In the run up to Easter I tried hot cross buns made by four of the borough’s independent bakeries. With their mix of flour, yeast, dried fruit and spices, they celebrate tradition, creativity and often social responsibility. But which was the best?
Best Value: Spence Bakery
If you are looking for a traditional spongy hot cross bun that’s great value then Stoke Newington’s Spence Bakery is for you. While most indie bakeries are selling their buns for north of £3, the Spence comes in at just £1.95 without losing any quality.
Bigger than an adult’s palm, it is packed with juicy raisins and crunchy orange zests. The cinnamon gives a gentle warm kick, so even children will love it.
The Spence Bakery in Stoke Newington came out top for good value. (Image: Angel Sun) Joanna Dutkiewicz, the baker, is as humble as her prices. She stressed that the bun is “nothing special”, but the magic lies in tradition and love for her customers. She and the team have been using the same recipe for 20 years, that allows the dough to rest.
“The quality is the priority, but we don’t overprice the product. We care about the customers,” she said.
Spence Bakery, 161 Stoke Newington Church Street, London N16.
Fluffiest: Dusty Knuckle
Bread lovers in London will have heard of Dusty Knuckle – well known for its giant sandwiches, it also does one of the fluffiest hot cross buns in Hackney.
The dough is pillowy and bouncy, contrasting with the surprisingly crispy ‘cross’ on top. The texture is rich even untoasted – and it is vegan.
Emilia Bagge, a baker who joined the team years ago, revealed the secret to the fluffiness: “We use a roux, a baking method traditionally called Tangzhong. We boil water and blend it with flour until the mixture becomes really thick. It makes the bun soft and stay soft for longer.”
She recommends that customers just toast the bun and serve it with butter. Simplicity manifests the beauty of this Easter tradition and this Japanese baking method.
The Dusty Knuckle, Abbot Street, Dalston, London E8.
The spiciness of E5’s hot cross bun will blow your mind. First it excites your taste buds with the peppery note of cardamom, followed by the woody undertone of cinnamon, and then a gingery aftertaste that literally warms you up.
While the juicy dried fruit softens the overall spice level, the flavour is beyond expectation.
Camila Marcias, the baker, says they’ve added more spices this year, with ten in total.
She says their bun stands out because of the originality of the ingredients, explaining: “We mill the floor here (in the bakery) and we make the candied lemon peel ourselves.
“In January, we got different varieties of organic oranges and citrus from Italy and Spain and they give extra different flavours.”
If you’re popping in, don’t miss E5’s sourdough loaf – the same dough is used in the hot cross bun.
E5 Bakehouse, 396 Mentmore Terrace, London E8 3PH
Hot cross buns can be food for thought.
Hearth is a social enterprise bakery promoting a sustainable food system and its vegan hot cross bun, also made of sourdough, is the densest among the four.
It also has the richest flavour because of an extra ingredient that none of the other bakeries use – dates.
Bakery founder Maisie Collins explains why Palestinian dates are added.
She said back in the 20th Century, a lot of propaganda promoted the use of ‘South African raisins’ and ‘Australian currants’ for traditional recipes of hot cross buns and mince pies.
“The idea of colonialism does not fit well with me now, and we need to recognise that it still happens nowadays. Therefore, we use Palestinian dates supplied by Zaytoun, a social enterprise supporting Palestinian farmers. The orange peel is made from surplus orange, which comes from our neighbouring farm.”
Although it is costly to source ingredients locally, it allows her to see where their money goes and the quality of the fresh ingredients makes the bakers’ work easier.
Visit Hearth in Hackney Wick if you want to support ethical and environmentally friendly food businesses.
Hearth, Unit 30, 86B Wallis Road, London E9.
