Yeast take 2 - Totally Trad Hot Cross Buns
I'm doing it again. I'm scared and I feel a little weak kneed. Yeast AGAIN! I really thought that my last attempt with the Cinnamon Buns was middling at best - I got a couple of good comments though that I haven't yet had the guts to follow through with but fully intend to (once I pluck up the courage).
It's Good Friday here (not Easter yet, as I've learned at the Cathedral School where I coach. Easter is on Sunday folks!) and it's totally trad to serve Hot Cross Buns on Good Friday (which wasn't really 'good' at all - go figure that one out!) for obvious reasons. Plus, on Good Friday I'm not at work, which means that I have time to wait around for these things to happen (hopefully happen).
I tried a recipe from the joy of baking website. I know that it's a crap shoot finding something on the net but this one looked pretty middle of the road AND I had all the ingredients. I'm using some more of those awesome mixed dried fruit packages that KT so kindly hands off to me (she doesn't eat them with her morning oatmeal from Starbucks). They look beautiful.
The Sultanas, the cranberries, the currants - lovely mix of colours. I also added some grated orange peel (I actually used the tangerines that came in my food box) to the recipe as well. Unfortunately, as I was going through the recipe I failed to see that I needed to add 1/4 cup of butter to the batter. So, I have no butter in mine BUT I've made sure to add it to the recipe below! With all the spices and the orange peel, this batter smells great even before it's been baked and it looks pretty too.
Hot Cross Buns (joyofbaking.com)
makes 12 buns
3/4 lukewarm milk (I used buttermilk just 'cause)
1 tsp granulated sugar
1 package of traditional yeast
3 1/2 cups of unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup of light brown sugar (I only had dark)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp orange peel, grated (lemon, tangerine... whatever)
2 large eggs
1/4 cup unsalted butter @ room temperature
3/4 cup mixed dried fruit (I used dried sultanas, thompson raisins,
cranberries and currants)
Egg Wash:
1 egg white
1 tbsp milk
Glaze:
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 tbsp milk or cream
Add the sugar and yeast to the lukewarm milk. Mix thoroughly and set aside for about 10 min. or until it looks foamy/frothy.
Mix the flour, sugar, spices, salt and grated peel together in a large bowl. Once the yeast mixture is ready add it to the flour and mix well. Once mixed, add the eggs and mix well. Lastly, mix in the butter.
On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for about 5 - 10 min (I'm doing this by hand) or until it feels pretty smooth and silky. After about 5 min. or so of kneading begin to add in the dried fruit and continue kneading to incorporate it well. Place the dough in a buttered bowl, I also put a little butter on my dough ball, cover with a clean cloth and place in a warm, non-drafty spot to rise for about 1 1/2 hrs. or until it's doubled in size.
Once doubled, punch the dough down (it should make a nice sighing sound when it's letting out the air) and form into twelve bun shaped lumps. Place each lump on a parchment or silicone sheet lined baking sheet with enough room for each bun to double in size. Brush eat bun with the egg wash. Cover again with clean cloth and put in a warm spot to rise for about 45 - 60 min. or until it's doubled in size again.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Once the buns have doubled and are ready to bake, brush them again with the egg wash and with a knife make a cross on the top of each bun. Bake the buns for about 15 min. Buns should be nicely browned and a toothpick should come out clean.
Cool on a baking rack.
Mix together the glaze till smooth. Place in a little bag and cut off the corner tip of the bag. Pipe the glaze onto each bun in the cross shape that you cut on them.
These came out just as one would expect a yeast bun to come out. The spices and dried fruit complimented each other beautifully. I guess, you could say, that just maybe these were a complete success!!! ... even without the butter!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
About Me
- Wanda Thorne
- St Michael's Choir School is celebrating it's 75th anniversary year of service to St Michael's Cathedral. Part of the school celebration is a trip to Italy where our boys from Grades 5 - 12 will be performing and celebrating Mass. This blog will be chronicling our adventures. Wanda Thorne is the Vocal Coach at St Michael's Choir School. Gerard Lewis is the Grade 7/8 Homeroom teacher at the Choir School.
About Me
- Wanda Thorne
- St Michael's Choir School is celebrating it's 75th anniversary year of service to St Michael's Cathedral. Part of the school celebration is a trip to Italy where our boys from Grades 5 - 12 will be performing and celebrating Mass. This blog will be chronicling our adventures. Wanda Thorne is the Vocal Coach at St Michael's Choir School. Gerard Lewis is the Grade 7/8 Homeroom teacher at the Choir School.
FBC Member
1 comments:
Good for you Wanda! They look lovely. How about a batch of cinnamon buns sometime? I would volunteer to taste test those!!!
Post a Comment