As Easter fast approaches, and the cravings for hot cross buns rapidly boom, details behind the baking process of the festive treats have been revealed.
If the traditional delight is on the menu this Easter holiday it might be worth checking with your local baker to ensure the quality of the beloved hot cross bun is up to the desired standard.
Buyers beware – although many are made from scratch daily, others are defrosted before they hit the shelves, while some contain palm oil, the Herald Sun reported.
To ensure the quality of the holiday treats, it is best to check with the local baker
Supermarket giants Woolworths and Coles anticipate to sell more than 70 million of the sweet-bread goodness this year.
Coles admits 20 per cent of their stock will be baked from frozen dough before hitting the shelves.
‘Wherever possible and in the majority of our stores, we prepare and bake our buns fresh but in some supermarkets we simply do not have room for a full bakery. In these stores we bring in the hot cross bun mixture frozen and our teams finish the baking process in our ovens,’ a Coles spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.
The par bake technique allows stores which are not equipped with full cooking facilities to still stock the buns.
At Woolworths more than 80 per cent of hot cross buns this Easter are baked fresh in-house from within the 630 sites.
The remainder of buns are moved on to the shelves once thawed or after they have been baked on-site from the frozen mixture.
Many are made from scratch, others are defrosted before they hit the shelves as one customer found out
ALDI is expected to sell close to 15 million buns this year which are made by Davies Bakery in Victoria.
A spokesman told Newscorp the buns are frozen within two hours of being baked before being shipped out.
‘From here, the product is thawed in store before hitting supermarket shelves. For customers wanting to freeze their hot cross buns at home, there is no risk posed to the quality of the product if they are frozen well before the use-by date.’
As IGA stores are independently owned and operated most will source their produce from Metcash, an Australian wholesaler.
Details behind the making of Easter hot cross buns (pictured) have been revealed
It is understood Metcash will source their buns from a range of retailers with some offering the fully baked buns whereas others supply ingredients for in-house cooking.
Overall however customers should take note of the ingredients going into their Easter sweets.
Heart Foundation nutritionist Beth Meertens said palm oil is higher an ‘unhealthy’ saturated fat and it is one of the two tropical oils that it should be avoided, which can found in ALDI’s Baker’s Life buns as well as Coles’ hot cross bun range.
Australian dietitian Anika Rouf said it is best to stick to one or two portions while enjoying yourself.
‘If you have it every day it can contribute to your overall calorie intake, weight gain and interfere with your health goals,’ she said.
Daily Mail Australia has approached Aldi, IGA and Woolworths for additional comments.
Customers should also take spcial note of the ingredients going into their Easter sweets