We Love Hot Cross Buns!
Blog Entry: Wednesday 08 Apr 2009
But we feel that it’s not right to love something so much, without learning more about them!
Here’s your Easter special Hot Cross Bun fact fest, with thanks to the Times Online.
+ Hot cross buns are small festive breads eaten on Good Friday in Britain; a few bakers still use old-fashioned production methods.
+ 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.
+ 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.
+ 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.
+ Eat warm or split, toasted with butter for breakfast, tea or a snack; make bread-and butter pudding with leftovers.
To see the full article which includes a recipe for traditional hot cross buns and other Easter treats visit the Times Online.
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