Hot Cross Buns
history and recipe round up
Hot cross buns are yeasted buns filled with fruit and spices and marked with a cross on top that are served during Easter. The Christian tradition of hot cross buns dates back to the 14th century. An Anglican monk at St Albans Cathedral in England baked the buns and named them Alban Buns. He distributed them to the poor on Good Friday. Centuries later, in 1582, there was a ban on the sale of hot cross buns that dictated they could only be sold on Good Friday and Christmas and some records say they were allowed at funerals too. The reason for this ban may have been that hot cross buns got wrapped up in folklore and myth with people believing that they contained healing medicinal properties (possibly because of the spices inside). There were even claims that buns made on Good Friday would last a whole year without going mouldy.
The hot cross buns nursery rhyme that you learned to play on the recorder in elementary school made it first appearance in a book called the Christmas Box in 1789. Prior to that, in 1733, there was call for buns recorded in Poor Robin’s Almanac that goes “Good Friday comes this month, the old woman runs. With one or two a penny hot cross buns.”
The cross on the top of the buns is a reminder of Jesus’ crucifixion and the spices in the dough are said to be representative of spices used to embalm His body for burial. The buns are meant to be served hot, hence the name hot cross buns. It is said that the cross on top of the buns was originally made of short crust pasty, though most traditional recipes have the cross made out of a flour and water paste. After baking there is sometimes a sugar or jam syrup glaze poured overtop the buns. Other recipes may omit the syrup and use icing to make the cross on top - or use both! The fruit fillings inside of the buns vary depending on the recipe. My personal favourite is to use only raisins and not any other fruits and make the cross out of icing.
I have fond memories of my grandma bringing over hot cross buns during Easter, including always wishing that she make the cross on top out of more icing. Now I enjoy including the tradition of making these buns on Good Friday in my home.
Here are a couple recipes you might consider if you’re making hot cross buns this weekend. (The sourdough recipes will take longer and if you choose one of those be sure to give the buns extra time to rise so that they are not dense and you are not sad.)
king arthur flour - use the tangzhong technique if you want them to last more than one day
and here is my grandma’s recipe that uses potatoes
Have a lovely Easter!
Mary-Margaret