Perth’s best hot cross buns
It’s bun season! One of our favourite times of year, we’ve been hard at work indulging in way too many buttery hot cross buns in the lead up to Easter. But which Perth bakery bakes them the best?
Big Loaf Factory Bakery
These guys know a thing or two about hot cross buns! We stopped by Big Loaf to check out the behind-the-scenes of how their classic buns are made before they hit the shelves at their sister bakeries North Street Store, Little Loaf Lunch Bar and Wards Central Dining – plus various Good Grocers around Perth. Every year has seen the bakery refine their approach, with local fruit soaked in Lady Grey from local suppliers Pure Tea, the warm spice of Ceylon cinnamon and a sticky vanilla glaze. The combination of tangzhong (the roux that makes Japanese milk bread and Chinese steamed buns so tender) and tightly packing the buns into their baking trays means a tall, handsome hot cross bun that is oh-so-soft and oh-so-pillowy.
Various locations
Teeter Bakery
There’s nary a day that goes by that we don’t extoll the virtues of Teeter Bakery (quite energetically, we might add) – so it makes sense that baker Natasha Brownfield’s hot cross buns match the quality of the rest of her top-tier offerings. Also a follower of the tangzhong school of tenderness, Teeter’s buns balance tenderness with a satisfying bite – made all the more delicious with a pear syrup glaze and lashings of salty butter.
145a Claisebrook Road, Perth
Miller + Baker
Just around the corner from Teeter, the meticulous Miller + Baker don’t do things by halves. Each year they refine their HCB recipe, and this iteration features not only their house-milled flour (an achievement in itself), but a luxuriously long 20-hour ferment, hand-made candied orange peel bursting with fruity flavour, and a warm spice profile that includes ginger powder, cloves and nutmeg. More of a chocolate fiend? They’ll sort you out on that front, too… After all, life’s too short for bad buns!
236 Lake Street, Perth
Homebase Subiaco, 55 Salvado Road, Subiaco
Chu Bakery
Any Perth pastry-lover will have no doubt about Chu’s GOAT-level status – but their glossy hot cross buns will certainly help remind you of just why they’re so darn popular. These sourdough buns have a pleasing level of chew (no pun intended), with plump spiced fruit and whole orange puree added to the dough for ultimate moistness (sorry). Enjoying one of these while soaking up the sunshine in Hyde Park? With one of their very excellent coffees in hand? We can tell you from experience: pretty darn hard to beat.
498 William Street, Highgate
Everyday Bread
Although they’re about to make a move from Willagee to Hamilton Hill, the crew at cult bakery Everyday Bread remain committed to a higher purpose: baking some of Perth’s favourite HCBs. Like their bread, their hot cross buns bring droves to the bakery door every afternoon – no skin, piles of plump fruit and a fragrantly floral orange-blossom glaze.
Wild Bakery
South Freo locals will need no introduction to Wild Bakery: fermentation gurus, masterful bakers and hot cross bun aficionados. Utilising classic pastry techniques, Wild merges their traditional buns with their signature rustic, wild fermentation approach – not to mention a tempting Easter triple chocolate mousse if you’re really feeling fancy!
346 South Terrace, South Fremantle
Strange Grains
An inability to digest gluten shouldn’t inhibit your ability to enjoy a hot cross bun! Strange Grains are a mecca for all things gluten free, and their hot cross buns are a must for any gluten-free friends looking to get into the Easter spirit: delightfully fluffy (really!), available in both fruit and vegan choccy options, worth every penny.
197 Onslow Road, Shenton Park
All images by Sally Hall / Perth is OK!