oz each

Weighing the pieces will help you to make nicely proportioned bunnies, but you can also just guess the weight and improvise as you go.

I recommend portioning all of the dough first, and to work quickly to shape each piece of dough into a smooth ball. Whenever you are working with yeasted dough, the dough will start to rise gently after you have handled it. So work quickly to form the bunnies, so that the ears, head and body of each bunny can rise evenly.

Step 5

Roll each piece of dough into a smooth ball. Do this by stretching the sides and pinching the seams together underneath. Try to make the balls of dough as smooth as possible so that your buns will look nice and smooth later.

Line a large baking tray with baking paper.

To shape the bunnies, attach the heads to the bodies by firmly pressing them together. Place the dough on the lined baking tray.

For the ears, roll the dough into an oval shape. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough in half, but only 3/4 down the length of the dough, to form two ears. Attach the ears to the head.

Repeat the above steps with the remaining dough.

Step 6

Cover the bunnies loosely with a sheet of cling film, and place them somewhere warm for about 20-30 minutes to puff up slightly.

In the meantime, make the paste for the crosses. Place the mixture into a small disposable piping bag, and cut the tip to produce a thin line of paste (the paste will expand upon baking).

Attach the dried blueberries for the eyes.

Step 7

Preheat the oven to 180°C/356°F.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the bunnies are lightly golden. Check on the bunnies at about 10 minutes, and if they are browning too quickly, cover them loosely with a sheet of foil for the rest of the baking time.

During this time, make the glaze.

Brush the glaze over the Hot Cross Bunnies while they are still hot from the oven, but be careful around the eyes as they can become loose easily.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips for Making Hot Cross Buns Ahead of Time

I love baking bread, but I don’t love getting up extra early to get started on the dough. So I typically make the dough the night before and allow it to rise slowly in the fridge overnight. The longer proofing time has the added benefit of allowing the dough to develop more flavour and a better texture. Come the morning, the dough will have at least doubled in size, and it will be ready for shaping as per the recipe.

To make the dough the night before:

• Make the dough as per the recipe.
• Place the dough into a large oiled bowl.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a reusable bowl cover.
• Place the bowl into the fridge.
• Let the dough rise overnight, or for at least 8-10 hours.
• The next morning, the dough should have at least doubled in size.
• Gently remove the dough from the bowl.
• The dough is ready for shaping and the second proof as per the recipe.
• As the dough will be cold from the fridge, the second proof may take slightly longer.

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