These buns were traditionally eaten on Good Friday – the Friday preceding Resurrection Sunday/Easter on the Christian calendar – but in some countries, due to their popularity, they are available throughout the year. These buns are usually sweet, enriched, gently spiced and flecked with raisins, currants or candied fruits/citrus peel. The warm spices used within the buns are said to represent the embalming spices intended to be used on Christ after His death. Nowadays though, there is a vast array of flavours and additions, including chocolate dough or even savoury cheese ones.
Due to the religious connection, the buns are usually topped with a flour paste or icing ‘cross’, though it’s worth noting that topping with flour paste crosses makes it possible to reheat or toast the buns for that fresh-from-the-oven experience. They are often glazed and are popular in Christian communities worldwide, particularly across Europe, India, North America & Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Origins of hot cross buns
Hot Cross Buns are said to have originated in the 12th century when an Anglican monk baked the buns and marked them with a cross in honor of Good Friday. The delicious sweet buns grew in popularity. Legends and passionately held beliefs abounded with their rise in popularity.
At the end of the 16th century, Queen Elizabeth I passed a law that the sale of sweet buns be limited to funerals, Christmas and Good Friday. This may have been in response to superstitious beliefs about the buns held by many, but so popular and beloved were the hot cross buns, that people defied the unenforceable law by baking them at home.
Superstitions
One traditional belief was that a hot cross bun made on Good Friday would not turn moldy for an entire year; perhaps this was never proven because these tasty buns never lasted more than a couple of days! Others believed the buns had holy properties and could therefore repel evil spirits if hung by the roof rafters. Likewise, if a small piece of a bun set aside from those baked on Good Friday was given to a person beleaguered with any malady or disease to eat, it was believed it would drive out said disease or infirmity.
Many more superstitions abounded; they were believed to protect sailors from a shipwreck. On a more romantic note, sharing a bun baked on Good Friday with a loved one cemented your friendship for the coming year.
Although most often connected to Christianity and Easter, apparently similar buns were also baked in celebration of the German goddess of fertility and Springtime, Eostre (or Ostara). Offerings of bread, dumplings, and buns were used to honor and celebrate her during April with feasts and celebrations similar to today’s Easter celebrations. These celebrations focused on fertility, new beginnings and rebirth… all the things associated with springtime. The four quadrants of the cross across the top of each bun were said to represent the phases of the moon, while the cross itself was a symbol of rebirth after winter.
It is said that the name for the Christian holy day ‘Easter’ is derived from the spring goddess ‘Eostre’ and the pagan celebration Ostara and was established around the time of Jesus’ crucifixion. The word “Eostre” became “Easter,” and the mark dividing her bread into four equal parts became the symbol of the cross.
Ingredients and baking tips
These buns traditionally used white flour: either bread flour or all-purpose or plain flour. This is so that the colors of red currants or candied fruits or candied citrus peel aren’t muted or muddied. If you’d like to substitute whole grain, White whole wheat or Spelt could be subbed-in, at least in part.
This is a beautifully enriched bread so egg, milk and sweetener are added. Vegans can use appropriate substitutions, such as a chia or flax “egg,” and nut-based or soy milk rather than cow milk.
Because of the enrichments and heavy lifting required with the inclusion of dried or candied fruits, you will need to ensure your sourdough starter is well-fed to increase the yeast spores. To avoid a tangy taste, try using a stiff (less hydration) starter. One advantage of a stiff starter is that it slows the ability to rise, ensuring you do not miss the peak when feeding at bedtime for use the next morning.
You can form each bun individually, rounding them up on a clean counter surface, or press a dividing form into the mass of dough in your pan for an instant, even delineation.
Extra soft dough by using the Tangzhong method
With origins in Japan’s yukone (or yudane), tangzhong is a bread technique which involves cooking a portion of the flour and liquid in the recipe into a gelatinous roux which is cooled and then used in the recipe. The advantage of this method is that it greatly increases the moisture in the bread, yet it is properly absorbed. This softens the bread and keeps it soft significantly longer than if you do not employ this method.
Why not give them a go, there is an opportunity to get creative with the flavours!
