Hi Guys! It’s the month of hot cross buns again. Easter is coming up soon and I thought a hot cross buns recipe is a timely recipe to share. Plus the fact that I am really excited to share this hot cross buns variation. A very fruity almost Summery variation, a Blueberry Filled Hot Cross Buns.

Hot cross buns are cherished for their fluffy texture, warm spices, and iconic cross design. But let’s take these classic treats up a notch with a luscious homemade blueberry jam filling! This variation is perfect for a small batch of four buns—ideal for sharing with loved ones or treating yourself to a well-deserved indulgence. Here’s a delightful journey through everything you need to know about this blueberry-filled creation.

Traditional hot cross buns are basically bread rolls with bits and pieces of dried fruits, like raisins, cranberry, currant, apricot and other dried fruits that you can think of. Although raisins is the most common one, several variations also uses different kind of dried fruits. The buns is soft, somewhat chewy and slightly sticky on top, with the trademark of cross in top of each bread.

The Origin of Hot Cross Buns

Hot cross buns date back centuries, traditionally eaten on Good Friday. They’re known for their symbolic cross and rich history tied to religious and festive traditions. Over time, these buns have evolved to include creative flavors—and that’s where our blueberry twist comes in!

What is Hot Cross Buns?

Hot Cross Buns is a bread, and hence the name ‘Buns’. It is a sweet yeast spiced bread, almost like a dinner roll but with mix of spices added in it, and decorated with a cross mark on top. The bread marks the end of Lent, and the cross on top represents the crucifixion of Jesus while the spices signifying the spices used to embalm him at his burial. Hot Cross Bun is normally eaten during Good Friday (Lent Season) but now a days people make it any time of the year.

Small Batch Benefits

Making four pieces means less time and effort while still allowing room for experimentation. Small batches are also perfect for reducing food waste and offering a manageable treat to share with family or friends.

The Perfect Dough

The dough is the heart of the bun. This is a simple bread dough and can be made vegan by replacing the milk with non-dairy milk or water. It doesn’t use egg so you can save your precious egg for breakfast instead.

Why Blueberry Jam

Blueberries bring a pop of color, a touch of tartness, and a burst of natural sweetness to the filling. The homemade jam ensures your buns are brimming with fresh flavor and avoids the artificial additives often found in store-bought options.

Crafting Homemade Blueberry Jam

Creating your own jam is surprisingly simple. Simmer fresh blueberries with sugar and a splash of lemon juice until thickened. This homemade jam not only tastes better but also brings a personal touch to your buns.

Substitute for Blueberry Jam

There are a lot of other options if you do not like or have Blueberry Jam. Use whatever jam you have or even stuff it with chocolate for a decadent twist.

Assembling the Buns

Once the dough rises, the magic begins! Carefully shaping the buns and adding a generous dollop of blueberry jam in the center ensures every bite is packed with fruity goodness.

Achieving the Iconic Cross

Don’t skip the cross—it’s part of the charm! A simple paste of flour and water piped on top adds the traditional look. You can get creative by adding a pinch of sugar or cinnamon to the paste for extra flavor.

Baking to Golden Perfection

The buns bake into golden, aromatic treasures. The smell wafting through your kitchen is a reward in itself, setting the stage for an irresistible treat. It took me anout 25 minutes but check on the last 5 minutes as oven callibration is different from house to house.

Serving Suggestions

Serve warm for the ultimate experience. Pair with a steaming cup of tea or coffee, and watch the blueberry filling ooze out with each bite—pure bliss.

Sharing the Joy

Hot cross buns are made for sharing, and this small batch is ideal for bringing a smile to someone’s day. Whether gifted or enjoyed together, they’re a reminder of life’s simple joys.

How To Make Hot Cross Buns?

• Make the Blueberry Jam: I suggest making the blueberry jam ahead of time, at last a day so that it will have time to thicken. The homemade Blueberry Jam is a simple mixture of fresh or frozen blueberry, sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch and oinch of salt. Bring to a simmer and press to burst the blueberry. For a smoother jam, you can pass the mixture through a sieve or use the jam chunky as is.
• Activate the Yeast – Hot Cross Bun is a yeast bread, this means the process will start by activating the yeast. Do not run away, making a yeast bread is not as scary as it sounds. Once you’ve made one, you will see how easy it is to work with yeast. The important thing to remember when working with yeast bread is to 1.) make sure that the yeast is not expired. Expired yeast will not activate, meaning even if you mix it with warm liquid and sugar, it will not foam up. The forming of the foam after 5 – 10 minutes is a sign that the yeast is active. Another thing to remember 2.) the liquid should be luke warm for the yeast to activate (110 – 115F). If the liquid is too hot, it will instantly kill the yeast, on the other hand if it it cold, it will not activate the yeast. I use bread thermometer whenever I need to activate the yeast, this assures that I have the right temperature. If you do not have one, feel the liquid. If it feels hot to your touch, then it is not good. Do NOT continue if your yeast failed to activate, this guarantees failure.
• Add Wet and Dry Ingredients:  Once the yeast is ready, all you need to do is add the wet ingredients and the dry ingredients, then let the mixer do the job of kneading the dough. This step is crucial, you have to aim for a soft, smooth and elastic dough that is slightly wet but not too wet that it sticks to your hands. I always say this, a clean bowl is a good sign of a correct bread dough texture. If the dough is too wet, add 1-2 tablespoon of flour. Wait for the flour to fully mix before you decide to add  more. If the dough is too dry, add a bit of water, 1 tsp at a time. This small addition is sometimes cannot be avoided because the texture of the dough depends on the moisture of the flour you are using. Old or dry flour will likely need more liquid, and new flour would need just normal amount of liquid mentioned in the recipe. The dough should look something like this. You see how the side of the bowl is clean, and the  dough starts to clump together, it is not dry, and still slightly sticky. You can see how dough still sticks to the bottom of the bowl, which means it is not totally dry. Dry dough produces dense bread.
•   First Rest Period: Th first rest period will have to be minimum of 1 hour to maximum of 2 hours if you have time to wait that long. Transfer the dough in a bowl greased with oil, then cover and leave in a warm place. I like to keep mine inside the oven which I pre-heated to 110F. The oven should be turned OFF once it reaches 110F. Do NOT forget to turn it off. You just want to warm the oven so that the dough will rise faster. If your oven have a proofing setting (lucky you!), use that instead.
• Roll and Shape: Once the first rest period is done, take the dough out of the bowl. Slightly knead the dough. Divide into 4 portions and shape them into a ball.
• Blueberry Filling: Roll and flatten using a rolling pin and fill the center with 1 tablespoon Blueberry Jam. Pinch to seal to avoid the jam from coming out.
• 2nd Rest Period: Cover and leave in a warm place for another 60 minutes.  The bread dough will puff up and will close the gap in between the bread.
• Mix the flour & water for the cross mark: Mix 2 tablespoon flour + 2 teaspoon water until it turn into a slightly runny paste. Add more water as needed to get the right consistency.
• Make the Cross Mark on Top Starting from the end (vertical), make a straight line to the other end. Then do the same horizontally, end to end.
• Pre-heat the Oven: Pre-heat the oven to 350F and leave the bread on the counter while the oven is pre-heating.
• Bake: Finally, the finish line! Bake for 20 – 25 minutes.
• Brush top with Jam:/Honey/Maple Syrup Brush the top with maple syrup, honey of jam. This will give the shiny look and sticky feel to the bread.

Congratulations if you’ve made it this far just reading the steps. You are not ready to make this Hot Cross Buns, any day of the year.

What I love About This Bread?

• A new twist or the usual hot cross buns
• It is soft and fluffy
• This uses a simple bread dough recipe, A cross between dinner rolls and cinnamon roll
• fantastic subtle flavor and sweetness

Tips for a Successful Soft Homemade Bread

• Measure the Ingredients Correctly – Baking requires precision. This is why it is always recommended to weigh the ingredients so that you get almost the same result every time you make it. So if you have a kitchen weighing scale, use it. Now, I know a lot of people do not use weighing scale and are more into cups measurement. This is also fine, just measure it properly so you are not far off from what is required. I have a separate post ‘How to Properly Measure Common Baking Ingredients‘, check it out.
• Liquid Temperature – Yeast grows in temperature between 110 – 115F, so its important to have the water that you are using to “proof” it in this range. If you go lower or higher, the yeast might not proof properly. That means the bread will not rise as much, resulting to a flat and tough bread. 
• Check Yeast Expiry a Date – You might be wondering how come the bread did not rise when you followed exactly the recipe. Well, first thing first, make sure the yeast is not yet expired. Expired yeast is the common reason for flat and dense bread. If your bread did not expand or rise during the rest period, it is most likely that the yeast is not fresh or the water temperature is too hot or cold. Monitor the activation of the yeast. You should see a foam forms after 10 minutes of activating the yeast. If no foaming appear, do NOT proceed.
• Amount of Yeast – Just because you want a tall bread doesn’t mean you have to put as much yeast in the mixture. Sometimes adding too much yeast can cause the bread to collapse during the rest period. Just imagine putting more air than what is needed in a balloon, the balloon will explode. The same case with bread. 
• Right Type of Yeast – Make sure to use the right one for your recipe, and make necessary adjustments if you want to swap one from another. This recipe uses active dry yeast and needs to be activated before using. Instant yeast do not require activating and can be mix directly with the flour and other dry ingredients. Just make sure it is not close to the salt. Yeast and salt are not best friends. The amount of active dry yeast is usually 1/4 teaspoon more then instant yeast, just in case you want to swap it for instant yeast.
• Rest Period – Yeast bread needs time to rise. There are bread that uses less yeast but requires more rest time, the likes of No Knead Bread or Artisan Bread which usually require 8- 16 hours rest period to get the volume and to develop the flavor. The point is, give it time to rest, don’t touch it just leave it in a warm place. The first rest period will normally tell you if your dough is good or not. If it rise and almost double in size, then your on the right track. This goes the same for 2nd rest period. You want the rolls to puff-up and be fluffy. Fluffy is a sign of soft bread because there is more air trapped inside to give it volume and soft texture.
• Expiration and Quality of the Flour – The quality of the flour greatly affect the texture of the bread. Bread flour could differ from country to country although they are all called as bread flour. Sometimes it depends on the brand too. The closer the flour to expiration date or if it is already expired, the flour could tend to be drier, which means it would require more liquid than mentioned in the recipe. This is a common issue of way sometimes the dough tend to be tough and dry. This is why sometimes you have to add few more tablespoon from the suggested flour measurement to get the right texture. The dough should be soft, smooth and elastic. If it is too wet, add a bit more flour until it is no longer to sticky to handle. If it is too dry, a small amount of liquid helps provide moisture to the dough. A clean side of the bowl, with the dough slightly sticking at the bottom, a soft, smooth and elastic dough is what You are aiming for.

How Do I Know if I Made the Bread Dough Correctly?

This is not written on the stone, but so far this is how I check if I am on the right track when it comes to the dough.

• Activating the Yeast –  This is the first thing that you should get right, otherwise do NOT proceed. After 5 – 10 minutes you should see a foam forms on top of the water, this is an indication that the yeast is alive. If you do not get this, either the yeast is old or the liquid temperature is too hot or cold. The temperature should be about 110F, lukewarm but not hot.
• Clean Bowl After Kneading – The sides of the bowl should be clean, while the bottom is slightly sticking to the dough. This means that amount of liquid to the flour is correct. Enough to make a clean bowl and still make a slightly wet dough.
• Soft Dough – Soft dough means the amount of flour to liquid is enough. Too much flour could make the bread dense and heavy, and too much liquid could make it too wet. Both will affect how the bread rise in the rest period. Try to push your fingers in the dough, it should leave a “dimple” on the dough and should gradually disappear.
• Smooth Dough Surface – Again, this is a sign of correct flour to liquid ratio. A “bumpy” surface could mean that the dough is dry and tough.
• Elastic Dough – A soft dough is usually elastic. If your dough is dry and tough, it wouldn’t be as elastic when you pull it apart.
• First Rest Period – The dough should almost double in size. This is a sign that the activation of the yeast work which is crucial to making a soft and fluffy bread. This also means the yeast is alive (not yet expired) and the liquid temperature is correct. I always use baking thermometer to check the temperature of the liquid.
• Second Rest Period – The bread dough should be really puff up and should fill in the gaps between each bread. This is crucial and the final state of the bread before baking. If you are able to make it puff-up, that is a good sign that there are air trapped inside which will make the bread fluffy.

Why is My Bread Too Wet or Too Dry?

Don’t get frustrated if your dough did not turn out immediately as what you see in the photo or video. Most likely It is not because you did not follow the recipe. When it comes to bread making, the amount of flour and liquid is not always 100% precise. This is way often times you will encounter recipes that says, if your dough is dry, add a bit more liquid. If your dough is too wet, add a little bit more flour. This instructions are not meant to confuse you, they are meant to guide you on how to adjust as you work through your dough. The reason for this is that although the measurement of water and flour are specified in the recipe, it still could slightly vary depending on many factors.

For instance, all-purpose flour or bread flour could very from country to country, or even from brand to brand. Don’t be surprise if you find that some brand tends to require a bit more liquid as the others. On top of this, the amount of liquid is also affected by the state of your flour. How old is the flour that you are using? Older flour nearing expiry tends to be drier and this requires more liquid. Bread making requires patience, and practice. Once you learn how to feel the right texture of the dough, everything will be quick and easy. You can instantly tell if you need to add more water or flour o get the dough in right state.

Bread Dough Ingredients:

• 6 1/2 tablespoon Milk – any percentage (warmed up to 110F)
• 1 teaspoon Active Dry Yeast (I used Fleischmann’s)
• 1 tablespoon Flavorless Oil
• 1 tablespoon granulated Sugar (Use 1/2 teaspoon for the yeast)
• 1 cup Bread Flour
• 1/3 teaspoon Salt
• Jam, Honey or Maple Syrup For brushing top of bread before serving

Blueberry Jam Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen Blueberry
• 2 tablespoon granulated Sugar
• 2 teaspoon Cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice – optional
• pinch Salt

Cross Mark Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoon Bread or All-Purpose Flour
• 1 tablespoon Water

Recipe Note: If you prefer a traditional Hot Cross Buns, you can swap the blueberry jam with chocolate chips, dried fruits like raisins, cranberry, apricot, figs, dates etc. Watch my Orange Hot Cross Buns Video for more details

Instructions:

• Make the Blueberry Jam: In a pan, cook the Blueberry, sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir to dissolv the cornstarch. Once the Blueberry are soft, mash to release more of the juice. Stir until thicken. Transfer in an airtigth container and let cook. Refrigerate until ready to use. Make this at least a day ahead and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Activate the Yeast (Milk Mixture):  Pour the milk into a mug and microwave it for about 15 seconds until it is lukewarm, NOT HOT (about 110 degrees F.). Pour in a mxing bowl. Add sugar and active yeast. Allow to sit for 15 minutes or until the top of the mixture looks foamy.
  • Make sure that your yeast is not expired, otherwise it will not activate. If this happens, discard and do not continue. Get a new yeast before proceeding. If you continue using it, the bread will not rise and it will be dense and heavy.
• Make the Bread Dough: To the yeast mixture, add the oil, remaining white sugar, bread flour and salt. Knead for at least 15 minutes until thick, sticky dough forms and all the flour is incorporated.
  • TIP: If the dough is too sticky, add 1 tbsp of flour but do not add too much as it could make the bread dense and heavy. What you are aiming for is a smooth, soft and elastic bread dough that do not stick too much your palm. The side of the bowl is clean, while the dough still slightly stick to the bottom of the bowl.
  • TIP: On the other hand if the dough is too dry add 1/2 teaspoon of milk or water at a time until the dough reach the smooth consistency. Allow at least 1-2 minutes before adding more liquid to allow the dough to absorb the liquid. If you add too soon and too much one time, you could end up with a quite runny wet dough.

• First Rise: Place dough into a greased bowl, cover with a towel, and allow to rise in a warm place for an hour, or until doubled in size.
  • TIP: Pre-heat the oven to 110F then turn it OFF and put the dough inside. The warm oven will help the dough rise faster. do NOT forget to turn OFF the oven.

• Shape and Fill: Generously sprinkle flour on the counter where you are going to work on your dough. Sprinkle some flour on your hands too for easy handling of dough. Take the dough out from the bowl and lightly push the dough down with the heel of the palm of your hands.
• Divide the Dough: Divide the bread dough into 4 portions. You can use a kitchen scale for even size, but if you do not have one, you can just estimate the size.

• Flatten each piece and fill each portion with 1 tablespoon of Blueberry Jam. Do this for the rest of the dough.

• Arrange side by side in a 5-inch square pan lined with parchment paper.
  • Alternatively, You can also bake this in a cookie sheet. Arrange it side by side at least 2-inches from each other if you want it to bake individually or close to each other if you want it to look like a pull-apart rolls.

• Second Rest Period:  Cover and let the dough rest for another 60 minutes in a warm place. You are aiming for a roll that is puff-up and almost double in size.

• Flour Mixture for the Cross on Top: Mix flour and water until it turned into a paste. Transfer in a ziplock bag. Set aside while waiting for the bread to bake.

• Make the Cross Mark on Top Starting from the end (vertical), make a straight line to the other end. Then do the same horizontally, end to end.
• Pre-heat the oven while the bread rest for another 15 minutes or until the oven is pre-heated. If you are using to oven to let the bread rest, do NOT forget to take it out before pre-heating the oven.
• Bake:  Bake for 23 – 25 minutes.

• Let Cool – Let the bread cool slightly to allow the texture to build up. This is very important, if you serve it immediately the bread will still be wet.

• Brush top with Honey/Maple SyrupJam: For the sticky part, brush the top of the buns with jam. If you do not have jam, brush the top with honey or maple syrup

Makes 4 rolls

Having a chocolate cravings? Check out this Triple Hot Cross Buns video.

Featured Posts:

• Small Batch Easter Chocolate Avocado Cake
• Small Batch Easter Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich
• Small Batch Easter Caramel Egg Brownie
• Small Batch Easter M&M Cookies
• Egg FREE All Around Bread Dough: Italian Easter Chocolate Egg Bread
• Easter Bark Chocolates
• Small Batch Easter Fudge Brownie Bites
• [VIDEO] Small Batch EASTER Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie
• Small Batch Easter Egg Nest Meringue Cookies
• Small Batch Orange Hot Cross Buns
• Marshmallow Pretzel Bark Chocolate
• [VIDEO] Rocky Road Brownie
• [VIDEO] Chocolate Pop Tart
• [VIDEO] Chocolate Chip Hot Cross Buns

Enjoy! If you make this, share and tag me in Instagram #SweetNSpicyLiving. I would like to see your creations too.

My Latest Video

Thank You for visiting my website. Please don’t forget to click the “Like” button below if you like this recipe. Lastly, did you know that I have a YouTube Channel? Please support my channel by clicking on the “Subscribe” button in my video and the “Bell” icon to get notification of new videos.

FOLLOW SWEETNSPICLIVING ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter | YouTube