Kitchen and Homes Director Sarah Akhurst is as much a hot cross bun obsessive as she is a cardamon bun mega fun, which got her thinking, why not combine the two? The result is a delicious baked fusion which tastes even better toasted and spread with butter. Salted of course.
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Yields:
10 - 10 serving(s)
Prep Time:
45 mins
Cook Time:
30 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 15 mins
Cal/Serv:
481
Ingredients
FOR THE DOUGH
550 g strong bread flour
325 ml whole milk
50 g butter
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1/2 tsp. mixed spice
75 g caster sugar
7 g sachet fast-action dried yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
1 medium egg, plus 1 egg, beaten, to glaze
75 g sultanas
50 g mixed peel
FOR THE FILLING
100 g butter, softened
100 g golden caster sugar
1 tsp. ground cardamom
TO GLAZE
4 Tbsp. caster sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
Directions
Step 1To make dough, first start with a tangzhong, a roux like mixture which helps to keep the buns very soft. Put 20g of the flour in a pan with 100ml of the milk and heat over a gentle heat, whisking continually. Keep cooking for 2-3min, until the mixture starts to thicken to a roux. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
Step 2Gently heat the remaining milk in a pan with the butter, until the butter melts. Remove from the heat and leave until just warm.
Step 3Put the remaining flour in the bowl of a freestanding mixer with a dough hook attached. Add the spices, caster sugar, yeast and salt, along with the egg, cooled tangzhong and milk mixture. Mix until the dough comes together into a smooth but sticky dough. Add the sultanas and mixed peel and continue to mix until combined. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover and leave to prove in a warm place until doubled in size, approximately 1 hour-90min.
Step 4Line two large baking trays and make the filling by beating together the softened butter, caster sugar and cardamon until well combined. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured worksurface and roll out into a rectangle about 45cm x 35cm. Spread the butter over the whole surface, then with the long side in front of you, fold the left hand third of the dough into the middle, followed by the right hand side, so they overlap and create a new rectangle about 15cm x 35cm. Reroll, until it measures around 50cm x 35cm.
Step 5Cut the dough into 10 x 5cm strips, then working a strip at a time, split down the middle of one strip, keeping the top attached. Pinch the edges so they are sealed, then twist each leg of the strip around each other like a cheese straw, then roll the twist like a snail, securing the end until the swirl. Transfer to the lined baking tray. Repeat with the rest of the strips, spacing them apart on the trays and leave to prove for another 45min, until puffed up.
Step 6Preheat the oven to 200C (fan 180C) mark 6. Glaze the buns with the beaten egg and bake for 20-25min, or until golden and cooked through.
Step 7Meanwhile, for the glaze, put the caster sugar and cardamon in a pan with 4tbsp water. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved and then simmer for 3-4min, until syrupy.
Step 8As soon as the buns are removed from the oven, brush generously with the syrup and leave to cool.
GH TIP: The buns are best on the day of baking. If you have any leftover the following day, just rewarm in the oven before serving.
Sarah is Good Housekeeping's Kitchen and Homes Director, looking after all things food and homes for the brand. Sarah started her career in journalism, then retrained as a chef 15 years ago following a lifelong dream to work in food. Since retraining, she has worked as a private chef, assisted on tv commercials, created recipes for some of the country's leading brands and became the go-to birthday and wedding cake baker in her friends and family network. In 2025, she was shortlisted for Cookery Writer of the Year by the Guild of Food Writers
