Here's where to find the best Hot Crossed Buns in New Zealand

Hot cross buns are a staple treat at Easter and they’re already on supermarket shelves - but where can you find the best hot cross buns in New Zealand? 

If you’re not still making your way through your Valentine’s Day chocolate haul, chances are you’re eagerly awaiting the arrival of all your favourite Easter treats in supermarkets. 

And whether you’re a stickler for the traditional raisin-and-spice version or you like to mix it up with weird and wonderful flavours, there’s no doubt the hot cross bun is a firm favourite at Easter. 

Now, the hotly contested annual New Zealand Hot Cross Bun Awards has crowned Auckland’s Daily Bread the bakery with the best buns. 

It’s the third year in a row the Britomart bakery has taken out the title, using the same classic recipe in the Baking New Zealand competition - and it’s the first time any Kiwi bakery has won three times consecutively. 

Who took out the title at this year's New Zealand Hot Cross Bun Awards?

Daily Bread’s head baker Patrick Welzenbach says he’s “absolutely over the moon” about the record-breaking win. 

“It’s such a proud moment for me and the team,” he tells the Herald. 

Chief judge Ron Omalvena noted Daily Bread’s hot cross buns were “extremely well-constructed”. 

“The fruit dispersion was absolutely perfect, and the crosses on the top looked like they’d been done by a machine, they were so precise,” he said. 

“It was a great high bun with extremely soft eating qualities.” 

So, what’s the secret to creating a winning hot cross bun? Welzenbach says it’s all down to keeping things traditional, with a long fermentation process and attention to detail. 

“For the perfect hot cross bun, it’s all about finding that delicate balance,” he explains. “The fruit ratio should be just right, with an even cross and a lovely bloom. Spice mix is key, as is soaking the fruit in rum for that extra flavour. 

Daily Bread's hot cross buns.

“But it’s crucial not to overpower any element. The bun itself should be light, baked to a golden perfection - not too dark, not too doughy. The cross should be pristine, white, without any cracks, and the glaze should give it a beautiful shine without being sticky.” 

At Daily Bread, bakers make two lots of dough - a sourdough that’s left to ferment for more than 16 hours, and a second dough that’s left to rest for just a few hours before both mixtures are combined. 

Welzenbach adds that they make the candied orange peel in-house, as well as soaking the dried fruit in Bay of Islands pineapple rum. 

“Our spice mix is our own, and things like that give it a special flavour that you can’t buy,” he says. 

While Daily Bread’s bun incorporates traditional elements, Welzenbach is open to experimenting with different flavours. The bakery has teamed up with Farro to create a spiced apple hot cross bun, which he says has been “a hit” so far. 

Daily Bread's buns have been crowned the best for three years in a row.

“We’ve got some other exciting flavours in the pipeline for next season,” he hints. 

“Personally, I’m a bit retro and tend to lean toward the classic flavours, but I do enjoy mixing it up every now and then.” 

For Welzenbach, who is of German ancestry, baking is in the blood - but he’d never actually tried hot cross buns until he came to New Zealand in 2015. 

“We don’t have them in Germany. I came across them with a baker in Wellington, and from there, I started to get a feel for what a good one should be like,” he says. 

“We tried it and gradually improved our recipe over a few years, and now here we are, winning this award three times in a row. 

“It was always the goal, and we couldn’t do it without all of our amazing team. I’m super-happy.” 

Second place at the Hot Cross Bun Awards went to Knead on Benson in Auckland, with Wellington’s Nada Cakes taking out third place. 

This article was first published by the NZ Herald and is republished here with permission.