Easter Hot Cross Bun Spelt Rolls (when Cinnamon Rolls meet Hot Cross Buns)
These Easter hot cross bun spelt rolls are a delightful twist on two beloved bakes – cinnamon rolls and hot cross buns. Soft, spiced dough is filled with a zesty lemon butter filling, studded with sultanas, and topped with a simple syrup glaze.
Perfect for Easter or any time you’re craving a warm, comforting treat, these rolls are made with spelt flour for a wholesome touch, and they’re easy to make with either a bread machine or stand mixer. Whether you bake a full batch to share or scale it down, these buns are guaranteed to be a hit!
This recipe for Easter Hot Cross Bun Spelt Rolls first featured on The Culinary Jumble (my previous blog).
What Do You Call a Cross Between a Cinnamon Roll and a Hot Cross Bun?
Well, that’s a very good question. One that had me pondering for a fair while. What do you call a delightful combo of these two amazing breads?
Easter Hot Cross Bun Rolls. Yep. That’s them.
I know, I know. It’s not very inspiring. In fact, it’s a little boring. However, sometimes when you’re a food blogger, you need to say things just how they are. That way, people know exactly what they are getting.
But let’s be honest, sometimes the best things in life don’t need fancy names. They just need to taste good. And these? They deliver on flavour, texture, and that perfect balance between tradition and indulgence.
Think of them as the best of both worlds: the softness and spice of a hot cross bun combined with the swirled, buttery goodness of a cinnamon roll. No fussy crosses, no extra steps, just pure, delicious simplicity.
So, why the mishmash?
Why not just old-fashioned hot cross buns, Mary Berry style? Because I didn’t want to. That’s why.
Well, actually, let’s be honest here. As much as I like the coiffured one, she does have this stiff, formal approach to baking. I guess that’s part of her charm. She’s traditional with a capital T.
However, me? I am lazy with a capital L (and then some) and personally couldn’t be bothered to fanny about putting a cross on them. And you can’t have hot cross buns without a cross, now can you?
Although naming them would have been fun: Hot and buns but no cross? Don’t get cross with these hot buns?
But beyond the cross (or lack thereof), I also wanted something with a little more oomph. Traditional hot cross buns are delicious, but let’s face it—they’re a bit predictable. I wanted something softer, fluffier, and with a bit of a twist. Something that still had all the cosy, spiced flavour of a hot cross bun but in a form that felt a little more indulgent.
The perfect middle ground
Alongside not wanting to mess about with crosses, I also really fancied a filling, but I didn’t want cinnamon buns either. I wanted all the flavour of a hot cross bun, just in roll form.
Hot cross buns are lovely, but they can be a little plain unless you toast them and slather them in butter. I wanted something that was soft, rich, and full of flavour from the start, without needing anything extra. Something that had the signature warm spices of a hot cross bun, but also a bright, buttery filling to lift the flavour.
So, here’s the end result: rolls made pretty much following Mary Berry’s recipe (with added saffron and a couple of tweaks) but with my own filling. And they were good.
Super soft buns with a lemon butter filling and a slather of syrup on top. The lemon butter melts into the swirls as they bake, creating little pockets of sweetness, and the syrup glaze gives them that sticky, bakery-style finish.
Oh, and again, Spelt Kitchen style and not MB’s. She heats up her syrup before brushing it over. Now, to me, that’s just one extra pan to wash and nothing more.
Prepare the dough your way
This recipe works with both a bread machine (used for the dough only) and a stand mixer. If you’re using a bread machine, simply add the ingredients and let the machine knead and rise the dough for you. Once it’s ready, you’ll shape and bake the rolls by hand.
For those using a stand mixer, you’ll mix, knead, and rise the dough yourself for a bit more control. Either way, both methods will result in soft, fluffy rolls that are perfect for sharing. Detailed instructions for both options are included in the recipe below.
What makes these hot cross bun spelt rolls so special?
These rolls go beyond your typical hot cross buns or standard cinnamon rolls. Here’s what sets them apart:
- A hint of saffron – Saffron adds a unique warmth and subtle depth to the dough, giving it a delicate, slightly earthy flavor that pairs beautifully with the sweetness of the filling. It also contributes a lovely golden hue to the rolls.
- A lemon butter filling – The filling is a burst of citrusy brightness, made with a zesty lemon infusion that cuts through the richness of the dough. It’s balanced with just the right amount of sweetness, giving each bite a refreshing, melt-in-your-mouth flavor.
- Soft, spiced dough – The dough is soft and fluffy, with a delicate spice blend that gives it warmth and complexity. Made with wholesome spelt flour, it adds a slight nuttiness to the flavor and a more rustic texture compared to regular white flour.
- An easy syrup glaze – To finish these rolls, we’ve kept it simple with a syrup glaze that doesn’t require any heating. Just brush it on while the rolls are still warm for a sweet, glossy finish that adds just the right amount of sweetness without being overwhelming.
- Spelt flour – Spelt flour brings a slightly nutty flavor and rustic texture to the dough, making it a wholesome choice. However, if you don’t have spelt flour on hand, you can easily substitute it with all-purpose (plain) flour for a similar result.
- Perfect for sharing – The recipe below will yield around 12-15 rolls, making it a great option when you’re feeding a group or family. But if you’re baking just for a smaller crowd or want to save some for later, feel free to halve the ingredients and make fewer rolls.
More spring themed treats
If you’re looking for more spring-inspired treats to brighten up your baking, check out these delicious options:
- Brown sugar layered spelt carrot cake
- Easter saffron wreath bread
- Easter hot cross bun rolls
- Mini simnel cakes
- Simple no-bake chocolate puffed rice
- White chocolate spelt cupcakes
- Eton Mess sponge cake
Easter Hot Cross Bun Spelt Rolls
Ingredients
Dough (see note 1)
- 300ml (1¼ cups) milk
- 40g (⅛ cup) butter
- 1 egg
- zest of one lemon
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- pinch of saffron
- 500g (4 cups + 2 tbs) spelt flour (see note 2)
- 1 tsp salt
- 7g (2¼ tsp) dried yeast (see note 3)
- 75g (⅓ cup) sugar
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp mixed spice
Filling
- 50g (¼ cup) butter (melted)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 100g (3½ oz) sultanas
Topping
- 2 tbsp golden syrup (or medium-light syrup)
Instructions
Bread Machine:
- Add the milk, butter, egg, lemon zest, lemon juice, and saffron to your bread machine pan. Then, add the remaining dough ingredients, taking care to keep the yeast and salt as separate as possible. Set your machine to make dough.
- On a well-floured surface (the dough will be very sticky), work in just as much flour as needed to make a soft, pliable dough that is still slightly tacky.
Stand Mixer:
- Mix the milk, butter, egg, lemon zest, lemon juice and saffron together in your stand mixer bowl. If the butter is straight from the fridge, it won't fully combine, but that’s okay.
- Then add the remaining dough ingredients.The dough should be sticky, but if you need more flour, just add a little at a time. Be careful—too much flour will result in dry bread.
- Switch to a dough hook (if you have one) and allow the mixer to knead the dough for around 10 minutes, until soft. The dough should still feel slightly tacky but will slowly drop off the hook.
- Cover the dough and leave to proof (until it has doubled in size - usually about an hour).
- When the dough is ready, knock it back, and on a floured surface, form into a rough ball.
Both Methods:
- Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a large rectangle (around 40x50cm) with one of the shorter sides facing you. The dough is very elastic and will bounce back — this is a good sign!
Assembly:
- Mix the butter, lemon juice and brown sugar together.
- Spread the filling evenly across the dough with a knife (it won't completely cover the dough, but that’s fine).
- Sprinkle the sultanas over the dough.
- With the shorter side in front of you carefully roll the dough, making sure you pull it tight as you go.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the rolled dough into slices. (You should get around 12 buns, depending on their size.)
- Pinch any edges together and use your hands to shape them into circles (they will already be round, but might need a little more shaping).
- Place them on the baking tray or in a dish quite close together.
- Cover and let rest for around 20-30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 200℃ (400℉).
- Bake in the oven for around 20-22 minutes. Make sure they are cooked but don't over-bake them.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool a little.
- While still warm, brush over the syrup or honey. Enjoy!
Notes
- I have made the dough using both a stand mixer and bread machine.
- You can use spelt or regular flour for this recipe (just use the same amount).
- In Sweden, we have something called dried yeast, which can be used both in warm liquid to proof and added directly to flour. I am aware that the US has two options for dried yeast, and I believe instant yeast is the most similar to our dried yeast.
