I ate all the hot cross buns in Bristol

5.30am is an unholy hour and one that I only normally see if I have to go to the airport. But it’s also the baking hour, so in the interests of science, hot cross buns and you, dear reader, I’ve myself out of bed and toured Bristol’s bakeries in search of the best hot cross buns. 

Like any intrepid explorer, I need a side kick so I’ve brought Special Agent Wurzel with me. Move over Alan the Daschund, if anyone can sniff out a good bun, this sausage dog can. Unlike our news editor Louis and his unfounded aversion to mince pies, I quite like a hot cross bun. Let’s see if that still holds by the end of the day. 

We start at Hart’s Bakery, a flurry of activity where – seasoned professionals – noone else seems to need the caffeine fix that I’m craving. While we watch with interest the dough making, proving and piping process (see it for yourself in this video) and drool over the mountain of goodies on the counter waiting for lucky tummies, baking requires patience and the buns are still in the oven some time later so we reluctantly turn tail and head to Mark’s Bread. 

A cheerful reception awaits us, as does a delicious and rather wholesome looking hot cross bun. It’s got a good glaze, deep colour and looks to an untrained eye to be wholemeal, but it’s a bit light on the fruit and spices and a little dry and we leave a bit disappointed.

Seeing as we have to go up North Street anyway, we drop into Denny’s where the buns are piping hot out of the oven. Is there anything better than baked goods straight out of the oven? These are unglazed but huge and have a higher fruit content and good doughy texture. Bit light on the spice that is said to represent the herbs used to embalm Jesus, at least on Wikipedia, but still a good bun. I wash it down with a coffee and press on, this time to the Park Bakery on St John’s Lane. That’s breakfast sorted. 

And The Park Bakery’s version. Pale but delicious.

Decked out with a jolly Easter display, the shop is loaded with bun so we pick up a couple. Bigger crosses on these, a fundamental, and a bit paler in colour than counterparts elsewhere, but they’re loaded with fruit and peel. Delicious. 

Baked is up next but the buns are still in the oven and no amount of persuasion will induce the baker to release buns that aren’t properly cooked and glazed. We’ll have to take the Totterdown community’s word for it when they say that they’re utterly delicious. 

We stop into the Stock Exchange down by St Nick’s Market but it turns out they don’t do hot cross buns. By the time I return to my wheels, Wurzel has dived headlong into the bag of goodies and plucked out his front runner. It’s good news for the Park Bakery. 

Pinkmans goes the way of Baked, its hot cross so popular that they’re available for pre-order this weekend. We’re way behind the rush and they’re long sold out by the time we arrive with no plans for a second batch. Undeterred, we move on to Redland Bakery on Chandos Road. Fruity and lightly spiced, they’re a strong contender but on the dry side. Perhaps better for those who like to serve them toasted with lashings of butter. 

I look down at my rapidly bloating belly and am quietly impressed by my capacity for carbs. I could keep going. Sadly the expedition is drawing to a close so in the interests of fairness we throw a mainstream hot cross bun into the mix.

Good glaze, good cross, plenty of fruit, Co-op’s version is difficult to fault, even if it’s M&S that leads the supermarket pack in the national taste test. 

Mission complete and I still like hot cross buns. Win. Wurzel and I are chalking this up as a victory.

Main photo courtesy of www.facebook.com/theparkbakery

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