The buns formally known as hot cross.
I love this time of the year because I can indulge in hot cross buns. I love their spiceness combined with the sweetness of raisins on soft buns. Naturally, things have come a long way since I first ate them as a kid toasted, spread with a thick chunk of butter (we always at Lurpak slightly salted in those days) with home made blackberry jam and indoctrinated by Catholic brothers.
Nowadays there are so many variations from chocolate chip to sourdough. I tasted some chocolate chips but really they aren’t hot cross buns as many of us remember them. They are a new-fangled product and too sickly for me.
The sourdough ones tend to be too chewy. Last year I noted that the La Madre ones could sink a food blogger. This year they are still dense enough to do someone an injury but they sell, so obviously some people enjoy them.
Babka won on all counts. It was the best looking, had the best texture and a wonderful level of spiciness.
None would I avoid apart from the last two – Laurent and the cane toad-size ones that you individually picked from Woolworths.
This is a swag of what I and Adriane picked-up over the weekend, and I’d add, further hot cross buns later in the week as I acquire them. Please let me know your favourites.
Otherwise, get your orders in at Babka early, as they sell out.
1. Babka $2.40 each
This fun is an outright winner in every respect. It looks good, has a wonderful soft texture, a good level of spice.
2. Baker D Chirico $2.70 each
One of the smallest buns and dry on the outside. Very moist and good texture on the inside. Quite spicy with orange undertones.
3. Dench Bakery $2.70 each
What let’s this bun down is uneven levels of fruit.Dench have been variable this year but it has a good texture and is very spicy.
4. Baker’s Delight $1.30 each
A little dry but good spice and fruit distribution.
5. Schwob’s $6.99 for six
Good looking and lovely and moist. Good levels of fruit and spice.
6. French Lettuce $2.00 each
Ugly but tasty.More of a cinnamon taste than others. Light texture and not espcially bready.
7. Woolworths traditional $4.98 (reduced to $3.85)
Very light as advertisied but chewy and lacks spice.
8. Coles “baked in-house”
$2.70 packet of six
Moist and good amount of fruit but light on spice.
9. Noisette $2.40 each. $3.00 in some places
A bit dry and light on spice.
10. La Madre $14.00 for six
Good flavour but far too dense. Could be used as a blunt object.
11. Browns $2.60 each
Tastes of fennel or aniseed and is a bit funky. A good weight but not made about it.
12. Phillipa’s $12.99 for six
Very chewy and too sticky and dense. Not terribly spicy. I ended up chewing it like it was cud.
13. Loafer $2.70
Really chewy and tough. Too much bread and not enough fruit and spice.
14. Laurent $2.40
Pale, dry and not terribly spicy. I wonder why they bothered.
15. Woolworths single 0.98 cents
Dry and bland. Giant-sized but pointless.
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
Why are the Woolworths and coles pictures unavailable?
What really stands out is the price differences which are incredible
Try the Natural Tucker ones (Nicholson St in East Bruns). I was impressed.
It’s a long way for buns but they’re pretty nice at hausfrau. On the dense side, good and spicey. You do get a western suburbs isolation mark up with their stuff though I reckon.
I tried some from Breadtop the other week and I was quite impressed. Now, I guess you must gasp in horror but I do like some of their goodies. These were very very light and moist and high levels of spice. I liked that they didn’t scrimp on the cinnamon. They were $6 for 6 but all too easy to eat cos they were so light.
Polishing off a whole packet wouldn’t be too hard at all
(PIGGY!)
Thanks to the ongoing joys of an elimination diet, it’s a gluten-free Easter for me this year and thus I’m a little apprehensive that it just won’t “be the same” *insert childish foot stamp here*.
That’s an impressive taste test there Ed.
Where are the Lifestyle Bakery Sprouted Grain Hot Cross Buns? Those things are better than anything else in the world and they are the healthiest hot cross bun around I think since they are all wholegrain. I look forward to them all year round.
Mark, solved – I’m not sure what happened but Flickr has done it to me on some other posts too.
Eliza, shall do and post.
Jane, I would if I had a car.
Esz, I’ll try breadtop. I also want to try Commercial bakery.
Conor, luckily chocolate doesn’t have gluten!
eatnik, thanks!
Gina, never heard of them but shall seek them out.
Conor,
Fatto a Mano in gertrude st have gluten free hot x buns.
Bought some this morning, yet to try them out…
Lifestyle Bakery also make Gluten Free Hot Cross Buns. David Jones stock most of their range it seems.
Cheers Jono. Unfortunately I’m in Perth, but I do have a lotto ticket for tonight so you never know.
Gina – yes, so I’ve been told!
Also, you can get Simply Wize GF ones in the freezer section at Coles, for anyone else who is interested. Haven’t tried any yet myself though.
Having tried the fatto a mano ones they are pretty good for GF quality, if you like dense sourdoughie style products these are for you. Lots butter is definitely necessary.
Friend swears by Chimmy HxB. I have yet to try, but his comments are that they have just enough fruit, are pillowy and fluffy and have lots of spice.
You must try the hot cross buns at Cavallini in Clifton Hill….they are magic. The texture, spice and glaze get me every time. I’m picking up my fresh buns tomorrow morning (yes, they are open on Good Friday!)
Happy Easter!
Hot X buns from Bossy Boots in Brighton, delish!! I think they may be the best I have ever scoffed, pricey tho $4 ea…..
In my humble opinion the buns made at home are the best (and for Connor, my mum makes GF ones too) but I had some sugardough ones yesterday and they were pretty good – there was an unusual spice mix that I couldn’t identify
And I also meant to say how much I enjoyed your rundown of the buns around Melbourne – I quite like dense ones so am keen to try the la madre though suspect I wont get to this year