Hot cross buns, hot cross buns, one a penny, two a penny, hot cross buns…
Yep, that song has been in our heads for weeks, too, and if there’s one thing Brits love in life (no, not airport pints or proudly declaring “we got here just in time”), it’s the humble hot cross bun. So much so, in fact, that you can buy them all year round in some supermarkets, with a whopping 20 million packs of hot cross buns sold annually.
Of course, some have very strong feelings about this. Traditionalists would only have them stocked in stores for a two week window around Easter. You can thank Queen Elizabeth the 1st for this line of thought – in 1592 she decreed that hot cross buns were so holy that they were only to be eaten on Good Friday, and occasionally at Christmas or burials.
Personally, we’re all for being able to get our hot cross bun fix whenever and wherever the mood takes us, without someone having to have died, whether that’s friend, family member or, you know, Jesus. That said, we can’t argue with the fact that Easter is still the ideal time of year to celebrate hot cross buns in all their glory.
You won’t be surprised that, right now, hot cross buns are springing up in a good proportion of London’s best bakeries. But which bakers (and even a couple of restaurants) are making the best buns in town? Here are our favourite hot cross buns in London…
St John’s, Various Locations
Ideal for a gloriously glazed, ginger-spiked bun…
We had to start here. This is the one hot cross bun to rule them all. St John are known for their traditional take on British food and while we can’t argue with all the inventive, novel takes on the hot cross bun out there, why mess with perfection? Because, for us, the traditional hot cross bun is perfect.
You can’t rush a hot cross bun and the bakers at St John know that. Their buns are long-proven and slow-risen. Made with a generous mix of spices that hit the right notes of warmth and depth, and studded with just the right amount of candied ginger, citrus peel and plump sultanas, the buns are coated in a sticky, sweet apricot glaze that burnishes them up just right.
St John’s buns are a nostalgic, seasonal sensation. For those not strictly in the toasted-with-butter camp, the restaurant recommends slathering a slice with their homemade marmalade. If you are going the butter route, then follow the recommendation of the restaurant and pair your bun with a glass of Viré-Clessé, a minerally burgundy with delicate chalky notes and a chalky character. Do so, and you’re in for an Easter treat like no other.
Website: stjohnrestaurant.com
Locations: Bermondsey, Borough, Covent Garden
Pophams, Various locations
Ideal for a curious but cautious traditionalist…
Artisanal bakery Pophams is known for its innovative pastries, and its hot cross buns are no exception. This is the beloved hot cross bun that we all recognise and crave, but with a little refinement to keep things interesting.
The hot cross buns here fuse together two holidays – Christmas and Easter. Made using leftover mincemeat from their mince pies which has been steeped in a heady amount of King’s Ginger Liqueur, these are gloriously grown-up tasting things.
When you consider the crossover in ingredients between the two beloved treats, this move makes total sense. Warming, strong and spicy, it doesn’t stop there. Let’s talk about the bun’s croissant cross, which is a lesson in baking wizardry, giving the Pophams hot cross bun a touch of textural variety that makes it all the more pleasing to eat. As if you needed any more convincing, the buns are finished with a glossy, gleaming glaze of maple and cardamom.
Eat them in the bakery with a slab of their salted cultured butter or pre-order some to take home. Either way, you’ll be smitten.
Website: pophamsbakery.com
Locations: Islington, London Fields and Victoria Park
Chick ’n’ Sours, Covent Garden
Ideal for a hot cross bun combo you never knew you needed…
From the near-traditional to the so far from traditional it’s hopping mad, the Chick ‘n’ Sours hot cross bun is, quite simply, egg-cellent (you didn’t think we could write a whole article about an Easter staple without an egg joke, did you?).
Billed as the Easter dish you didn’t know you needed, this seasonal special brings together fried chicken tenders, seaweed crack and hot honey, all sandwiched between a hot cross bun that has been doused in chilli butter. It’s a riot of flavour and, as we imagine the marketing team behind Chicks ‘n’ Sours would say, ‘hashtag next level’.
Website: chicknsours.co.uk
Address: 1A Earlham St, London WC2H 9LL
B Bagel, Various locations
Ideal when you want a hot cross bun that bucks tradition…
B Bagel is marrying two of our favourite bakes to create something truly sensational: the hot cross bun bagel. We know that people get a little fussy about the semantics of hot cross buns and might argue that B Bagel’s hot cross bagel doesn’t belong here, but hear us out…
This is a little like a cinnamon and raisin bagel, only better. It’s packed with a blend of heady spices, sultanas and currants, along with plenty of citrus. Like all the best bagels, this one has a crispy laminated exterior and a pleasingly chewy inside – all with the hot cross bun flavour profile to kick it up a notch.
While these bagels are best enjoyed toasted and with a simple, generous slather of butter, they are also glorious when filled with savoury fillings. We like ours topped with smoked salmon and cream cheese. Or, another classic combination that works well; salt beef and pastrami. Follow that main course with another bagel filled with blueberry cream cheese and you’re certainly going to feel full, but also, pretty damn satisfied.
Website: bbagel.co.uk
Locations: Soho, Tottenham Court Road, Chelsea, Camden
Crosstown Doughnuts, Various Locations
Ideal for sharing a box of buns with your nearest and dearest…
Did you know it’s believed that those who share a hot cross bun are supposed to enjoy a strong friendship and bond for the following year? “Half for you and half for me, between us two, good luck shall be”, goes the old Irish line.
Well, imagine how mega your friendship would be if you shared a whole box of Crosstown’s limited edition hot cross bun doughnuts! These guys are made with a vegan spiced dough, which has been filled generously with a deliciously creamy cinnamon custard and topped with tangy Seville orange glaze. Finished with a spiced cross and candied orange peel, they’re the business, and all vegan, too.
Website: crosstown.co.uk
Locations: Various London Locations
Dusty Knuckle, Dalston
Ideal for a vegan hot cross bun…
Speaking of vegan, last year Dusty Knuckle swapped out their milk for buttermilk to give their hot cross buns a wonderfully soft texture. This year they’ve gone a step further, making their HTBs 100% vegan.
The Dusty Knuckle bakery in Dalston is a favourite among locals, and their buns – hot crossed or otherwise – are one of the reasons why. With plenty of outdoor seating, these buns are best enjoyed at the cafe, outside, breathing in that fresh spring air. Aaahhhh…
Website: thedustyknuckle.com
Address: Abbot St, London E8 3DP
The Laundry, Brixton
Ideal for a seasonal Kiwi twist on a classic…
Brixton’s all-day neighbourhood bistro The Laundry has come up with a New Zealand twist on the hot cross buns featuring feijoa, stem ginger and honeycomb butter. Why, you ask? Well, Melanie Brown the chef there is from New Zealand.
For those not familiar with feijoa, it’s New Zealand’s answer to guava, where the fruit is often used in baking. It’s also bang in season right now. At The Laundry, feijoa is incorporated into the light and fluffy bun mix along with a smattering of stem ginger, creating a subtle, nuanced fruitiness that works a charm.
The buns, which are baked in house, come served with an indulgent honeycomb butter (aka hokey pokey butter). Add bacon and you’ve got the ultimate Easter breakfast.
Website: thelaundrybrixton.com
Address: 374 Coldharbour Ln, London SW9 8PL
Din Tai Fung, Various Locations
Ideal for a hot cross bao…
Last year, Din Tai Fung’s chocolate lava hot cross buns were a hit. This year, they’re back for another round. Crafted by the all-conquering restaurant group’s talented dim sum chefs, this is a Taiwanese twist on their classic handrolled, pillowy bao buns. Here, they’re filled with a chocolate lava centre.
The bao buns look like a traditional hot cross bun but are made to Din Tai Fung’s original steamed bao recipe, all fluffy and light exteriors giving way to molten chocolate goodness. Available exclusively from 22nd March to 7th April in all three of DTF’s London locations, get them while they’re hot!
Website: dintaifung-uk.com
Locations: Covent Garden, Centre Point, Selfridges
Gelupo, Soho
Ideal for a hot cross bun gelato sandwich that will give you brain freeze…
Here at IDEAL we’re big fans of the Sicilian sweet treat brioche con gelato, which is the inspiration for this next one. Enter the hot cross bun gelato sandwich.
Gelupo, the gelateria from the guys behind Bocca di Lupo, have teamed up with London bakery royalty Jolene to bring you this absolute delight. Here, a hot cross bun is filled with two scoops of gelato – one flavoured with ricotta and Seville orange marmalade, and the other molasses.
They have another Easter special on the menu which sees a toasted hot cross bun filled with Gelato Creme Eggs, the white made from mascarpone and the yolk a zabaione encased in chocolate gelato. Wow!
Both of these limited-time collaborations are available at the Soho gelateria from March 18th to April 1st. A word of warning; biting into one of these babies will give you brain freeze. It’s well worth it.
Website: gelupo.com
Address: 7 Archer St, London W1D 7AU
Gails, Various Locations
Ideal for a resurrected take on a bun from the past…
We know, it always seems a bit of a cop-out when you read a list of London’s best bakery bites and Gail’s is on it. But we couldn’t not add Gail’s to our list because you can’t argue with the fact that the hot cross buns are darn good here.
The Gail’s version takes recipe inspiration from the Medieval Alban bun from 1381, when Brother Thomas Rocliffe first distributed them to the poor on Good Friday. This resurrected recipe is spiced with grains of paradise – an aromatic spice from West Africa with notes of cardamom, coriander, citrus, ginger, nutmeg, and juniper. This gives the Gail’s bun just enough spice, bringing a little kick without being overpowering
They also add plenty of plump vine fruits into a dough made with a blend of semolina, rye and wholemeal flours. Once the buns are baked, they are brushed with a spiced syrup. Sure, these aren’t as fancy as some of the other buns on our list, but they are darn satisfying. At £15 for 6, you should hope so, too.
Website: gailsbread.co.uk
Locations: Variation London locations
The Good Egg, Stokenewington & Camden
Ideal for a hot cross babka-bun hybrid…
The Good Egg’s babka-bun hybrid is back this year and we couldn’t be more happy. It’s a delicious combination that has all the good bits of a hot cross bun, but in babka form. Think a spiced butter mix over a buttery, brioche-like dough, with sultanas, ginger, and candied peel twisted into it. It’s all topped with a sugar syrup, of course. The guys at the Good Egg suggest eating these warm with butter or turning some slices into French toast. Yes please.
The babkas are available to pre order now online and are available over the counter from the 25th of March until the 5th of April.
Website: thegoodegg.co
Address: Stoke Newington, Camden
Fortitude Bakehouse, Bloomsbury
Ideal for a tangy, sourdough-inspired hot cross bun…
Known for their sell-out beignets and an utter devotion to all things sourdough, Easter at Fortitude means the return of their sourdough hot cross buns.
Indeed, Fortitude brings a new dimension to the hot cross bun with its sourdough variation. The slightly dense hot cross buns here are made using a two day ferment and are only improved by the resulting texture and tang.
Still have your sourdough ferment left over from Easter? Then why not give this recipe a try at home? The bakery behind Fortitude has a recipe book featuring their sourdough-based hot cross buns with candied orange. Lovely stuff, and a great way to finish our roundup of the best hot cross buns in London.
Website: fortitudebakehouse.com
Address: 35 Colonnade, London WC1N 1JD
Poppies Fish & Chips, Various Locations
Ideal for a novel take on the chip butty…
“What do you get if you cross a chip butty with a hot cross bun?”, asked no one ever.
Actually, fish and chip purveyors Poppies have posed that question, and in the same breath answered it, with their hot cross butty.
Yep, they’ve reimagined the classic chip butty to combine two of Britain’s favourite things – triple cooked chunky chips and sultana-spiced hot cross bun. What makes this butty work, against all the odds, is the copious, artery-baiting amount of butter spread across the bun.
The only thing that could elevate this one further is some melted cheddar cheese – because chips and cheese is a classic combination, and hot cross buns and cheese works well, too. A bizarre marriage too far or the nonsensical sandwich of your dreams? You decide.
You’ll only have a matter of days to decide, mind, as this hot cross bun butty is only available over the Easter weekend, from 29th March to 1st April, at all Poppies takeaways.
Website: poppiesfishandchips.co.uk
Locations: Soho, Spitalfields and Camden.
The Bottom Line
Here’s another fact for you; Londoners are the biggest hot cross bun lovers out there, consuming an average of 17 annually compared to the average Brit, who eats 12. And with such an abundance of choice, we can see why. How many will you be eating this Easter?
