J.L. Sharpe* and J.A. Beswick, 2020 (*corresponding author)

Hot cross buns are sweet, spiced buns studded with raisins and currants, traditionally eaten on Good Friday to mark the end of lent. The distinctive cross is said to signify the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and the spices inside represent the spices used to embalm the body… Tasty. Here we present our study into the hot cross buns of 2020. So grab a cuppa, sit back, and relax with some very important literature.

Introduction

The origin of hot cross buns is not certain, but many credit their invention to a 14^th century monk in St. Albans who developed a recipe he called an “Alban Bun”, which he adorned with the famous cross in honour of Easter Sunday. The first recorded instance of hot cross buns is of a London street cry, “Good Friday comes this month, the old woman run. With one or two a penny hot cross buns.” which appeared in Poor Robin’s Almanac in 1733.

They were popularised in Elizabethan England when hot cross buns baked on Good Friday were hung from the rafters by homeowners looking to ward off evil spirits and to protect sailors from shipwreck.

Nowadays, supermarkets and bakeries start promoting their hot cross bun selection pretty much as the last mince pie leaves the shelf. Not satisfied with the traditional spiced variety, chocolate and even savoury varieties are set to tempt us in the run up to Easter.

Previous studies, notably by BBC Good Food  and Good Housekeeping, presumably had access to an unlimited pot of money to purchase samples and would have no trouble sourcing all the varieties. However, BBC Good Food does not state which hot cross buns were included – it only presents one winner and one highly commended. There is also a potential conflict of interest as at the start of the article they declare, “This review contains affiliate links and we may receive a commission for purchases made”. As much as I wished I was paid to review hot cross buns, our study is completely unbiased.

Furthermore, BBC Good Food separates so-called “traditional” hot cross buns and “flavoured” ones. I understand the rationale here, but the difference in flavour profile between a bramley apple bun and a white chocolate and raspberry bun is surely greater than the variation between the former and a traditional hot cross bun.

In contrast, Good Housekeeping allowed only the traditional variety into its competition. Their panel of “expert tasters” tested 11 supermarket offerings and gave them a score out of 100. The lowest score was 70, which brings into question the criteria for scoring. If they only tasted these 11, what was their baseline or reference?

Neither study declare their scoring system or criteria in any detail, therefore we believe that our, albeit smaller study, offers novel insights into the best and worst hot cross buns offered this year.

We not only give a thorough review of 17 hot cross bun varieties across all the major supermarkets, but also investigate the relationship between the price and quality of a hot cross bun to answer the fundamental question: does a higher price tag automatically guarantee a better product?

Methods

Each variety of hot cross bun was tested before and after toasting and with Lurpak salted spread. A score out of 10, with 5 set as average (above –  you would buy again; below –  you would not) was given by two tasters (me and my boyfriend James) unless otherwise stated, and an average score awarded.

The buns were scored based on overall eating enjoyment, including flavour, texture and filling density. The taste trials were not done blind, as this would be impossible, but wherever possible we tried to not look at the price until after consumption.

Results and Discussion

Upon evaluation, the best hot cross bun was Tesco’s “Extra Fruity” variety. Morrisons and Sainsburys standard hot cross buns were also highly commended (See table 1 for a full summary). We also plotted average score against price to see if there was a correlation. As this was a small-scale preliminary study, statistical analysis could not be performed but a quick glance tells us that there is no correlation (Figure 1.)

During the course of the study, I became aware of a trend. My gut told me that traditional hot cross buns were hitting the spot more often than their unconvnentional counterparts. Looking at the data,  we observe that  the traditional hot cross buns are indeed more reliably delicious (figure 2). Although we appreciate the large (100%) degree of subjectivity in the result, it is clear that the more outlandish flavours are more variable in their appeal. I would expect that this would vary at a population level, as one’s acceptance of white chocolate in a hot cross bun will differ.

Table 1. A summary of all hot cross buns included in the study and their average score (/10).

Figure 1. A comparison of hot cross buns across supermarkets, indicating no correlation between price or brand and score/10.

Figure 2. A comparison of conventional and non-conventional hot cross buns. On avergae, traditional hot cross buns score more highly, regardless of price.

You can see the full set of reviews here, but here are three takeaway points we have learned from conducting this study:

• Whether you agree with the principle or not, putting chocolate in a hot cross bun makes a colossal mess of your toaster.
• The glaze is important: too little, and your hot cross bun is a bit drab and disappointing, too much and it’s sticky and difficult to eat.
• If you want a reliably delicious treat and don’t have time for a taste lottery, I would opt for a traditional variety.

Some of the hot cross buns that scored well in the aforementioned BBC Good Food and Good Housekeeping studies were not sampled here, but of those that were, we gave different reviews. Both BBC Good Food and Good Housekeeping awarded M&S luxury hot cross buns top spot, whereas, although tasty and full of fruit, we decided they were slightly too doughy. There is a balance between achieving the perfect soft consistency so it’s not just a fruity bread roll, and it being claggy in the mouth. As not all the varieties were listed in the previous studies, their use is limited. Neither study warns you against picking up a pack of ALDI’s white chocolate and raspberry hot cross buns, for example.

We hope that by graphically displaying the results, this study can provide a useful resource for future hot cross bun consumers.