Feel Better:Complain About Anything, page-594

Margaret63 - your post could have come from me, except I feel - as a cultural outsider - it is not for me to criticize an Aussie institution.
I have had issues with baked goods sold by bakeries, supermarkets etc. ever since I came to these shores - did a lot of my own baking, but not now.

These things are like all mass-produced baked goods, made by machines, lifeless (because they are not allowed to 'rest' before baking and probably don't even have a live culture as starter dough) and that cross filled in with what?

If I want a good white 'bun' (which isn't sweet btw) I buy at Coles, the 'Kaiser' roll - freeze them first - when I want to use them - defrost slightly in microwave (on defrost) sprinkle them with water and put in a hot oven for a few minutes.
They come out crusty with a beautiful interior - you can then use them as dinner rolls (with the divisions already marked) - or cut in half and do the Devonshire tea thing - they will take anything, either sweet or savoury.

Also: Coles have now taken on a French Bakery franchise, one 'Laurent'. The bread is - to an extent - done the old-fashioned way - with good ingredients, the dough is prepared and allowed to rest for a fair few hours - and is - most likely - sent frozen to the supermarkets, where the baking is finished to Monsieur Laurent's standards. I always buy the Vienna Rye - but there are a variety of bread types which I have tried and which are excellent.

BUT, if anyone has a recipe for the original Hot Cross Bun, I am willing to try!
Tau