Border bakery Valentines Traditional Bakehouse started baking hot cross buns between two and three weeks ago and will finish up on Easter Monday.

Owner and baker Ross Perry said two decades ago they only made them in the week leading up to Easter.

“Fifteen to 20 years ago we had two shifts, one to bake bread and the other for hot cross buns and we couldn’t keep up with demand,” he said.

“Now the demand has dulled a bit because they’re available for longer.”

Mr Perry said they had used the same traditional recipe – rich with fruit and Dutch spices – for 25 years, as had the German baker who owned the bakery before him.

“They’ve got a 50-year tradition behind them,” he said.

“We haven’t trended towards the chocolate versions and a lot of people don’t like peel so we use dried apricots.”

Valentines Traditional Bakehouse bakes its preservative-free range at the Rutherglen bakery and distributes to its stores in Volt Lane, Albury, and Centro Wodonga Plaza, The Barista, Baker and Brewer in Albury and Souleiado at Yarrawonga.

New Albury tenant The Bicycle Baker will bake hot cross buns on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, having started two weeks ago.

Baker Nicky Bruce offers sourdough hot cross buns with raisins, candied orange and spices, finished with an apricot jam glaze.

“I don't like them too sweet but I love them fresh from the oven or lightly-toasted with lashings of butter,” she said.

She sells them on Wednesday morning at Junction Square in Wodonga and on Sunday at the Rotary Community Market while Albury stockists include The Essential Ingredient, The Chocolate Labrador, The Piccolo Pod and Decker & Lee.

South Albury’s Nord baker Thor Sonnichsen makes semi-sourdough ginger and dark Belgian chocolate and a cranberry, sultana and spice version. He bakes a hot cross bun stollen – rum-soaked fruit with marzipan centre.

Milawa Bread started baking hot cross buns on March 5 and will bake them until Easter Monday.