What has happened to Hot Cross Buns?

[PistachioTiramisu]

I remember when they used to be spicy, fluffy inside and toasted to perfection - you spread with butter and allowed it to melt - the result was a delicious thing! Now all the supermarkets seem to compete with each other for the most outlandish 'flavour' (most of which are horrible), and they are nasty, doughy, stretchy abominations which don't even toast properly! It seems only independent bakeries still make a traditional bun and these are hard to find.

I think the Lidl deluxe ones are good @PistachioTiramisu - they have that heaviness which toasts well. Had some very odd ones this weekend which were too light... they sort of toasted to a crisp with no heft in the middle?!

I only ever buy the bog standard ones. They seem fine to me, but admittedly they’re not quite the same as the ones we would buy fresh from the bakery - on Good Friday only! - many decades ago.

They were a massive treat,

Ha Ha - sorry about the name! When I was thinking of a suitable name, a pack just 'happened' to be on the counter at the time! I've never eaten them though - they were for DH!

What I miss is the "heavy" cross that sort of peeled off and you would eat it separately as a child. Does anyone else remember that?

Oh what I wouldn’t give for a M&S chilli and cheese hot cross bun right now! Why do they produce such delights and then discontinue them? Bring them back!!!

I like the M&S apple and cinnamon ones but agree about the doughiness and some of the other flavours are just rank, we made the mistake of trying the cheese and marmite ones last year. I have made them in the past but they do go stale quickly, my family aren't big fans and I don't want 12 of them (or even 6) but I could freeze then I guess. Always toast them, then eat with salty butter.

Tried the red velvet M & S ones out of interest, not great. Think I’ll be sticking to the traditional ones although liked the look of the apple M & S hot cross buns. Tesco ones aren’t as doughy though.

I like the apple and cinnamon ones from Morrisons.

I’ve never met a hot cross bun I didn’t like.

No I suffer not very silently and make it by hand and bung in the oven just so they know the sacrifice I am making for them!

😂

My favourites were Sainsbury’s wholemeal hot cross buns - naturally they don’t make them any more. Waitrose make one, but it’s not a patch on the old Sainsbury’s buns.

Accidentally bought salted caramel ones... gross. And so sugary they burn within seconds of going near the toaster.

Agree with this, they are delicious

I had a nice one from Gail's just this morning, so they aren't always stale. They have also finally decided (after years of people complaining) that it is actually possible for a shop with a bakery in-house to actually toast a bun. They don't do it for anything else, but you can finally have hot, hot cross buns there. With butter. Although they haven't yet worked out that they need to put the butter on the bun when it's just toasted, rather than giving it to you in a little pot to add on later when it's too late to melt. Still, it's progress. Expensive though.

I tried the M&S lemon curd ones. Impossible to toast due to aforementioned lemon curd. No fruit, just claggy dough. Tried 2, the remainder were uneaten and chucked.
Some things just shouldn't be messed with.

The Costco ones are actually really good, they have mixed peel as well as dried fruit and are a good size. They do come in very large packs though

I saw a coffee shop serving cheese and ham filled hot cross buns the other day.

Why????

You could put them under the grill. I think they toast better that way (regardless of lemon curd!). You really only want the cut surface toasted.

You can't buy them where I live so I make this Paul Hollywood recipe every year. https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/hot_cross_buns_74750
There is more than one version of Paul Hollywood's recipe online, some of which call for 3 proves, but I find 2 proves is enough. I also soak the dried fruit in earl grey tea overnight, and I always buy new yeast to make them with. Sometimes I add extra spices like saffron and nutmeg.
They are always delicious, fluffy and spicey and moreish.

I tried to warm them in the microwave and the lemon curd melted into disappointing puddles.

You put Hot Cross Buns in the microwave???
Just wrong

The day they do a sweet chilli hot cross bun Im leaving the country for good.

Good Food have a decent recipe, I think it’s a Paul Hollywood one but don’t let that put you off. I add a bit more spice, peel and sultanas and they’re grand, it’s quite a forgiving dough.

I see @gastropodhas the same thought. Definitely the two prove version - 3 is excessive and unnecessary.

I think you must be an outlier. The correct term for a teacake is a "toasted teacake" and they are, of course, "hot cross buns". I rest my case.