A recipe for hot cross buns

What are they and where are they from?

Hot cross buns are small festive breads eaten on Good Friday in Britain; a few bakers (see below) still use old-fashioned production methods.

What is their heritage?

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Made from white flour with spices, sugar, dried fruit and dairy produce, these were special treats when most people lived on coarse wholemeal breads.

No-one knows when the tradition began, but in 16th-century England, bakers were limited by law to occasions when these special doughs could be made. Good Friday was one; “cross buns” marked this holy day towards the end of the Lent fast. (Convincing evidence has yet to be produced for speculations about pagan origins and sun symbols.)

The rhyme “one a penny, two a penny, hot cross buns” recalls the habit of selling them warm from baking. In the 18th century, huge quantities were produced by the Chelsea Bun House, causing large crowds to gather. Until recently, hot cross buns were only sold on Good Friday. Like much British baking, they have become a travesty through the use of the Chorleywood industrial baking process.

What do they look and taste like?

A good hot cross bun should be round, 7 – 10cm in diameter, well-risen (not squarish and squashed) and highly glazed, with a cross on top (this is usually made with flour and water paste, although strips of marzipan or cutting a cross are alternatives). The crumb should be fairly pale, not too soft or sticky, and have a light flavour of sweet spices and/or candied peel and dried fruit.

How are they used?

Eat warm or split, toasted with butter for breakfast, tea or a snack; make bread-and butter pudding with leftovers.

Where can I buy them?

Finding hot cross buns made to "Slow Food" principles can be quite difficult. The following bakers work in the tradition of British craft baking, with long fermented doughs and carefully sourced ingredients:

Town Mill Bakery, Lyme Regis (using flour from Shipton Mill or Cann Mill and local organically produced ingredients) www.townmillbakery.com

Daylesford Farm (using their own organically produced flour); shops at Kingham, Gloucestershire and in London; mail order www.daylesfordorganic.com

Betty’s Bakery (five shops in North Yorkshire; mail order) www.bettysandtaylors.co.uk;

Hobbs House Bakery (many outlets in Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Avon) www.hobbshousebakery.co.uk .

©Laura Mason

Slow Food is an international eco-gastronomic movement which promotes the enjoyment and protection of locally grown produce. For more information on how to join your regional convivium and forthcoming events: www.slowfood.org.uk

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