Hot cross buns.  Hot cross buns. One a penny, two a penny. Hot cross buns… Yes, we cannot forget this nursery rhyme when we talk about the Good Friday buns. While Hot Cross Buns may not be available for pennies anymore, they continue to be an Easter staple enjoyed hot from the oven or straight from the pack, slathered in butter. 

Marking the end of Lent for the Christian community, freshly baked hot cross buns are on shelves at city bakeries. "It's tradition. We buy hot cross buns on Maundy Thursday, keep it in the altar during our morning prayers, and eat it with butter for breakfast before heading to church on Good Friday. During the pandemic, we used to get them specially ordered. This year, we got them from our neighbourhood bakery," John, a resident of 1 town said.

The Fresh Choice – Patisserie, Bakery & Café outlets, a prominent hangout for the denizens of Vizag, offers these fluffy and sweet hot cross buns from 8 am on Maundy Thursdays throughout Good Friday - using the same recipe they started from the beginning. 

Speaking to Hello Vizag, GY Naidu, Area Store Manager of Fresh Choice Flag Ship outlet near VIP Road, said since inception in 1994, we have been dishing out Hot Cross buns in all our outlets in Vizag.  Today, we make 1500 buns a day, four or five days before Good Friday. They remain available till Easter Sunday, after which it is only available on order. We supply to quite a few churches in bulk." 

“At Fresh choice, Easter is our second-most popular event after Christmas and we sell thousands of Hot Cross Buns each year, along with Easter Eggs and other festive treats. We make multiple batches of these throughout the week leading to Easter, especially on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday,” added Mr. Naidu. 

Expecting to sell 10,000 hot cross buns this weekend, about 20% more than their sales last year — Fresh Choice is is easily the largest provider of these traditional favourites in the city of Vizag. Baked in multiple batches through the day, Naidu shares that over the decades his staff has perfected the process of baking, cooling and packing, in massive quantities. All in a day’s work. With raisins and a spice mix of cinnamon and nutmeg, the recipe, unlike the ever-evolving Easter Egg is never altered, and despite remaining the same, the demand seems to grow year after year.

Interestingly, Hot Cross Buns pre-date Christianity. “It is believed that these buns were made to celebrate Eostre, the goddess of fertility, by the pagans. The four quarters of the cross on top of the buns were said to represent the phases of the moon while the bun itself symbolises rebirth after winter,” says Ramakant, food blogger in the city of destiny.

Today, Christians break their fast with this bun on the evening of Good Friday. It is seen as a triumphant end to Lent’s self-denial. “Each ingredient of the bun has a distinctive meaning relating to the crucifixion of Christ,” says Julia Fernandes, in her 70s, settled in Vizag after retirement from CMC Vellore.

Traditionally, the bun is baked with yeast, raisins and spices. It should have fruits aplenty and baked in a round shape. It is piped with a cross (made of flour and water paste), or slits are made on the dough to make a cross, said Chef K Ramu of Fresh Choice, who has 24 years of experience working in this bakery domain.

The secret to a good Hot Cross Bun is the perfect balance of spice and sweetness. “Hot Cross Buns should not be overly sweet or too spicy, but must have a pleasant spicy aroma and subdued sweetness and richness attributed to the use of milk and butter in the dough,” says the chef. 

Of course, the biggest challenge for these kitchens is to whip out such large batches of buns within a high pressure four days — usually starting on Maundy Thursday and finishing on Easter Sunday.

Others prefer to make their hot cross buns at home, incorporating minor tweaks to the recipe. For instance, Panduragapuram resident Ishita Immanuel said, "My parents are diabetic, so since the beginning of the pandemic, I have been trying my hand at making these buns at home without sugar, icing or tutti-fruities. Without the sweetness, it is almost like a regular bun, with a hint of cinnamon for flavour, but more leavened than the bakery-bought variety. These buns are more of a symbolic representation to mark the end of Lent and the coming of the Resurrection (Easter)."

“The taste, softness, and the generous fruits in each bite makes the Fresh Choice’s Hot Cross Buns a favourite,” says Alisa. Placing an order is recommended. The Good Friday buns sell like ‘hot cakes’. The bakery bakes them a few days before Good Friday.