Now that March has nearly finished going out like a Lion (hey, didn’t it come in like a Lion too?) we’ve turned our attention to our Easter Baking line up. The Easter season has always been a very busy time at the bakery as Spring finally arrives, people head outside more and everyone gets active. Couple that with special family meals at Easter and there are plenty of reasons to be hungry!
Hot Cross Buns #
Folks have been asking for Hot Cross Buns since Christmas and they are finally here! We will have Hot Cross Buns available every day at the bakery starting Tuesday April 1 until the Saturday before Easter.
We make a traditional Hot Cross Bun which, as best we can tell, is a unique thing in Regina. Our buns are slightly sweet, a little spicy and full of candied orange peel and currants. We pipe a flour paste cross on the top before baking and then brush on a light glaze when the buns are still hot. They are beautiful to behold and even better to eat.
No matter how many Hot Cross Buns we make, they tend to sell out early, so please order in advance to be sure you get your buns, especially closer to Easter. Large orders (more than 12 HCB’s) need two days notice. We’ll do our best to fill all orders within the constraints of Einstein’s theories of time and space.
Easter Bread #
We are also making round Easter Bread from April 1 through the 18th. Orange Boot Easter Bread is a sweet, enriched loaf with dark raisins, golden raisins and cranberries.
This ‘new tradition’ celebration loaf is my take on my Grandma Silverson’s Kolach, which she would make every Easter at the farm. When I was little I loved how her round, sweet loaf sat all big and proud at the centre of her dining room table. Every year I regret that I didn’t pay better attention to how she made her bread, but I think she’d be proud of the golden brown, sweet braided loaves we make at Orange Boot. They look great and taste even better.
I know for sure that at the bakery we take a lot longer to build a loaf than my Grandma did. We use a technique called a ‘preferment’ to add more flavour to the loaf, but that means the loaf is another two day build. So if you have a special occasion or want to order a large number of loaves, be sure to give us two days notice so we know to make more. Once we’re sold out for the day, we can’t ‘whip up’ a new batch.