Hot Cross Buns making us cross - any suggestions?

H

heather_in_sf

Well-known member
Hi everyone,

I'm up visiting my parents, a welcome respite from the travails of the city and the ongoing maintenance issues in my apartment building.

My mom made hot cross buns before I arrived and didn't like the result and remade them yesterday. Yesterday's batch, as before, were as dry as dust this morning. They were not overbaked and fresh out of the oven they were wonderful, moist and nice. They were stored overnight in a tupperware box so it wasn't as if they dried out (it is terribly dry up here at the low foothills, technically high desert). Using the flour indicated in the recipe the dough was very sticky but she proceeded anyway.

Here is the recipe, any suggestions?

REC: Hot Cross Buns

2 pks active dry yeast

1/2 c warm water

1/4 c milk, warmed

1/3 c sugar

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 c shortening or butter

3 eggs

shake cinnamon

grated nutmeg

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 cups sifted AP flour

1/2 plus currents or golden raisins

1 c chopped citron

1 egg yolk

1 tsp cold milk

Scald milk in a small saucepan, add salt, sugar and shortening, cool to lukewarm.

Sprinkle yeast on top of warm water, stir. Add eggs, yeast mixture and 1 cup flour and dash cinnamon to the milk mixture. Beat with a mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally. Stir in fruits and remaining flour, a little at a time, to make a soft dough that is easy to handle. Using a dough hook kneat well. Place in a lightly greased bowl (turn to grease top of dough and cover with plastic wrap) and let rise for 1 1/2 hours or until doubled. Punch down the dough.

On a lightly floured board pat to a rectangle to a 1/2" thickness. Cut into 18 squares. Pat squares into a bun-like shape. Place on greased baking sheets 1 1/2" apart, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled for 1 hour.

With a very sharp knife (or serrated) cut a cross into the top of each bun. Beat together egg yolk and cold water and paint on top of each bun.

Bake at 375 for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool on racks for about 5 minutes, then pipe a cross of frosting into the cut tops of the buns.

Frosting:

1 1/2 c powdered sugar

2 T butter, softened

1-2 tsp milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Combine together until smooth.

Next time, if there is a next time, she would add more cinnamon, perhaps a 1/2 tsp.

Thanks for your thoughts on this pressing issue!

 
Hmm, I've eaten them, but not often because they are usually pretty stale, no matter how fresh they

are. Good luck, I'll be keeping my fingers CROSSED for ya!

 
Too much yeast. try making the dough the night before and using. . .

2 teaspoons (yes only 2 teaspoons!) yeast. Or better yet, try only 1 teaspoon yeast. Have all liquids in the recipe tepid to somewhat cool.

Make dough to the 2nd paragraph, 5th sentence in your recipe then place in the fridge. Do this just before bed time. In the morning bring the dough out about 2 hours before cooking time, shape and place on whatever you use to bake the buns upon/in. Let rise till almost doubled then cook as instructed in the recipe.

If you wish to make the recipe the morning of eating, still use 2 teaspoons yeast but lightly warm everything/all liquids as instructed in the recipe and continue per the recipe. I really believe there is too much yeast in this recipe!

When there is so much yeast, the dough heats up and makes for a dry finished product, or so I have experienced.

Long cool rise + low starting yeast = better finish!

 
H, I did a comparison to CathyZ cinnamon rolls, which turn out

great all the time.
I know it's not a 1:1 comparison (cinnamon to hot cross), but, in general...if I compare the two...

Cathy uses:
3/4 C milk
1 C water
2 1/2 C more water
for 10 cups of flour
5 eggs

That's 4.25 C of liquid + 5 eggs for 10 cups of flour

Your recipe uses
1/4 C milk
1/2 C water
3 eggs
4 Cups of flour

That's 3/4 C liquid + 3 eggs for 4 cups of flour. So...a LOT less liquid.

If I normalize these using the flour, then your recipe could use 1 3/4 C of liquid. Since it already has enough eggs, maybe you just need more liquid?

 
Thank you all for your thoughtful responses! My mom is psyched to try again

although there is no candied citron to be found anywhere up here in the country. She said to send her hearty thanks and she's saving all of your comments and suggestions to try for next time. Maybe if we go into Jackson where they have a Raley's supermarket we might be able to find some citron. Meantime, we are dunking them in our morning coffee and afternoon tea and that is just really lovely.

Happy Easter!

 
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