You can find them in the supermarkets all year round, but nothing beats a hot cross bun found, still warm, on a bakery shelf.
But where can you find the very best of them? The balance between sweet, spicy, springy and moist is harder to perfect than you might imagine, and quality varies wildly. Supermarkets, in particular, are fond of messing around with the classic recipe (though some have more success than others).
Here’s our pick of where to find the finest hot cross buns in the capital’s bakeries, from the classic recipes that need nothing more than a slab of butter to finish them off, to a handful of more out-there options that spice things up while staying true to the oh-so-satisfying spirit of the HCB.
Toklas
Not all buns are born equal and at cult hit Toklas, the buns are distinct, made with tea-infused dough, into which the team add cardamon, cloves, cinnamon and Ruby grapefruit. The buns are left to prove overnight, and the twist is the addition of Valentine pomelo peel, which adds a bright, zesty hit.
9 Surrey Street, WC2R 2ND, toklaslondon.com
Pophams
These are hot cross buns but not quite as most know it — baker Philip King makes them utilising the unused mincemeat from the bakery’s mince pie run. The dough is stuffed with raisins, currants, sultanas, candied peel, apple, mixed spice, King's Ginger and cinnamon, and they’re made beautiful after cooking thanks to a citrus, maple and cardamom glaze. TikTok awaits.
E8, N1, E9, pophamsbakery.com
Dusty Knuckle
Whereas in previous years, Dusty Knuckle swapped milk for buttermilk to make their buns extra fresh, this year they’ve dropped that too, and now offer fully vegan buns. They prickle with heat and spice, and are available until mid-April.
E8, N4, thedustyknuckle.com
Baudry Green
Is it a cocktail bar? A cafe? Both? Whatever it is, Baudry Green, from the Ten Cases team, seems to offer rather a lot. This year, from the takeaway stall, this will include hot cross buns from head chef Kate O’Sullivan. The buns are slow-proven overnight, and finished with a spiced glaze.
20 Endell Street, WC2, baudrygreene.co.uk
Ottolenghi
You can always count on Ottolenghi to serve up baked goods with a difference — and so it goes with their hot cross buns. The recipe includes the addition of black pepper, and bakers macerate the fruit in rum and rooibos tea before the buns are made using the Japanese tangzhong technique of combining flour and water, which is said to let the dough hold more moisture. Suffice to say, they end up supremely plump, and full of flavour. The buns are available at each of the group’s London sites.
Across London, ottolenghi.co.uk
St John
These buns come from a London institution, and they taste like it — the long-proved, slow-risen technique used to make the buns results in a deep flavour to the dough, elevated by a delicious combo of dried fruit, candied peel and crystallised ginger. Don’t forget the obligatory dollop of fresh butter, either — founders Trevor Gulliver and Fergus Henderson recommend, er, half a pound.
EC1, E1, W1, stjohnrestaurant.com
Jolene
Newington Green bakery and restaurant Jolene have long been keen on ethical ways of making delicious things, with a focus on supporting regenerative food systems. The ethos carries over into its hot cross buns, which are made using naturally farmed flour — the claim is that it gives them a more complex flavour than their mass-produced counterparts, and they’re better for the environment, too. Want things slightly madder? Jolene has partnered with Gelupo (7 Archer Street, W1D 7AU, gelupo.com) for hot cross ice cream sandwiches — a hit last year (pictured at the top of this page) — and now, creme-egg stuffed hot cross buns too.
N16, N1, E2, bigjobakery.com
Bread Ahead
While recently it’s been the crème brûlée doughnut that have seen queues out the door at the Bread Ahead sites, the glazed hot cross buns have long flown off the shelves. These are simply classic buns, nicely spiced, well executed.
Across London, breadahead.com
Fortitude Bakehouse
Best known for the sell-out beignets, this Bloomsbury bakery still offers a mean line of hot cross buns. Fortitude is a die-hard sourdough sort of place, so expect the buns to have that taste. They’re made using a long ferment — about two days — are heavily candied and spiced, and generously glazed.
35 Colonnade, WC1N 1JA, fortitudebakehouse.com
Gail’s
Granted, there’s a Gail’s just about everywhere now, but the quality seems to remain. Given the group’s proliferance, it’s a good place to bear in mind when the HCB cravings come calling, and you’re in need of a quick fix. The sweet, spicy and alluringly glazed buns are baked freshly a number of times throughout the day, so you can be sure to avoid any stale disappointments.
