A Bendigo bakery has won back-to-back national awards for its hot cross buns as the countdown to Easter begins in earnest.
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The Good Loaf Sourdough Bakery and Cafe took home the prize at the hotly contested Australian Bakery Championships last weekend.
It took two weeks of preparation and baking to hone the cafe's entry, owner and head baker Laurie Whelan said.
Apprentice baker Maddy Roberts mixed the dough of the winning batch and Bhupinder Singh's cooking brought the win home in a field of 70 bakeries.
"This is only the second time in the history of the Australian Baking Association competition that a venue has won the award in consecutive years," Mr Whelan said.
"The product is assessed on aroma, fruit distribution, symmetry and shape and volume, with judges feedback advising that they feel the semi-sourdough element of the product provides a more developed flavour."
Last year, the Good Loaf baked 43,000 hot cross buns in the lead up to Easter, nearly half of them sold in the final seven days.
The best hot cross buns were not the only awards the bakery won.
It also took first place for its fruit loaf and soughdough rye, second place for its ciabatta and sourdough white loaves, and third place for a second Sourdough White loaf and its gluten free loaf.
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