This hot cross bun is synonymous with Easter and for some communities they’ve been a holiday staple for centuries. Often eaten during the last week of lent, leading up to Good Friday, these raisin-studded treats are popular for good reason.

Given the long history though legends and superstitions have had ample time to develop, some more factual than others…

1. The bun marks the end of Lent with specific elements meaning different things. The cross on top represents the crucifixion of Jesus whist the spices inside signify the spices used to embalm him. Sometimes orange peel is added, reflecting the bitterness of his time on the cross.

2. A 12th Century monk was the first person to mark the bun with a cross, although the first definitive record comes from a 16th & 17th century text. The cross was traditionally made from a simple dough or just a knife imprint but nowadays alternatives such as icing and cream are often used.

3. When hung in kitchens the cross on the bun is supposed to ward off evil spirits, prevent kitchen fires and guarantee perfect breads for the year. Some sailors even took buns to sea to protect from shipwrecks!

4. Legend has it that if you hung a hot cross bun from your rafters on Good Friday it would remain fresh and mould-free throughout the entire year. Later in the year the buns could be broken up, mixed with water, and used as medicine.

5. Sharing a hot cross bun cements friendships and bonds for the year ahead.

6. In 1592 Queen Elizabeth I decided the buns were just too tasty to eat all year around and restricted them to Good Friday, Christmas and burials. To some extent people got around this by baking them at home but if they were caught all their buns went to the poor.

Thankfully no such restrictions are around today so why not have a go at baking them yourselves, with this simple fun recipe:

Hot Cross Buns

Makes 12 buns

Ingredients

625g Strong White Flour

1 Tsp Salt

2 Tsp Mixed Spice

45g Butter

85g Caster Sugar

1 Unwaxed Lemon (Zest Only)

1.5 Tsp Dried Fast Action Yeast

1 Egg (Beaten)

275ml Milk (Tepid Temperature)

125g Dried Mixed Fruit

Topping

2 Tbsp Plain Flour

1 Tbsp Runny Honey (Gently Heated)

Instructions

1. Sieve flour, salt and mixed spice into a large bowl and rub in the butter with your fingers. Make a well and add the sugar, lemon zest, yeast, egg and milk. Mix together to form dough.

2. On a lightly floured surface add in the dried ftuit and knead for around 5 mins, until smooth and elastic. Form into a ball.

3. Allow to prove for around an hour in a warm place, covered with a cloth.

4. Turn out and knock back. Reform into a ball and prove again for 30 mins.

5. Turn out and divide into 12 pieces. Roll into individual balls and flatten the top slightly. Cover again and rest for 5-10 mins.

6. Put the buns on a greased tray, cover loosely with baking paper, and then into a large polythene bag. Tie the end and set aside in warm place for 40 mins.

7. Preheat oven to 220ºC

8. Make the topping by mixing the flour with up to 2 Tbsp’s water until you have a paste. Put into a piping bag and once the buns have risen, remove the bag, pipe on a cross.

9. Bake for 8-12 mins until pale golden brown. Remove from the oven and immediately brush with the honey. Allow to cool on a wire rack.

The Myth & Tradition of Hot Cross Buns

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