Tangzhong Sourdough Hot Cross Buns Recipe

These tangzhong sourdough hot cross buns are everything you want in an Easter bake — soft, fluffy, and filled with warm spices, golden raisins, and bright orange zest. Naturally leavened with sourdough starter and finished with a sweet icing glaze, this overnight method makes them perfect for holiday mornings. With step-by-step photos and a baker’s schedule, this is the best sourdough hot cross buns recipe for your Easter table.

Why You’ll Love These Sourdough Hot Cross Buns

There’s something truly special about baking hot cross buns with sourdough starter from scratch — especially when you’re doing it by hand, right in the heart of your home kitchen, with little helpers peeking over the counter. This recipe for tangzhong sourdough hot cross buns has become a beloved tradition in our family of seven. Not only is it a delicious Easter bake, but it’s also a joyful, hands-on project that rewards you with pillowy, spiced buns filled with golden raisins and bright orange zest.

What sets this recipe apart from others is the tangzhong method, a simple roux of flour and milk that creates irresistibly soft and fluffy buns. It truly makes these some of the best sourdough hot cross buns you’ll ever bake at home. Even better, this recipe features an overnight hot cross buns method for flexibility, plus a cold retard option if you need to adjust your baking schedule.

And yes — I kneaded this entire dough by hand! Sticky as it is, with patience (and a solid arm workout), the slap-and-fold technique transforms this dough beautifully. I’ll show you exactly how I did it with a quick video so you can follow along confidently.

Ready to bake your own sourdough hot cross buns with icing and sweet glaze? Let’s get started!

Baker’s Schedule (With Real-Time Test Notes!)

Here’s exactly how I timed this bake at home, with my kitchen at 70°F. Adjust as needed based on your conditions!

Cooler kitchens will extend fermentation and proofing time. Watch your dough!

Temperature Timing Table (Approximate):

Cold Retard Option:
After shaping, cover and refrigerate the rolls for up to 12 hours. When ready to bake:

• If puffy and nearly doubled, let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
• If they still need to rise, leave them at room temperature until puffy and ready.

Alternative Schedule (Shape Before Bed, Bake in the Morning):

• Day 1 Evening: Build the starter (7–8 PM).
• Day 2 Morning: Mix dough and knead (8–9 AM).
• Day 2 Daytime: Bulk ferment at room temperature.
• Day 2 Evening: Shape rolls (8–9 PM) and refrigerate.
• Day 3 Morning: Let rolls warm at room temp, then bake!

This is perfect if you want fresh-baked buns first thing in the morning for Easter brunch.

“Watch the step-by-step video to see the process from sticky dough to fluffy, iced sourdough hot cross buns!”

Ingredients Explained

Before we bake, let’s go over a few details about the ingredients in these tangzhong sourdough hot cross buns. You’ll find the full measurements in the printable recipe card below!

Sweetened Stiff Starter:
A stiff starter with a little sugar helps the dough stay strong enough for this enriched bread and supports great rise and flavor.

Tangzhong:
This flour and milk paste keeps the buns incredibly soft and moist for days.

Warm Spices:
A blend of cinnamon, allspice, and cloves brings classic hot cross bun flavor. Add a pinch of cardamom or nutmeg if you love extra spice!

Dried Fruit:
Golden raisins are traditional, but you can swap for cranberries or chocolate chips. Soaking the fruit ensures they stay plump and juicy.

Citrus Zest:
Orange zest brightens the dough and balances the warm spices perfectly.

Glaze and Sweet Piping:
An orange glaze adds a lovely citrus finish. For extra sweetness, we add an icing cross after baking for that classic bakery touch.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Tangzhong Sourdough Hot Cross Buns

📹 Need a visual? I’ve included a quick video above to show key steps like handling sticky dough, slap and fold kneading, incorporating the raisins, shaping the rolls, and piping the crosses!

Sweetened Stiff Starter:
Combine all the ingredients in a medium glass container. Mix well and cover. Allow the starter to double in volume before moving on to the next step. This can take anywhere from 4 to 12 hours, depending on your starter’s strength.

Tip: Start this in the morning so it’s ready by evening.

Tangzhong:
In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk the flour and milk continuously until a thick paste forms. Cover and cool completely before using. You can prepare this ahead and store it in the refrigerator.

Milk Mixture:
In a bowl, stir together the milk and superfine sugar, then add the softened cubed butter. Set aside.

Soak the Fruit:
Place the raisins in a small dish and cover with hot water while you prepare the main dough. Drain before adding to the dough.

Mixing the Dough:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the bread flour, salt, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and orange zest. Add the eggs, sweetened stiff starter, tangzhong, and milk mixture. Roughly mix, then switch to the dough hook.

If mixing by hand: whisk the dry ingredients, add wet ingredients, and mix with a wooden spoon until the dough becomes too stiff. Switch to hand mixing — it will be very sticky, but keep squeezing and kneading until fully incorporated. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.

Kneading the Dough:
With a stand mixer: Knead on low speed until the dough becomes cohesive. Increase to medium speed and knead until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and the mixer begins to jump (about 10 minutes). Add flour 1 tablespoon at a time if needed, then knead 4–5 minutes longer until smooth and glossy.

By hand: Use the slap and fold technique (see my video!). Knead for 10 minutes, cover and rest for 20 minutes, then knead for another 10 minutes. Use the windowpane test to check gluten development.

Add the Soaked Raisins:
In the stand mixer: Add the drained raisins and knead on low speed until just incorporated (about 2–3 minutes).

By hand: Stretch the dough into a thin layer, sprinkle raisins evenly, fold the dough like an envelope, and shape into a boule (round shape).

Bulk Fermentation:
Transfer the dough to a clear, greased container and let it bulk ferment until doubled in size — about 8 to 12 hours, depending on your kitchen temperature. I time this so I’m finished kneading in the evening, and the dough rests overnight.

Shaping the Rolls:
Grease or butter a 9×13 baking dish. Divide the dough into 15 equal portions (mine were about 90 grams each). Shape each portion into a smooth ball by tucking the dough under to create tension. Arrange the rolls in the baking dish, three across the short side and five along the long side.

Final Proof:
Cover the rolls and let them rise for 2 to 4 hours, until very puffy and nearly doubled. Preheat the oven to 400°F near the end of the proofing time.

💡 Baker’s Note:
In my own bake, I accidentally piped the paste for the crosses before the buns had finished their second rise. No worries — they still baked beautifully! The paste lines did brown a bit more, so I just added an extra drizzle of icing after baking. A little reminder that there are no mistakes in home baking, only happy accidents!

Make the Cross Paste:
Mix the flour and water until smooth and pipeable. Transfer to a piping bag or ziplock with a 1/4 inch opening, and pipe crosses over the risen rolls.

Bake:
Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake another 10–20 minutes. The rolls are done when they reach an internal temperature of 185°F. Tent with foil if browning too quickly.

Make the Glaze:
While the buns are baking, whisk together the powdered sugar and orange juice until smooth. Brush over the warm buns once they come out of the oven.

Optional Sweet Piping:
For extra sweetness, make the icing by mixing confectioners’ sugar with milk, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Pipe over cooled rolls for a bakery-style finish. Any extra icing is perfect for drizzling over sliced buns!

FAQ

A Final Word

Thank you so much for stopping by my kitchen today. I hope these tangzhong sourdough hot cross buns bring the same warmth and joy to your home as they have to ours. This recipe has been such a labor of love, and seeing your beautiful bakes means the world to me. If you try it and enjoy it, I’d be so grateful if you left a 5-star rating on the recipe card—it truly helps other families discover this recipe and supports my work here at Rooted Deep Home. Happy Easter baking!

More From-Scratch Bread Recipes to Try

Craving more homemade bread goodness? Here are a few of my favorite recipes to inspire your next bake. You can also browse the full collection of homemade bread recipes—each one designed to be comforting, family-friendly, and practical for busy home kitchens.

• Sandwich Bread That Doesn’t Crumble — Soft, sliceable, and perfect for everyday lunches. My go-to loaf for feeding a crowd!
• Fresh Apple Sourdough Bread (Fermented Boule) — A naturally leavened boule with tender apple pieces and warm spices. Perfect for cozy mornings!
• No-Knead, No-Stretch and Fold Sourdough Bread — A hands-off sourdough recipe that’s great for busy days but still delivers a beautiful loaf.
• Moist Sourdough Carrot Cake Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting — A sweet Easter favorite! Tender, spiced sourdough muffins topped with rich cream cheese frosting.

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👇 Start here:

⏰ Note: Total time includes overnight ferment and proofing time. Active hands-on time is approximately 1 hour 15 minutes.

Tangzhong Sourdough Hot Cross Buns Recipe

Alicia Pyle

Soft, fluffy tangzhong sourdough hot cross buns with golden raisins, orange zest, and sweet glaze. Perfect for Easter baking with an overnight ferment and clear baker’s schedule.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Ferment & Proof 17 hours hrs

Total Time 18 hours hrs 55 minutes mins

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Servings 15 rolls

Calories 290 kcal

Ingredients

  

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Sweetened Stiff Starter

• 60 grams active sourdough starter
• 60 grams water
• 120 grams all-purpose flour
• 15 grams granulated sugar

Tangzhong

• 40 grams all-purpose flour
• 180 grams milk

Milk Mixture

• 120 grams milk
• 120 grams super fine baker's sugar (caster sugar)
• 85 grams unsalted butter cubed softened

Main Dough

• 400 grams bread flour King Arthur recommended
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 10 grams salt
• 1 cup golden raisins soaked in hot water, then drained
• zest of 1 orange

Paste for Piping Crosses

• 50 grams all-purpose flour
• 50 grams water

Glaze

• 80 grams powdered sugar
• 35 grams orange juice or milk

Instructions

 

Sweetened Stiff Starter

• Combine all the ingredients for the sweetened stiff starter in a medium glass container. Mix well and cover. Allow the starter mix to double in volume before moving on to the next step. This can take anywhere from 4 to 12 hours, depending on the strength of your starter.

Tangzhong

• In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the flour and milk for the tangzhong, whisking continuously until a thick paste forms. Cover and cool completely before adding to the main dough. This can be done ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator.

Milk Mixture

• In a bowl, stir together the milk and superfine sugar, then add in the softened cubed butter. Set aside.

Soak Fruit

• Add the raisin to a small dish and cover them with hot water to soak while you are working on the main dough.

Main Dough

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the bread flour, salt, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and orange zest. Whisk to combine. Add the eggs, sweetened stiff starter, tangzhong, and milk mixture. Roughly mix, then switch to using a dough hook.

  If kneading by hand, whisk the dry ingredients together, then add all of the wet ingredients and incorporate with a wooden spoon until the mixture becomes too stiff, then switch to mixing by hand. The dough will be very sticky, but continue squeezing and kneading the dough until it is well incorporated. Cover the dough and rest for 30 minutes.
• If using a stand mixer, knead on low speed until the dough becomes one cohesive mass, then increase the speed to medium and knead until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and the stand mixer begins to jump (about 10 minutes). If needed, add a tablespoon of flour at a time, reduce the speed to medium-low, and knead until the dough is smooth and glossy (about 4-5 minutes more).

  If kneading by hand, use the slap and fold technique to knead and develop the gluten in the dough (See my video in the blog post to learn this method). To do this, lift the dough, slap it on the counter, and fold it over on itself. Perform the 1st set of slap and folds for 10 minutes, then cover the dough and rest for 20 minutes. Perform the second set of slap and folds for another 10 minutes and check that the dough is kneaded thoroughly with the window pane test (again, see video for this).
• Once kneading is complete, add in the drained raisins:

  If using a stand mixer, add the fruit and knead once more on low speed until the fruit is just incorporated (about 2-3 minutes).

  If using your hands, stretch the dough out into a thin layer (lamination), then sprinkle the raisin over the dough and fold it up like an envelope, then work it into a round or boule shape.

Bulk Ferment

• After working the raisins into the dough, allow the dough to bulk ferment until doubled in size. This can take 8 to 12 hours, more or less, depending on the temperature in your kitchen. I time my schedule so that I am done kneading and ready for bulk fermenting right before bed so the dough can rest at room temperature on the counter all night and be ready for shaping in the morning.

Shaping

• Grease or butter a 9×13 baking dish. Divide the dough into fifteen equal-sized portions. You can use a kitchen scale to do this precisely, place a bowl on a kitchen scale and zero out the scale (tare button), add the entire dough to get a weight in grams, then divide the total dough weight by fifteen to get the weight in grams for each dough roll. Mine were about 90 grams of dough for each roll.
• Sprinkle the counter with flour and work each portion of dough into a ball shape, tucking the dough under so that the top part of the ball is smooth and taut. Place each ball into the greased dish, three across the short side of the pan and five across teh long side.

Final Proof

• Cover the rolls and allow them to rise again for another 2 to 4 hours. The buns should be very puffy and nearly doubled in size. Get the oven preheated to 400 degrees F near the end of the second rise time.

Make the Cross Paste

• Mix the flour and water together. You want a consistency that will easily pipe onto the rolls — not too thick, not too thin. Transfer the mixture to a ziplock or piping bag and cut a small corner off (1/4"). Pipe the paste over the risen roll in the traditional cross pattern.
• Bake the rolls in a 400-degree F oven for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven to 350 degrees F and bake another 10-20 minutes. The rolls are done baking when the internal temperature reaches 185 degrees F. You can tent the rolls with aluminum foil towards the end of the bake time to prevent over-browning.

Make the Glaze

• While the rolls are baking, whisk together the powdered sugar and orange juice until smooth. Brush the glaze over the warm rolls.

Optional Sweet Piping

• In addition to the traditional paste piping, we like to do a sweet version. To do this mix 1 cup of confectioners' sugar with four teaspoons of milk, 1/8 a teaspoon of vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Pipe this over completely cooled rolls. You can use the excess to drizzle over sliced rolls.

Video

Notes

Sugar substitute: You can use brown sugar in place of the superfine baker’s sugar

Scheduling tip:
This recipe works beautifully as an overnight dough. I recommend finishing your kneading and bulk fermentation setup in the evening, so the dough can rise overnight at room temperature (around 70°F). In the morning, shape your rolls around 9:00am, proof until puffy, and bake fresh.

Cold proof option:
If you need to bake later, you can shape the rolls after bulk ferment, place them in your greased baking dish, cover tightly, and refrigerate for up to 12 hours. Before baking, let them rest at room temperature until they look nicely puffed — about 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on your kitchen temperature.

Flour choices:
High-quality bread flour is important for structure. I recommend King Arthur for consistent results. All-purpose flour can work in a pinch but expect a slightly softer dough.

Sweetened stiff starter:
Don’t skip this step! The sweet stiff starter provides both structure and flavor. Allow it to double fully for the best rise.

Tangzhong method:
The tangzhong keeps these buns soft and fluffy for days. Make it in advance if you like — it keeps well in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Piping the cross:
For a more defined cross, pipe the flour paste after the final rise. I accidentally piped mine before proofing, and while the lines turned golden in the oven, I finished them with an extra sweet icing drizzle. No mistakes in baking — just happy improvisations!

Storage:
Store cooled buns in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw and rewarm before serving.

Serving suggestion:
We love these split open with a slather of good butter or a drizzle of honey. Perfect for Easter brunch or any spring gathering!

*Nutrition Disclaimer

Nutrition

Calories: 290kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 6gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 305mgPotassium: 152mgFiber: 2gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 180IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 40mgIron: 1mg

Keyword sourdough hot cross buns

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