Central Victorian bakeries were among those vying for the title of Australia’s Best Hot Cross Bun.
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The team from the Elmore Bakery was crossing their fingers as judges deliberated at the 2017 Victorian Baking Show and Australia's Best Hot Cross Bun Competition in Shepparton on Saturday.
CJ’s Bakery in South Australia took out the win.
Travis Wilson of the Elmore Bakery said the team was yet to find out where they had placed.
“We thought we were pretty close to the mark,” he said.
He said feedback provided by the judges two years ago, when the bakery came third, had resulted in fruitier buns.
Mr Wilson said he was keen to learn how this year’s batch could be improved.
Though hot cross buns have been available in some bakery aisles since the start of the year, the Elmore Bakery reserves theirs for the weeks leading up to Easter.
They’ve yet to start selling them in the store.
Other central Victorian competitors in the hot cross bun competition included The Good Loaf and Eaglehawk Bakery, Mr Wilson said.
He was surprised by the variation in this year’s 55 entries.
Though they were all traditional hot cross buns, Mr Wilson said they were “totally different.”
The lack of mixed peel was a common factor.
“Mixed peel is in the past,” Mr Wilson said.
“There were 55 entries and no-one used mixed peel.”
Ninety-six bakeries competed in this year’s Victorian Baking Show, with entrants coming from as far as Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia.
They produced 560 baked products for judging at the competition.
Baking Association of Australia executive officer Tony Smith said the competition was gaining interest from interstate, particularly the hot cross bun competition.
“The show is turning into a bit of a highlight,” he said.