Although I never grew up eating hot cross buns, I am more than familiar and have spent countless childhood hours dreaming about the smells of fresh buns wafting through the house, enticing me with their alluring, matured yeast aromas...
That's what reading too many Enid Blyton books does to you. One paints fantasy picnics and adventures with a benevolent housekeeper who bakes fresh goodies to keep up the young ones' spirits! ;-)
Fig and Raisin Buns
These buns are an adaptation of Julia's Fruit Buns. They are quick to make...and quickly consumed! I also made half of the dough into a loaf and it was even better with the light, fluffy crumb enhanced.
125 ml milk at 110 F
3g dry active yeast
250 g flour
50 g white sugar
1 eggs
25 g melted butter, cooled
1 cup mix of drid figs and raisins
pinch of salt
To the warm milk, add the yeast and sugar and set aside until frothy, about 5-10 minutes. In a large bowl, add the flour and create a well in the center. Add the yeast mixture and the remaining ingredients and knead until the dough is smooth and tacky, about 10 minutes
Coat the dough with oil and place in a well oiled bowl that is deep enough to hold atleast twice the volume of the dough. Set the bowl in a warm, draft free place until the dough has risen to twice its volume, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
On a floured surface, gently degas the dough. Divide dough into equal pieces and knead into balls. Place balls 1.5 inches apart on trays lined with parchment paper. If making loaves, then shape accordingly and place in loaf tins. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for another 30-45 minutes until doubled.
Preheat the oven to 400F. brush the top with milk and bake at 400F for 20 minutes until browned on top and the loaf/bun makes a hollow sound when tapped at the base.
Cool on rack and serve warm.
These buns are off to Yeast Spotting
That's what reading too many Enid Blyton books does to you. One paints fantasy picnics and adventures with a benevolent housekeeper who bakes fresh goodies to keep up the young ones' spirits! ;-)
Fig and Raisin Buns
These buns are an adaptation of Julia's Fruit Buns. They are quick to make...and quickly consumed! I also made half of the dough into a loaf and it was even better with the light, fluffy crumb enhanced.
125 ml milk at 110 F
3g dry active yeast
250 g flour
50 g white sugar
1 eggs
25 g melted butter, cooled
1 cup mix of drid figs and raisins
pinch of salt
To the warm milk, add the yeast and sugar and set aside until frothy, about 5-10 minutes. In a large bowl, add the flour and create a well in the center. Add the yeast mixture and the remaining ingredients and knead until the dough is smooth and tacky, about 10 minutes
Coat the dough with oil and place in a well oiled bowl that is deep enough to hold atleast twice the volume of the dough. Set the bowl in a warm, draft free place until the dough has risen to twice its volume, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
On a floured surface, gently degas the dough. Divide dough into equal pieces and knead into balls. Place balls 1.5 inches apart on trays lined with parchment paper. If making loaves, then shape accordingly and place in loaf tins. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for another 30-45 minutes until doubled.
Preheat the oven to 400F. brush the top with milk and bake at 400F for 20 minutes until browned on top and the loaf/bun makes a hollow sound when tapped at the base.
Cool on rack and serve warm.
These buns are off to Yeast Spotting