Bakers Delight & The Hot Cross Bombe
Meet Craig, the baker and owner of Bakers Delight in Mountain Gate.
Craig has been baking for twenty two years, and eighteen of the have been with Bakers Delight. Craig wanted to be a painter, but due to having asthma, back then they wouldn’t allow it; so Craig kinda just fell into baking.
Craig wakes up at 2:20am everyday, and starts work at 3am. He says he’s never had a day where he thinks “oh I really don’t want to go to work today”, he genuinely loves his job. How many of you can say that?
He says there is a real satisfaction to be able to go out the front and sell something to the customers that he has just made, and to see the happiness it brings to their face.
With hot cross bun season upon us, Craig says his store will make anywhere from 35,000-45,000 hot cross buns. Larger stores will make even more! I was invited behind the scenes at Bakers Delight to see what goes into making dem might fine buns we so long for.
Craig tells me, the thing that makes Bakers Delight’s hot cross buns better than the rest is they are made from the best and freshest ingredients, preservative free. They are also made fresh in store everyday by trade professionals, and here’s how:
Step 1:
Before making the dough, they condition the fruit. They weigh the fruit, and add water to the fruit, and agitate it every now and then. This helps to plump the fruit up, and make each fruity morsel extra juicy.
Step 2:
Weigh the dry ingredients and mix them in the large mixer.
Step 3:
Crumble the fresh yeast in and add the water. Bakers Delight have a temperature controlled water dispenser, so that certainly helps!
Step 4:
Mixing the dough happens and add the spices.
To see if the dough is ready to move onto the next stage, Craig does the window test. Pulling the dough gently without breaking it, and being able to see through it.
Step 5:
Mix in the fruit.
Step 6:
Weigh the dough into even balls. Knead into a ball and rest / prove the dough.
Step 7:
Roll into evenly sized buns. Bakers Delight have a special machine that rolls the buns quickly and perfectly, every time.
Rest / prove the dough again.
Step 8:
The cross mix. Craig explains they use a sauce bottle to do the crosses on their hot cross buns. It provides a great way to ensure consistency and keep things neat and tidy.
Pipe the cross mix and bake in a preheated oven.
Step 9:
Immediately after removing the buns from the oven, glaze them.
His tips for home cooks when making your own hot cross buns is “stick to the recipe”. I would have to agree, baking is a very precise and methodical process, and if you think “oh, maybe I’ll try this instead”, chances are it won’t work. Stick to the recipe, don’t skip steps, as that can also affect shelf life, or just go and pick up some from Bakers Delight!
Whilst eating a hot cross bun on it’s own with butter, jam, or whatever tickles your fancy, is all well and good; sometimes you need to jazz things up a little. I wracked my brains trying to think of something that would make the hot cross bun fun for everyone.
I give you, the Hot Cross Bombe!
I’ve make the base into a hot cross bread and butter pudding, with a hot cross ice-cream dome, topped with blow torched meringue. It’s a bit of fun, and would definitely impress at an Easter feast table.
Hot Cross Bombe
Print RecipeIngredients
Hot Cross Bun Ice-Cream
- 1 litre vanilla ice-cream
- 2 Bakers Delight hot cross buns roughly chopped
Hot Cross Bun “Bread & Butter Pudding” Base
- 5 Bakers Delight hot cross buns cut into quarters
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup thin cream
- 1/4 cup caster sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
For The Meringue
- 3 free-range egg whites
- pinch cream of tartar
- 200 g caster sugar
Instructions
Hot Cross Bun Ice Cream
- For the ice-cream, line the pudding basin with two layers of cling film, leaving enough hanging over the edge to cover the sides of the basin.
- Place the ice cream in the basin (you may need to allow it to soften for a few minutes) and stir through the roughly chopped hot cross buns. Press down to get a smooth surface , giving it a few gentle bangs to help remove any air holes. Cover the top with the cling film and return it to the freezer.
Hot Cross Bun “Bread & Butter Pudding” Base
- Grease a 20cm cake tin and line with non-stick baking paper. Line base of tin with the hot cross bun quarters to fit snuggly.
- Whisk milk, cream, eggs, sugar and vanilla together in a large jug. Pour the mixture over buns.
- Preheat oven to 160°C or 140°C fan-forced.
- Stand cake tin in a baking dish and pour in boiling water to come halfway up the side.
- Bake for 1 hr until set and browned.
- Remove tin from dish and cool completely. Run a knife around edge of pudding, turn onto a plate. Remove paper and invert pudding onto a wire rack to cool completely.
For The Meringue
- In a large, spotlessly clean bowl, whisk the egg whites with cream of tartar until they form soft peaks when the whisk is removed.
- Add half of the caster sugar and whisk until stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed and the meringue is satiny and glossy. Fold in the remaining sugar with a metal spoon or spatula.
- Place 3/4 cup of the meringue in a piping bag fitted with a fat plain nozzle tip (Wilton 1A is preferable).
To Assemble
- Place the hot cross bun pudding base on a cake stand or serving platter. If you don’t have a kitchen blow torch, place it on a baking tray (with no lip, so it can be easily removed).
- Take the ice cream out of the freezer. With the help of the cling film, remove the ice cream from the pudding bowl and place it upside down on the pudding base, remove all the cling film.
- Quickly spoon over the meringue, spreading it thickly and in peaks over the ice cream and the sides of the cake right down to the baking tray. You can cook the baked Alaska immediately or you can return it to the freezer for up to an hour. I like to use a kitchen blow torch to brown the outside of the meringue. If you don’t have access to a kitchen blow torch, place the Hot Cross Bomb Alaska on a baking tray in the centre of the hot oven for 3-4 minutes (or 6-9 minutes if frozen) or until the meringue is set on the outside and golden in colour.
- Carefully transfer the baked Alaska to a serving plate, using a palette knife dipped in hot water to help you slide and push it onto the plate.
- Using the piping bag filled with meringue, pip a cross over your dome, and serve immediately.
For your chance to win one of five $20 Bakers Delight vouchers; tell me below:
How do you like to enjoy your hot cross bun?
I like my fruit ones warmed or toasted with strawberry jam, and the chocolate ones with a smear of Nutella. It’s a bit of an indulgence, and I only eat them around Easter.
Competition closes on midnight Sunday 29th March 2015. Only open to Australian residents with a valid postal address. Winners will be chosen at random by a random number generator and notified via email.
This was a sponsored post thanks to Bakers Delight.
aimee @twiggstudios
Wow you blow my mind with your creations I love this so much xx
Ewen
can’t believe how gorgeous your photographs are for this posting, and that crazy lovely idea for a hot cross bombe!
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef
I bought some BD hot cross buns yesterday so I could make this bombe right now. 🙂
What a clever idea.
Steve
I like to keep mine simple: toasted or warmed, with a bit of butter to bring out the natural flavour of the buns.
But after seeing that bombe, I may have to change my favourite way soon!
Heather McLean
Your hot cross buns are the only ones I have enjoyed for several years now. I always purchase some of the traditional buns, and also some of the chocolate crossed buns. Always best heated to crispy in the oven, and then served with butter (or any other good spread).
Samantha Y
Simply toasted with butter. Good lashings of salty melted butter mmmmmm
Laura
Easter is my favourite time of year purely for the hot cross buns!! I have them toasted with butter with my afternoon cup of tea 🙂
Eda
Oooh that bombe looks so good! I love my fruity hot cross buns, lightly toasted with a bit of butter on the side and when the butter is slightly melted that’s when i bite!
Joselle Griffin
I love my Hot Cross Buns piping hot with butter… I can’t bring myself to add anything extra 🙂 thanks for the recipe!
Rebecca Hrgar
I love my fruit hot cross buns lightly toasted with a nice spread of almond paste on it.
Shan Gallagher
I like mine toasted with fig jam and melted Camembert cheese yum.
My little girl likes them plain or with banana and my husband wishes he could eat them all year round. Master 2 only like choc ones
Kerrie Ross
I love my hot cross buns warmed in the oven, a little crisp on the outside and fluffy inside. Only have with butter and never before Good Friday breakfast. A family tradition always kept .
Kerrie Ross
Crispy on the outside, fluffy In the middle. Only butter and family tradition is never eaten before Good Friday Breakfast. Have to be quality Bakers Delight Buns with a piping hot mug of English Breakfast tea.
Mel
What a fantastic idea!
I like my hot cross buns fresh out of the oven, or cut in half and toasted and then spread with cream cheese. Yum! Must make mine next week
Kerry
I love to eat them just as they are, they don’t need anything added at all. I break off tiny pieces to make it last as long as I can.
Jannette Menere
Amazing talent,very creative mind Craig.
I love to eat fruit ones warm with butter,chocolate ones are nice with jam or nutella.Most Importantly is whom you share the magic moments with,I love to gather with an elderly group share a cuppa,laughter,love,stories and nibble on a nice hot cross bun.Wow I cant wait to share your new creation,now that looks unique.
Fiona Jackson
I love my, fruit hotcross buns with butter and Vegemite, don’t knock it till you try it, it is the best, and Bakers Delight do the best fruit scones out there.
Nicole - Champagne and Chips
I love hot cross buns with homemade lemon curd- heaps of it so it drips out when you put the top on and you have to lick the sides.
These photos are gorgeous, I love the ones where it feels like you are peaking at him from between the racks. The bombe looks amazing too. I can’t get enough doughy cinnamon goodness 🙂
Bronny Clelland
I LOVE a toasted fruitless hot cross bun oozing with butter with a steaming cup of English Breakfast Tea snuggled up in bed with my puppy reading a Mills and Boon novel.
liz
Unfortunately I can’t have the fruit hot cross buns so I hang out for the choc chip ones knowing they are preservative free, and only available close to Easter. Lots of fresh butter on a warmed HC bun. Yum!
Karen Taylor
I Love my Hot Cross Buns warmed and with just the right amount of butter on. But I love the way you have used them in the Bombe and I think it’s worth a try.
Sandra Dayman
I like a fruit Hot Cross Bun cut in half, lightly toasted and smeared with a light/low fat Cream Cheese.
Erika Bon
I love my hot cross bun warmed and then put butter and dip them in my coffee 🙂 yum!!!
Your creation is amazing, looks delicious!!!
Debbie
Toasted traditional fruity hot cross buns are delicious, especially with melted butter.
Michelle @ The Bakeanista
Holy moly!! That bombe looks reallyyyyy good. You’re amazeballs!!
I’ve been having hot cross buns everyday for breakfast, and it all started with the picture you posted on Instagram. I like my fruit ones warmed, and I’d have one side spread with butter, and the other with strawberry jam. But I personally prefer the chocolate ones, just warmed and eaten on its own, although the addition of Nutella would make it even more the better. Need to get a new tub of Nutella!
Jennifer duck
love hot cross buns fresh and toast with butter
Rochelle Firth
My favourite way to eat hot cross buns is also the simplest- toasted til’ crispy then laden with butter whilst still hot! Baker’s delight make such great hot cross buns, they don’t need anything extra added!
Charlie
Toasted, Spread with a Generous Dollop of Lupak Butter,
Sprinkled with Cinnamon Vanilla Infused Sugar.
And Sometimes with Freshly Whipped Cream!
Anna F
A BOMBE-nable! This looks so good.
Thanks Craig for the recipe.
I like my fruit hot cross buns lightly toasted and topped wit butter and my chocolate hot cross buns just the way they are- so delicious.
Hannah
Toasted with peanut butter, of course. Duh.
Sarah
This hot cross business is making me salivate.
My buns are best devoured fresh from the bakery, warmed or dipped into a hot mocha.
Irene W
Thanks for sharing your awesome recipe! My fav way of enjoying hot cross buns is enjoying them warmed and with a cuppa, with friends/family/work colleagues, and remembering with thankfulness the amazing love story of the Cross.
PS. BD’s mocha hot cross buns are simply the best!
Fay C
I love the amazing bombe, it will be a hit with my family, they all things creative!! I am going to give it a go over Easter.
My family love fruit hot cross buns toasted and covered in lashings of butter dripping out of them with a cup of special tea. We hang out for Easter when the hot cross buns are baked by Baker’s Delight.
Marie Hughes
We start easter with Hot Cross Buns for breakfast Good Friday. We try not to eat them before that. Always toasted with butter (not margarine) – has to be butter.
Julie R
I like to spread buttery margarine on open buns, and because I can’t wait for the oven or toaster to heat them, I pop them into the microwave for 20 seconds one at a time so the margarine melts through and they come out soft and chewy quickly.
Kirsten
Nothing beats a traditional hot cross bun warmed up with melted butter!
Bec
Shellie! These photos are just stunning. It looks like you had an amazing day and anyone who was able to try some of that hot cross bombe would have too! woo!