H-O-T-(cross buns)-T-O-G-O

the delicious Easter treat James I doesn't want you to know about

Hot cross buns, Good Friday buns, teisen groes, Easter buns, ‘them fings wot have fruit’, Ol’ Crossy - whatever you call them, they’re everywhere this time of year. If you’ve managed to make it this far through Lent without having one, you’ve either not left your house, you have extremely strong willpower, or you just don’t like raisins.

It’s thought that the traditional modern HCB (hot cross bun, for those in the biz*) is based on an Alban Bun, from St Albans Cathedral. The Alban Bun was invented in the 1300s by Brother Thomas Rocliffe, who baked them on Good Friday to give out to the poor. Like their contemporary cousins, they contained currants, as well as spices like grains of paradise and cardamom, but the recipe was a closely-guarded secret. Despite (or because of) this, these buns were imitated up and down the country - the medieval version of Dubai Chocolate.

A bit later, like all good things(ish), hot cross buns were made illegal. During the reign of Elizabeth I, it was illegal to sell spiced buns outside of burials, Good Friday, and Christmas - because anything with a cross on was deemed ‘too Catholic’. James I also banned them during his reign for the same reason, putting Catholics in the same divisive category as Marmite, iPhones, and Margaret Thatcher.

The first use of the term ‘hot cross bun’ doesn’t appear until 1733, although there are written references to ‘crossed buns’ or ‘cross buns’ in earlier texts. Before the 1800s, the crosses weren’t piped on with the same flour and water mixture as they are now - they were scored instead, to ‘let the devil out’. There are also historic references to making the crosses with shortcrust pastry, and one American recipe, from 1896, suggests topping the buns with ‘ornamental frosting’.

Of course, these buns are linked with Easter, with the cross representing the Crucifixion and the spices reflecting the embalming spices used on Jesus in the tomb. But if you’re a bit less church-friendly, there are still plenty of reasons to keep these around - if you want all your home baking to turn out perfectly, superstition says that hanging a hot cross bun in your kitchen year-round will help. They’re also thought to help protect homes from fire (useful) or shipwreck (less useful). Got an upset stomach? Grate one into a glass of warm water and drink it. Or just share them with the people you care about - as the old rhyme says:

half for you and half for me, between us two good luck shall be

Whether you prefer the traditional spice and raisin flavour, or you like something a bit more modern, like Guild Of Dough’s Pistachio and Apricot Hot Cross Buns, this week is the perfect time to get your fix in - before they disappear for another year!

Happy Easter!

*the biz being baking. Nobody calls it this. I’m just trying to get us more street cred.