Gluten-Free Hot Cross Buns

Hot Cross Buns packed together fresh from the oven.

5 from 5 votes

Gluten-Free Hot Cross Buns are sweetly spiced and studded with dried fruit. They are best served warm with a slick of salted butter.

Prep Time50

Cook Time25

Proofing Time1 40

Total Time2 55

Course: Bread

Cuisine: British

Servings: Hot Cross Buns

Calories: 304kcal

Author: Georgina Hartley

Ingredients

7 g active dried yeast
200 ml whole milk
50 g light brown sugar
20 g psyllium husk not ground
200 ml water
200 g oat flour
150 g chickpea flour
130 g sweet rice flour
50 g unsalted butter cold, thinly sliced
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground mixed spice
¼ teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg
zest 1 lemon
zest 1 orange
2 eggs medium
80 g sultanas
60 g currants
40 g dried cranberries

Crosses

40 g sweet rice flour
1 teaspoon oil
30-35 ml milk (2 – 2½ tablespoons)

Egg wash

1 egg medium
1 teaspoon whole milk

Glaze

2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon caster sugar

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Activate the yeast

Warm the milk to between 100-115 F / 38-46C. Then pour into a medium sized glass bowl and stir in the yeast and brown sugar.
Rest for 15 minutes until the surface is looking thick and bubbly.

Create psyllium gel

Stir the water and psyllium husk together in a medium sized mixing bowl until combined.
Allow to stand for 2-4 minutes until it forms a gel.

Prepare the dough

Whisk the flours together in a large mixing bowl.
Add in the unsalted butter then rub together between your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Stir in baking powder, salt, cinnamon, mixed spice, nutmeg and the lemon and orange zest until well combined. Save the orange juice for making the glaze at the end.
Mix together the yeast mixture, psyllium gel and eggs
in a large mixing bowl (or preferably bowl of a stand mixer) until well combined.
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix to combine into a stiff sticky dough. Add the dried fruit when the dough is just mixed but still has a little loose flour.
Continue to mix for a minute or two so the ingredients form a cohesive but sticky dough and the fruit is evenly incorporated.

Prove the dough

Place the dough ball in a clean mixing bowl and cover with a tea towel or with cling film. Rest in a warm and damp place* for 1 hour to prove.
Remove the tea towel/cling film and tear off 12 equal portions of the dough (90-95g each). Take each portion and place on clean work surface, cup your hand over the dough and move it in a circular motion on the work surface to shape it into a smooth ball.
Place each ball, evenly spaced apart, onto a lightly greased baking tray (8” x 12” x 2”).
Cover again with a tea towel or cling film and place somewhere warm and damp to prove for a final 40 minutes until they have increased in size.
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan assisted / gas mark 4 / 350°F.

Egg wash

Whisk the egg together with the whole milk.

Make the crosses

To prepare the crosses mix the sweet rice flour in a small bowl with the oil and slowly stir in the milk until the mixture is a thick smooth pipeable paste.
Spoon the flour paste into a small piping bag, or food bag with the tip snipped off.

Bake the buns

Brush each bun with the egg wash using a pastry brush.
Pipe crosses onto the top of each bun.
Place the Hot Cross Buns in the oven and bake for 25 minutes until they are golden brown.
Immediately remove the buns from the baking tin and place them on a cooling rack whilst you prepare the glaze.

Glaze the buns

Juice the orange and heat it in a small saucepan with the sugar until bubbling and the sugar has dissolved.
Use a pastry brush to brush the glaze over each Hot Cross Bun.
Serve warm or cooled, split in half with a slick of salted butter.

Video

Notes

Gluten-free flour. I don’t recommend making this recipe with an all purpose gluten-free flour blend.

Oat flour.You can substitute for sorghum flour.
Chickpea flour. You can substitute for defatted almond flour (this is not the same as regular almond flour as it has some of the fat removed).
Sweet rice flour. You can substitute for cassava flour.

Active dry yeast. I like to use Doves Farm Quick Yeast.

Mixed spice. If you can't find it in the shops (or don't have any in) then try my Homemade Mixed Spice Recipe.

Eggs. The eggs used in this recipe are medium size, 60g with shell and 50g without shell. If you can't get hold of medium eggs I suggest you weigh the amount.

Dried fruit. You can use 175g total weight of any mixed dried fruit. Diced apricots, blueberries, sour cherries, raisins, mixed peel, glace cherries, stem ginger are all good choices.

Baking tin. Use a baking tin 8” x 12” x 2” (20.32 x 30.48 x 5.08 cm)

Storage. Gluten-Free Hot Cross Buns keep up to 3 days in an airtight container. However they are best on the day they are made. After that they are better toasted.

Freeze. You can freeze the Hot Cross Buns for up to 3 months.

US customary measurements

These US measurements for the ingredients provided are based on a conversion calculator. This recipe was tested with metric measurements and I recommend using a digital scale to weigh ingredients for the most accurate results. READ MORE >>> Why you should always weigh vs measuring with cups

Nutrition information

Please note that the nutrition information provided below is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients you use. Please seek a professional nutritionist’s advice for further clarification.

The nutrition serving is for 1 hot cross bun.

Nutrition