The journey of the humble hot cross bun

Before the sun even rises, the windows of Perryman’s Bakery in North Adelaide illuminate, and the journey of the humble hot cross bun begins.

In the six weeks leading up to Easter, an impressive 12,000 buns will be lovingly hand-crafted at this 130-year-old neighbourhood bakery. The bakers from Perryman's walked Adelaide Living through their daily two-hour process to craft these perfectly spiced delights.

Kylie Schmidt is one of four owners of Perryman’s Bakery who have run the business for the last 10 years. She says they have observed the tastes of customers evolving and Perryman’s have dutifully responded by altering their Easter offering to suit their customers.

In addition to the traditional fruit and chocolate, Perryman’s now bake sourdough hot cross buns which contain apricot, date and fruit peel. The inclusion of peel may surprise some as it fell out of fashion as a bun ingredient not too long ago but is now resurging in popularity as it adds depth and complexity.

The sourdough buns take a full 24 hours to create and the care is evident in the final product. The crust is covered in delicate golden bubbles for impeccable crunch and the small but important detail of an angled cross, elevates it to heights that eclipse the humble traditional bun.

Perryman’s Easter treats also include chocolate egg cupcakes, hot cross marked profiteroles and gingerbread bunnies. All of this goes to show Perryman’s is not afraid to innovate, and their customers couldn’t be happier. Loyal customers are well-prepared for the Easter rush with single orders commonly placed for five dozen hot cross buns or more.

Next time you’re in North Adelaide, let the scent of cinnamon, ginger and mixed spice guide you through Perryman’s door.

Perryman’s opens at 8:00 am Monday – Friday, 8:30 am Saturday and 9:00 am Sunday. Online orders are available for delivery or collection in-store.