Hot Cross Buns 9×13 Pan | Old‑Fashioned, Soft & Spiced
Old‑Fashioned Hot Cross Buns (9×13 Pan, Soft & Spiced)
This hot cross buns 9×13 pan method keeps things down‑home and dependable: no special tray, no guesswork—just soft, shiny buns with a sweet vanilla glaze and icing crosses. If you grew up on church potlucks and Easter brunch, these are the buns that make the room smell like spring and butter. I’ve included step‑by‑step photos so you can see the dough at each stage and know you’re on track.
Why You’ll Love It
- 9×13 glass pan method — simple to shape and bake; the buns hold each other tall and fluffy.
- Soft, bakery‑style finish — a quick stovetop glaze gives that pretty shine.
- Cozy spices — cinnamon, clove, allspice, and nutmeg with a handful of raisins.
- Make‑ahead friendly — you can shape and chill overnight, then bake fresh.
- Step photos included — see the dough after each rise and what “golden brown” actually looks like.
Ingredients
Dough
- Warm milk — 3/4 cup
- Yeast — 4 tsp
- Sugar — 1/2 cup
- Eggs — 3, room temperature
- Vegetable oil — 1/2 cup
- All‑purpose flour — 3 3/4 cups
- Salt — 1 tsp
- Cinnamon — 1/2 tsp
- Cloves — 1/4 tsp
- Allspice — 1/4 tsp
- Nutmeg — 1/4 tsp
- Raisins — 1/3 cup (or currants)
Hot Glaze
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 Tbsp water
- 1 tsp vanilla
Icing
- 3/4 cup icing sugar
- 1 Tbsp milk
Pan: 9×13 glass baking dish
Bake: 375°F for about 25 minutes
Equipment
9×13 glass baking pan; stand mixer with dough hook (or your hands); bowl scraper; plastic wrap or clean towel to cover; small saucepan; pastry brush; piping bag or zip‑top bag for the crosses; instant‑read thermometer (optional but helpful).
How to Make Hot Cross Buns (9×13 Pan)
1) Proof the yeast. Stir yeast into warm milk and let it stand 5–7 minutes until foamy. If it doesn’t foam, the milk may be too cool or the yeast tired—start again for the best rise.
2) Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, and oil. Pour in the foamy yeast mixture and whisk to combine.
3) Bring it together & knead. Add flour, salt, spices, and raisins. Knead about 5 minutes with a dough hook until the dough pulls away from the bowl. It should feel slightly sticky—soft and a little tacky is perfect for tender buns. (No mixer? Knead by hand 8–10 minutes.)
4) First rise. Shape the dough into a ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled—about 1 to 1½ hours depending on your kitchen. 
5) Shape the buns. Grease a 9×13 pan. Divide dough into 12–15 even pieces; roll each into a smooth ball and arrange in the pan in 3 rows. 
6) Second rise. Cover and let the buns puff until touching—again 1 to 1½ hours. When ready, a fingertip pressed lightly into a bun should spring back slowly and leave a faint indent. 
7) Bake. Bake at 375°F for about 25 minutes until the tops are a deep golden brown and the center bun registers around 195–200°F. 
8) Make the hot glaze. While they bake, bring sugar + water + vanilla to a gentle bubble in a small saucepan, then reduce to low. Too hot = grainy.
9) Brush the glaze. Immediately brush the hot glaze over hot buns for that bakery shine.
10) Pipe the crosses. Cool to just barely warm (so the icing holds its shape). Stir icing sugar + milk until thick; pipe the crosses.
Pro Tips
- Slightly sticky = soft crumb. Resist adding extra flour unless the dough is truly wet.
- Even sizing: Weigh the dough and divide by 12–15 for bakery‑neat buns.
- Shiny tops: Don’t skip the hot glaze on hot buns—that’s the gloss.
- Cross control: If icing slides, the buns are too hot. Wait until warm.
- Glass bakes a little hotter. If browning fast, tent lightly with foil the last 5 minutes.
Variations
- Currants instead of raisins. Classics for hot cross buns; use the same amount.
- Orange twist. Add 1 tsp orange zest to the hot glaze and a splash to the icing.
- No‑raisin crowd. Leave them out; you can bump sugar by 1–2 Tbsp for a sweeter bun.
- Spice it your way. Swap in cardamom for a different warmth.
Storage & Freezing
- Room temp: Cover tightly; best within 2–3 days.
- Freeze: Skip the icing and freeze buns up to 2 months. Thaw wrapped on the counter, warm at 300°F for 8–10 minutes, then pipe crosses.
- Make‑ahead: Shape in the pan, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temp, let puff up, then bake.
FAQs
Can I mix by hand if I don’t have a dough hook? Yes. Knead 8–10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Do I need bread flour? No—all‑purpose flour works great here (as written).
How do I know the rise is done? The dough doubles; a gentle poke leaves a slow‑filling indent.
Why did my icing crosses slide or melt? The buns were too hot. Wait until they’re just warm.
Can I halve the recipe? Yes—bake in an 8×8 pan and start checking at 18–20 minutes.
Can I swap raisins? Use currants, golden raisins, or leave them out entirely.
Hot Cross Buns (9×13 Pan)
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Instructions
- Stir yeast in warm milk and let sit approximately 5–7 min.
- Stir eggs, sugar and oil in separate bowl and add yeast + milk to the egg, sugar + oil combination.
- Stir remaining ingredients in your bowl and knead really well approx 5 min with a mixer with bread hook until it pulls away from bowl. It’ll be slightly sticky, that OK. You can also knead by hand.
- Let rise covered until doubled about an hour (mine took 1 1/2 hrs).
- Grease 9×13 pan and make 12–15 buns. Let rise (mine took 1 1/2 hrs).
- Bake at 375 for about 25 min. While cooking make the glaze.
- Glaze — put all ingredients in small sauce pan. Cook over medium heat and when it starts to bubble reduce to minimum heat. Brush glaze over hot buns.
- Cool to just barely warm, make icing and put in piping bag and make crosses.
Notes
