While even an average hot cross bun is pretty good – a short spell under the grill and a good knob of butter will transform any baked good into a minor miracle – a great hot cross bun is worth celebrating. These are some of our favourite west coast bakers spreading happiness this Easter. Plus, some of our favourites are taking inspiration from further afield, with someEuropean Easter treats on offer alongside the traditional HCBs.
Knead ($4.50 each)
Knead co-owner Robby Thomas is bringing some Canadian flavour to Easter this year. Inspired by lassie bread – a spiced fruit and molasses loaf – that his grandmother Helen baked for him as a kid growing up in Newfoundland, this slow-fermented vegan bun goes big on rum-soaked fruit and spice. It’s sweetened with molasses and then hand-scored with a cross (rather than piped), and then brushed with golden syrup straight from the oven. They’ll be available every day up until and including Easter Sunday, but it’s best to get in early as they’ve been selling out daily.
Mary Street Bakery ($2.70 each, six for $14)
The local flour power success story is bringing back its popular hot cross buns across all of its stores. Take your pick from a traditional fruit-filled bun or go for Mary Street’s choc-orange Jaffa-inspired variant.
Big Loaf Factory Bakery (six for $16.50)
Available at North Street Store, Little Loaf Bakery, People’s Cafeteria and a growing number of Perth cafes and outlets, Big Loaf’s buns remain faithful to owner Lachlan Bisset and Craig Stewart’s hot cross bun ideal: cakey, plush and heavy with Earl Grey-soaked fruit and spice. A vanilla bean glaze straight out the oven makes for a strong finishing move. Big Loaf also announced a delicious simnel cake, a boiled fruit cake with cherries, currants and marzipan that’s traditionally served in the UK around Easter.
Miller & Baker (six for $16.50)
Miller & Baker has been a hit since opening in late 2019 – not surprising considering it’s one of the few bakeries in Australia to mill its own flour. This year’s buns have been boosted with house-made candied orange peel and are offered in a fruit-filled and chocolate chip and orange flavoured buns -versions. Also available is a kringle cake, a traditional Danish Easter treat with all your standard HCB ingredients, encased in a rich pastry wrapped up in a flat spiral and topped with Manjimup walnuts. It’ll set you back $22 and serve six. Order either for Easter week or for a Good Friday pick-up.
Grain Bakery (six for $15)
This Easter, Grain Bakery baker Brendan Stone and his team have developed a new vegan hot cross bun that’s lighter and fluffier than last year’s iteration. (The secret, says Stone, is orange juice in the dough.) Choose from either a traditional fruit-filled version or a bun crammed with chocolate chips.
This article was originally published on March 24, 2021. It was updated on April 6, 2022 and again on March 31, 2023 to reflect changed menu items and pricing.