How to Make Traditional South African Sourdough Hot Cross Buns for Easter

A South African Easter Tradition Worth Baking

Hot cross buns are as much a part of Easter in South Africa as braais and family gatherings. But there's something truly special about making them with a live sourdough starter — the slow fermentation adds depth of flavour, a tender crumb, and a subtle tang that store-bought buns simply can't match.

This recipe uses our South African Sourdough Starter Culture, which has been cultivated to thrive in our local climate and flour. Let's get baking!

What You'll Need

For the Dough

• 150g active SA Sourdough Starter (fed 4–6 hours before use)
• 500g bread flour (or cake flour)
• 80g sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• Zest of 1 orange
• 2 eggs
• 80g butter, softened
• 180ml warm milk
• 150g raisins or mixed dried fruit

For the Crosses

• 100g flour
• 120ml water

For the Glaze

• 3 tbsp apricot jam, warmed

Step-by-Step Instructions

Day 1 — Evening: Mix the Dough

1. In a large bowl, combine your active starter, warm milk, eggs, and sugar. Mix well.
2. Add the flour, salt, cinnamon, mixed spice, nutmeg, and orange zest. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
3. Knead in the softened butter, a little at a time, until fully incorporated and the dough is smooth and elastic (about 10–15 minutes by hand).
4. Fold in the raisins or dried fruit.
5. Cover with a damp cloth or beeswax wrap and leave to bulk ferment at room temperature overnight (8–12 hours).

Day 2 — Morning: Shape & Proof

1. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. It should have grown noticeably and feel airy.
2. Divide into 12 equal portions (about 90g each) and shape into smooth balls.
3. Place in a greased baking dish, close together so they'll rise into each other.
4. Cover and proof for 2–4 hours until puffy and touching.

Pipe the Crosses

1. Mix flour and water into a smooth paste. Transfer to a piping bag or zip-lock bag with a corner snipped.
2. Pipe crosses over the buns just before baking.

Bake

1. Preheat your oven to 190°C.
2. Bake for 20–25 minutes until deep golden brown.
3. While still hot, brush generously with warmed apricot jam for a beautiful, sticky glaze.

Tips for Success

• Active starter is key: Your starter should be bubbly and have doubled in size before using. If it's sluggish, give it another feed and wait a few more hours.
• Temperature matters: South African summers can speed up fermentation significantly. If your kitchen is very warm, reduce the overnight ferment to 6–8 hours.
• Use a thermometer: The internal temperature of a fully baked bun should reach 93–95°C. This takes the guesswork out of baking!
• Muslin bag trick: Steep your spices in the warm milk using a muslin bag for a more intense, clean flavour.

Ready to Start Your Sourdough Journey?

You'll need an active starter to make this recipe. Our South African Sourdough Starter Culture is the perfect place to begin — it's been developed for South African conditions and comes with full instructions to get you fermenting in no time. Need a bit more guidance with making your first sourdough culture? Then our Sourdough Kit 

Tag us in your Easter baking on social media — we'd love to see your hot cross buns! 🌿🍞