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    Home » Recipes » Easter

    Hot Cross Bagels

    Published: Mar 8, 2023

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    The homemade Hot Cross Bagels are fun to make, flavourful, and an excellent addition to your regular Easter Sunday breakfast or brunch!

    A pile of hot cross bagels on a plate.

    Easter is just around the corner, so I’ve been up to my eyeballs in developing all kinds of tasty recipes for Easter Sunday - and beyond.

    Today, I’m sharing my recipe for hot cross bagels!

    You’re probably familiar with traditional hot cross buns. In Christian tradition, they’re generally served on Good Friday - rather than Easter morning - with the piped crosses representing the cross on which Jesus died, prior to resurrection.

    Personally, I grew up *hating* hot cross buns. The first ones I ever had involved glaceed fruit and that gross jellied orange peel - ingredients I’ve never been able to deal with.

    As an adult, I’ve come to realize that those... aren’t really the norm.

    Hot cross buns I’ve had as an adult have been everywhere from decent to outright glorious, with warm spices and *fresh* orange flavor, in with dried fruit - raisins and currents, usually.

    Dried fruit is awesome. Glaceed fruit... not so much.

    When considering what an Easter bagel would entail, I went back to those flavors, just repackaged them in a little different form 🙂

    These...might be the best bagel I’ve designed.

    The smell alone, as the dough was proofing, then baking? AUGH. Can’t handle it - just amazing.

    Every time my husband reheats one of them, I just wallow in jealousy - all that citrus and spicy goodness fills the house with the most amazing aroma.

    The fact that even he loves them says a lot - he hates raisins in baked goods. He really likes the texture in these, says they work well, and he loves the “little sweet pops of flavor” they provide.

    Anyway, let’s get to that recipe!

    A cut open hot cross bagel in front of a pile of hot cross bagels.

    Ingredients

    While the ingredient list for these bagels is a bit longer than my average bagel recipe, it’s mostly pantry staples. All in the name of getting that fantastic hot cross buns flavor!

    You will need:

    Pantry Staples: All-purple flour, Dark Brown Sugar, Active Dry Yeast, Pure Vanilla Extract, salt.

    An orange (both for orange juice and orange zest).

    Spices: Allspice, Ground Cinnamon, Ground Cloves, and Ground Nutmeg.

    Dairy, etc: Milk & Eggs.

    Raisins and/or dried currents (I use them both, 50/50).

    Just a couple notes for you:

    1. You can swap a lemon in - lemon juice and lemon zest - for the orange, if you prefer.

    2. You can use plant based milk to make these dairy free. I actually use unsweetened almond milk.

    A close up photo of a pile of hot cross bagels.

    How to Make Hot Cross Bagels

    The full recipe is in the recipe card at the end of this post, here is a pictorial walk through, with some additional tips and info.

    Make the Dough

    Measure warm milk into a glass measuring cup or bowl, stir in 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar until well combined.

    Stir in yeast, allow to stand for 10 minutes – it should get very bubbly.

    A measuring glass of yeast water, before and after it foams up.

    In a large bowl, combine flour, remaining brown sugar, raisins and/or currants, orange zest, spices, and salt.

    Pour in yeast mixture, juice, and vanilla extract, stir well to combine.

    A 5 part image showing the dough ingredients being mixed into a loose dough.

    Dump dough out onto a lightly floured surface, knead until soft and elastic, 5-10 minutes.

    Alternatively, use a stand mixer with a dough hook for about 7 minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic.

    Note: If the dough is really sticky - sticking to the bowl, rather that coming together in a ball - add a small amount of flour. It should be slightly sticky, but still able to ball.

    A 5 part image showing the loose dough being kneaded in a stand mixer to form a smooth ball of dough.

    Once bagel dough is fully kneaded, place in a lightly oil bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size.
    A 2 part image showing the hot cross bagel dough in a bowl, before and after doubling in size.

    Form the Bagels

    Once dough has doubled, dump it out on a clean work surface, and divide it out into 10 equal pieces.

    Use a circular motion to roll each piece of dough into a ball, then press thumb into the middle of each ball.

    Once you have a hole made, stretch the ring of dough out a bit to enlarge the hole.

    A 5 part image showing the bagel dough being divided out and formed into bagels.

    Once you have all of your bagels formed, set them on baking sheets to rise for another 10 minutes.

    As your bagels are resting, preheat oven to 350 F.

    The two pans of bagels, before and after rising.

    Boil and Bake the Bagels

    Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the brown sugar, and stir well to combine. Turn heat down a little, allowing water to simmer rather than boil.

    2 or 3 at a time, drop your bagels into the simmering water, allow to cook for 1 minute, then flip each and allow to cook for another minute.

    Drain well, place on lined baking sheets.

    A 4 part image showing the bagels being boiled, flipped, and scooped up with a slotted spoon.

    Whisk egg yolk together with 1 tablespoon of water, brush bagels all over with this egg wash.

    A 2 part image showing the egg wash being mixed and brushed on the bagels.

    In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the ¼ cup flour with about half of the warm water. Add more water, a little bit at a time, to form a smooth, pipable paste.

    A 5 part image showing the flour paste being mixed in a cup and spooned into a pastry bag.

    Spoon the flour mixture into a piping bag, and pipe an X across each bagel. Trim the ends of each X to clean up the edges, if desired.

    The flour mix being piped on a raw bagel, in an X shape.

    Bake for about 35-37 minutes, until golden brown.

    A 2 part image showing the two pans of hot cross bagels, before and after baking.

    Allow to cool for a few minutes before cutting and serving.

    Once cooled to room temperature, these hot cross bagels can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for a few days, or in the fridge for about a week.

    Best served reheated.

    A cut open hot cross bagel in front of a pile of hot cross bagels.

    More Easter Content!

    Looking for more fun / tasty ways to observe Easter? Here are a few of my favourite recipes:

    4 Layer Easter Creme Egg Brownies
    Chocolate Zombie Easter Bunnies
    Easter No-Bake Chocolate Pie with Mini Eggs.
    Mini Egg Easter Pavlovas
    Easter Pavlova
    Easy Pysanky [Epic Easter Eggs]
    Gluten-Free Paska [Easter Bread]
    Easter Deviled Eggs
    Homemade Marshmallow Peeps
    Keto Paska
    Paska - Ukrainian Easter Bread
    Hot Cross Scones
    Southern Comfort Glazed Ham
    Paska Bagels

    A pile of hot cross bagels on a plate.

    Share the Love!

    Before you chow down, be sure to take some pics of your handiwork! If you Instagram it, be sure to tag me - @CelebrationGenerationCA - or post it to My Facebook Page - so I can cheer you on!

    Also, be sure to subscribe to my free monthly email newsletter, so you never miss out on any of my nonsense. Well, the published nonsense, anyway!

    Finally, if you love this recipe, please consider leaving a star rating and/or a comment below, and maybe even sharing this post on social media!

    A pile of hot cross bagels on a plate.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    5 from 2 votes

    Hot Cross Bagels

    The homemade Hot Cross Bagels are fun to make, flavourful, and an excellent addition to your regular Easter Sunday breakfast or brunch!
    Prep Time30 mins
    Cook Time40 mins
    Rising Time1 hr 20 mins
    Total Time2 hrs 30 mins
    Course: Breakfast, brunch
    Cuisine: British, German, Polish
    Diet: Low Lactose, Vegetarian
    Servings: 10 Bagels
    Calories: 306kcal
    Author: Marie Porter

    Equipment

    2 Baking Sheets
    Parchment Paper
    Large pot

    Ingredients

    Bagel Dough:

    • 1 cup Warm - not hot - Milk
    • ⅓ cup Dark Brown Sugar packed
    • 4 teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
    • 3 ½ cups All Purpose Flour
    • 1 ¼ cups Raisins and/or Dried Currants I used about 50/50
    • Zest of 1 orange
    • 1 teaspoon Salt
    • 1 ½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon Ground Allspice
    • ½ teaspoon Ground Cloves
    • ½ teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
    • ½ cup Orange juice
    • 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

    Assembly:

    • ¼ cup Dark brown sugar
    • 1 Large Egg yolk
    • ¼ cup All Purpose flour
    • ¼ cup Water

    Instructions

    Make the Dough:

    • Measure warm milk into a glass measuring cup or bowl, stir in 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar until well combined.
    • Stir in yeast, allow to stand for 10 minutes – it should get very bubbly.
    • In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, remaining brown sugar, raisins and/or currants, orange zest, spices, and salt.
    • Pour in yeast mixture, juice, and vanilla extract, stir well to combine.
    • Dump dough out onto a floured surface, knead until soft and elastic, 5-10 minutes. Alternatively, use a stand mixer with a dough hook for about 7 minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic.
    • Note: If the dough is really sticky - sticking to the bowl, rather that coming together in a ball - add a small amount of flour. It should be slightly sticky, but still able to ball.
    • Once dough is fully kneaded, place in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise for one hour, or until doubled in size.

    Form the Bagels

    • Once dough has doubled, dump it out on a clean work surface, and divide it out.
    • We divided the mixture into 10 equal sized balls
    • There are two main ways of forming bagels – with roll each lump of dough into a thick “snake” and secure the ends together, or roll each lump into a smooth ball before poking a finger though.
    • Once you have a hole made, stretch the ring of dough out a bit to enlarge the hole. Personally, I prefer the latter.
    • Once you have all of your bagels formed, set them on baking sheets to rise for another 10 minutes. As your bagels are resting, preheat oven to 350 F.

    Boil and Bake the Bagels

    • Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the brown sugar, and stir well to combine. Turn heat down a little, allowing water to simmer rather than boil.
    • 2 or 3 at a time, drop your bagels into the simmering water, allow to cook for 1 minute, then flip each and allow to cook for another minute.
    • Drain well, place on lined baking sheets.
    • Whisk egg yolk together with 1 tablespoon of water, brush over the tops and sides of each bagel, set aside.
    • In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the ¼ cup flour with about half of the water. Add more water, a little bit at a time, to form a smooth, pipable paste.
    • Spoon the flour mixture into a pastry bag, and pipe an X across each bagel. Trim the ends of each X to clean up the edges, if desired.
    • Bake for about 35-37 minutes, until golden brown.

    Notes

    See the post for process photos, how to form the bagels, etc.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Bagel | Calories: 306kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 254mg | Potassium: 296mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 92IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 3mg

    A pile of hot cross bagels on a plate.

    A pile of hot cross bagels on a plate.

    A pile of hot cross bagels on a plate.

    Related posts:

    A plate of paska bagels - lemon orange Easter bagels. Paska Bagels 3 loaves of braided Paska bread on a wooden cutting board. Paska A plate of maple pumpkin spiced bagels. There is a mini pumpkin and 2 dishes of flavoured cream cheese behind the plate. Pumpkin Bagels A plate of sugar crusted homemade gingerbread bagels. Gingerbread Bagels
    « Hot Cross Scones
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    Marie Porter


    Evil Cake Overlord, All -Around Kitchen Badass!

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