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National Hot Cross Bun Day

Food · September 11

A day for hot cross buns, the soft, lightly spiced sweet rolls marked with a cross on top and often studded with currants or raisins.

National Hot Cross Bun Day falls on Saturday, September 11, 2027. That is 319 days away.

A hot cross bun is a small, soft yeast roll, sweetened and spiced, with a cross marked across the top. The cross is usually piped on in a simple flour paste or drawn in icing after baking. Inside there are often currants or raisins, and sometimes bits of candied citrus peel.

The spice is gentle rather than loud. Cinnamon and nutmeg are common, with allspice or clove in some recipes, so the kitchen smells warm well before the buns come out. Many bakers brush the tops with a sticky glaze while they are still hot, which gives them a shine and a slightly tacky crust.

The buns are traditionally tied to the Christian season before Easter, especially Good Friday, and bakeries in many places still make them mostly around that time of year. Plenty of people now eat them simply because they like them.

They are best split open and toasted, then buttered while warm. Toasting brings the spice forward and crisps the cut side, and the fruit turns soft and jammy. A day old bun that has gone a little firm is often better toasted than a fresh one.

Making them at home takes patience more than skill. The dough is enriched with milk, butter and sugar, so it rises more slowly than plain bread dough, and an extra half hour on the counter usually does more good than anything else.

Ways to celebrate

• Toast a hot cross bun and eat it warm with butter.
• Look for hot cross buns at a local bakery.
• Try baking a batch at home and piping the crosses yourself.
• Share a few buns with a neighbor or coworker.
• Try a version with orange zest or chocolate chips instead of raisins.

Dates

Categories: Food days