Hot cross bun

A sweet, spiced bun traditionally marked with a cross and eaten around Easter in many countries. Its dough commonly contains dried fruit and may be glazed after baking.

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Enriched dough: A bread dough made richer with ingredients such as butter, milk, eggs, or sugar. Butter, milk, and sugar give many hot cross buns their soft, tender crumb.
Lent: A Christian season of fasting and spiritual preparation before Easter. The bun’s association with the Easter season places it within Lenten food customs.
Easter: A Christian festival celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The bun is especially associated with Easter in Britain and several other countries.
Cross (baking): A decorative mark or topping shaped like a cross on baked goods. The cross can be piped from flour paste or formed from pastry before baking.
Bunbury, Australia: A coastal city in Western Australia. An annual Good Friday event there has featured the distribution of hot cross buns.
Mixed spice: A British spice blend commonly containing cinnamon, coriander, nutmeg, and other warm spices. This blend supplies the characteristic warm aroma of many traditional recipes.
Elizabeth I: Queen of England and Ireland from 1558 to 1603. A later legend links her reign to restrictions on selling spiced buns outside religious occasions.
Good Friday: The Christian observance commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus. The cross on the bun is commonly connected with the Christian remembrance of the crucifixion.
Bread glaze: A liquid coating applied to bread to alter its surface color, shine, or texture. Brushing glaze onto the bun after baking creates a glossy crust.
New Zealand: An island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. Hot cross buns became part of Easter food traditions carried into the country through British influence.