Hot Cross Buns! Because....why?
March 21, 2015 8:54 AM Subscribe
Does anyone have a firm handle on the traditions and customs of hot cross buns?
My wife and I like hot cross buns. They appear in stores at or before the beginning of Lent, and are available until sometime after Easter. I'm curious about the origin, traditions, and meanings (if a bun can have a meaning) that attach. Wikipedia is not that helpful.
FWIW, I use this recipe, although I first found it on the "breadworld" (aka Fleichmann's Yeast) site, with the following notes. I find I need 2 3/4 cups of flour for the proper consistency. I would describe my use of lemon as "zest from half a lemon." I've used a couple different products for the candied pineapple. Try to find one with good flavor.
My wife and I like hot cross buns. They appear in stores at or before the beginning of Lent, and are available until sometime after Easter. I'm curious about the origin, traditions, and meanings (if a bun can have a meaning) that attach. Wikipedia is not that helpful.
FWIW, I use this recipe, although I first found it on the "breadworld" (aka Fleichmann's Yeast) site, with the following notes. I find I need 2 3/4 cups of flour for the proper consistency. I would describe my use of lemon as "zest from half a lemon." I've used a couple different products for the candied pineapple. Try to find one with good flavor.
Check out Is Easter Pagan ( answer yes) and scroll down.
posted by adamvasco at 9:37 AM on March 21, 2015
posted by adamvasco at 9:37 AM on March 21, 2015
I recently discovered Lynne Olver, who runs foodtimeline.org and is a hero on topics like this.
posted by rhizome at 9:39 AM on March 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by rhizome at 9:39 AM on March 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
A baker has a blog posting that starts:
Hot Cross buns, a small round bun made from a rich yeast dough with spices and raisins or currants, have become part of the modern day Easter tradition in many Christian countries. But they have their roots in ancient pagan ritual and are believed by some, to pre-date Christianity.
Rest of the story here.
posted by a humble nudibranch at 10:25 PM on March 21, 2015
Hot Cross buns, a small round bun made from a rich yeast dough with spices and raisins or currants, have become part of the modern day Easter tradition in many Christian countries. But they have their roots in ancient pagan ritual and are believed by some, to pre-date Christianity.
Rest of the story here.
posted by a humble nudibranch at 10:25 PM on March 21, 2015
Response by poster: Thanks everyone for the comments and links. I wonder about the use of a cross as decoration in non-Christian contexts. Maybe it's just an easy thing to do, like marking peanut butter cookies with a cross-hatch. Or maybe be it was a custom to distinguish one kind of bun from another.
And who wouldn't want "a bun made from a rich yeast dough with spices and fruit"?
posted by SemiSalt at 11:12 AM on March 22, 2015
And who wouldn't want "a bun made from a rich yeast dough with spices and fruit"?
posted by SemiSalt at 11:12 AM on March 22, 2015
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Even in the 1990s when I was a teen and the supermarkets sold them for weeks before easter, the bakery I worked in opened specially on good Friday and only sold hot cross buns and people would drive in for miles.
Don't know much about symbolism other than representing the crucifixion of course.
posted by kadia_a at 9:30 AM on March 21, 2015