The best hot cross buns in Melbourne

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Falco’s hot cross buns are made using organic Australian flour, Australian fruit and cultured butter and milk from St David Dairy. The base is a tender, light brioche bun, carefully spiced and sweetened with fruits, rolled by hand, daily. There is candied peel in the mix, so if you're not a citrus love, beware. This is fantastic untoasted due to the brioche base, but toast it up and lather on some extra butter for luxury. If you’re looking to purchase more than a single bun, you can preorder a minimum of six by noon, the day before you want to pick them up.

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Wild Life Bakery specialises in 24-hour fermented loaves and their hot cross buns receive the same sourdough treatment. The dense, but airy bun is studded with candied orange, sultanas and currants, balanced by the presence of strong spices and finished with a sticky glaze. This bun is for hot cross bun fanatics who want to be punched in the face by the taste of Easter. No toasting required, butter non-negotiable. 

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Woodfrog Bakery specialises in uncompromised, naturally leavened, hand-shaped, sourdough breads, but it's the generosity of currants and sultanas, high tones of unintrusive citrus and soft interior that pushes this finely glazed bun to the top of the pile. Another plus is you won't need to order ahead to avoid disappointment as their production is plentiful across all branches.

Delivery? Takeaway only.

These buns are of the sourdough nature, so expect a dense and complex bun. The Australian fruit is organic, the lemon and orange peel is candied in-house and a dark malt syrup adds lustre to the glaze. It’s only a few steps from Dench Bakers, putting Fitzroy North high on the bun-lover’s radar.

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All are Welcome is flogging naturally leavened (sourdough) hot cross buns with freshly ground spices incorporated with muscat sultanas and currants from Murray View Organics. The buns are warmly spiced and if you eat them in-store, the come toasted and slathered with cultured butter. Pre-order your buns if you want more than one, or return home a disappointment.

Delivery? Takeaway and farmers markets only.

You might not think that bagel specialists would make a hot cross bun... I mean, you know, because of the culture clash, but 5 and Dime are more Jersey than Jew. This hot cross bun is the fluffiest of the year due to a long and slow fermentation. The bun itself is speckled with warm spices and bursting with dried sultanas and cranberries. Maple syrup is the sweetener of choice, and a sticky glaze rounds it all off.

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Mork Chocolate has recently launched a Swedish style cinnamon bun that is the inspiration for this year’s hot cross bun. This orange-infused number is generously layered with butter, nutmeg, cinnamon, coriander, cloves and is packed full of golden raisins and currants. Toast if you must, but we reckon it is perfect without it.

Delivery? Takeaway only

You must order ahead for these hot cross buns, as they usually disappear well before midday. These popular buns are on the softer side, studded with juicy raisins, sultanas and currants. The zesty spice mix is warmed up with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice and clove, which is a little more Christmas than Easter, but nevertheless delicious.

Delivery? Takeaway only.

Orange and ginger purée flavour these sourdough buns, which are spiked with juicy currants. Rather than cooking up a new recipe each year, chef Dan's traditional Italian formula plays on repeat. Fair warning, though, these buns are on the hefty side, so if you're more used to a traditional treat, these benefit from a light toast.

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Dense, chewy, flavoured headily with pureéd whole oranges and Australian vine fruits and spiced with a secret blend that includes – drum roll, please – coriander. Dench's hot cross buns are rightly famous and are best eaten the day of purchase.

Delivery? Takeaway only.

Tradition doesn't play a part in these buns, as they include a mix of mini dark chocolate chips and currants, which edge them closer to the confection side. A thick glaze kicks the sugar levels up, which means this bun benefits from a thick slab of butter. Not a bad thing, really.

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Agathe Kerr is the master of experimentation, but this year, her hot cross buns will be chocolate in a brioche bun. Aside from spiced fruit buns, everyone's go-to treat for Easter is chocolate, so the theme this year is Absolute Chocolate. Think pain au chocolat, chocolate tea cake, chocolate kouign amann (caramelised croissant), chocolate hazelnut mousse entremets lining the case next to the hot cross buns. Get in early at the market for these, because they're flying out the door.

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