Most people know the nursery rhyme "Hot Cross Buns," but lesser known is just how far back in history these treats go. Since ancient times, hot cross buns have been a way to celebrate faith, spring, and new life.
Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans offered small round breads with cross symbols to their gods and goddesses. Depending on the celebration, the cross symbolized the four seasons, the four quarters of the moon, or the horns of the sacrificial ox. In Greece, these ceremonial breads were called boun, which is where the word "bun" comes from. Pagan Anglo-Saxons baked crossed cakes to honor their goddess Eostre, who was celebrated with a springtime festival. Some elements of this festival were later adopted by Christians as Easter.
In 1361, Christian monk Brother Thomas Rocliffe of St. Albans, England, developed a recipe for what he called "Alban buns" and distributed these crossed buns to the poor on Good Friday. Now the buns took on a Christian significance and the crosses on the buns took on a different meaning--that of Christ and the crucifixion. These buns became so popular that others developed their own recipes. The spices used--usually cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and allspice--symbolized those used to embalm Jesus at his burial. The recipes also used sugar and sometimes butter, ingredients that were traditionally forbidden during Lent (the fasting period leading up to Easter), so the buns also marked the joyful end of Lent and coming of Easter. The cross was cut into the top of the buns with a knife or added to the buns using shortcrust pastry, flour paste, or icing.
During England's Elizabethan era, some baked goods were seen as being too closely associated with Catholicism for a country that was making the transition to Protestantism, and hot cross buns were among these. In 1591, Queen Elizabeth I placed tight controls on "spice cakes, buns, biscuits, or other spice breads," allowing commercial bakers to make them only on Good Friday and Christmas or for burials. If someone got caught breaking this law, they would have to give the forbidden goods to the poor as punishment. King James I of England (1603-1625) also placed limitations on making certain baked goods outside of designated holy days.
The London street cry "Good Friday comes this month, the old woman runs. With one or two a penny hot cross buns," appeared in Poor Robin's Almanac in 1733, referencing the baked goods being sold in street markets on Good Friday. The line "One a penny, two a penny, hot cross-buns" also appears in the English nursery rhyme "Hot Cross Buns," which was published in the London Chronicle in 1767 and is still known today.
Hot cross buns were considered magical among the people of England. It was believed that hot cross buns made on Good Friday had healing powers and would never get moldy. These buns were hung from kitchen ceilings to protect households from illness and evil. The buns would be replaced every year on Good Friday.
The monks at St. Alban's Cathedral still bake "Alban buns" each year, staying faithful to the 14th century recipe. Today, many English bakeries only make hot cross buns during Easter week. It is still widely believed that you shouldn't eat them before Good Friday (the Friday before Easter). Different variations on hot cross buns can now be found in British supermarkets in flavors like toffee and apple-cinnamon. Australia has its own variations on hot cross buns, including flavors like chocolate chip and even Vegemite and cheese. While hot cross buns are not as common in the U.S., they can still be found in some American bakeries and supermarkets. In Jamaica and some Caribbean islands, spiced Easter buns are often eaten with cheese and ginger beer. And mazanec, an Easter sweet bread with a cross on top, is eaten in Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
Here is a recipe to try if you want to continue the long tradition of hot cross buns and make your own at home.
Hot Cross Buns
*Based on a recipe by Ree Drummond of The Pioneer Woman
*Makes 20 buns
Ingredients
2 c. whole milk plus a little extra to brush on top of the buns and make the icing
½ c. canola oil
½ c. + ¼ c. sugar
1 package active dry yeast (2 ¼ tsp.)
4 ½ c. all-purpose flour
½ tsp. (heaping) baking powder
½ tsp. (scant) baking soda
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
optional spices: cardamom, nutmeg, allspice- ¼ tsp. each
½ c. raisins
Cooking spray
2 egg whites
powdered sugar
Directions:
1. Combine the 2 c. milk, oil, and ½ c. sugar in a saucepan. Stir and heat until very warm but not boiling. Turn off the heat and allow to cool until mixture is still warm but not hot, about 30 minutes.
2. Transfer the milk mixture to a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the mixture. Add 4 c. of flour and stir to combine. The mixture will be sticky. Cover with a towel and set aside for 1 hour.
3. Add the remaining ½ c. flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Fold together to
combine. At this point, you can cover tightly with saran wrap and store the dough in the fridge overnight or continue making the buns.
4. In a small bowl, combine ¼ c. sugar with the cinnamon and other spices, if using.
5. On a lightly floured surface, stretch and press the dough to slightly flatten. Sprinkle with a couple tbsp. of the sugar/cinnamon mixture. Sprinkle on about a third of the raisins. Then fold the dough over on itself and flatten so the dough is “plain” again. Repeat the sugar/raisin process, then fold and flatten the dough again. Repeat a third time until all the raisins are used. (You won’t use all the sugar/cinnamon mixture.) Fold the dough one last time.
6. With floured hands, pinch off golf ball-sized bunches of dough. With floured hands, quickly roll the dough into a ball, then turn the edges under themselves slightly. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Cover with saran wrap and allow to rise in a warm place for at least 30 minutes (an hour or more is better).
7. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Mix 1 egg white with a splash of milk. Brush onto each roll. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until tops of buns have turned golden brown. Remove from the pan and allow them to cool completely before icing.
8. For the icing: Mix 1 egg white with enough powdered sugar for the icing to be very thick. Add a splash of milk, as needed, for consistency. When the rolls are completely cooled, add the icing to a sandwich bag and snip the corner. Make a cross on each roll with the icing.
Sources:
Dr. Eleanor Barnett, "Holy or Heretical? A History of Hot Cross Buns," English Heritage.
Rachel Gordon, "Cooking Up History: One a Penny, Two a Penny, Hot Cross Buns," Minerva's Kaleidoscope blog, Library of Congress (April 8, 2022).
Chris Giradot, "The Interesting Story of the Hot Cross Bun," RavenHook Bake House (April 10, 2020).
"A Brief History of Hot Cross Buns," Bellbird Baked Goods (February 27, 2024).
Clare Gogerty, The Witch's Yearbook. David and Charles, 2023.
"The Alban Bun," St. Alban's Cathedral.
"Hot Cross Bun," Wikipedia.
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