Top 8 hot cross buns tested
With their cross on top a reminder of the crucifiction, it seems that no-one wanted to admit how delicious they were and the tradition endured.
A delicious bun, yeasty and light, they are made by bringing milk to the boil, adding butter and, when cooled to tepid, flour, salt, sugar and yeast along with an egg and cinnamon.
A word of warning: the yeast will be killed if the milk is too hot.
Like other yeast mixtures, the dough is left to prove for over an hour before adding dried fruit.
Ahead of shaping into buns and going into the oven, a paste of flour and water is piped on top in a cross shape. When baked, the top is glazed with melted apricot jam.
They are not difficult to make, but do take some time, though when you are at home doing other chores, the different stages take little time.
The best we tasted came from bakeries where they are sold fresh without compromising taste and texture.
Shelf life has some merits for those doing a weekly shop but the price we pay is additives and flour types which affect taste and texture.
Try buying fresh ones and freezing them. Use leftovers for bread and butter pudding.
Prices and bakes vary from store to store depending on the size. Some, but not all, are baked in house from scratch.
These buns from the Merchant’s Quay Cork store had good, light texture, but the cross on top was very chewy and did not mix well in the mouth with the softer crumb. There were no discernible spices.
5
This six-pack is packaged in house, having been defrosted the night before. They are not finished in-house as many baked goods in this store are.
The result is a light texture, tasting appropriately yeasty with floral and orange oil hints perhaps from the orange peel. Very good value.
7
Four hot cross buns in a packet have dried fruit and mixed peel. The usual additives for long shelf life include titanium oxide (E171) as a colourant.
The most delicious raisins of samples, listed as Chilean flame, the apricots provide a slightly floral taste and there are some spices. A nice, loose crumb too.
6.75
Nine mini hot cross buns have a good number of dried fruits, including lemon and orange peel.
The crumb is nicely loose, but a little claggy in the mouth when chewed. A spicy bun, there is plenty of good fruit.
6.75
Six hot cross buns feel heavy to the touch and are heavy inside. The crumb is dense and a low amount of sultanas and more mixed peel does not relieve the texture. They have a few additives too.
4
Sizeable and substantial, these have plenty of plump fruit and gentle spicing. Proper yeasty texture and taste. Good value. Worth freezing for school lunches after Easter.
7.75
These sizeable hot cross buns were the best of the selection. Light and fluffy, there is good, plump fruit and tasty crumb. With a gentle hint of cinnamon, they are every bit as good as homemade.
: 9
Six in a pack, these were low in fruit with a dry texture, despite the additives.They looked fine, but disappointed, even at the price.
5
