The Fresh Loaf

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This year's hot cross buns: one lot SD, one yeasted

rossnroller's picture
rossnroller

This year's hot cross buns: one lot SD, one yeasted

Every Easter I make sourdough hot cross buns, then try one or two new recipes using dry yeast. My sourdough recipe I've tweaked over years now, so no surprise that the SD buns usually get the nod over the yeasted ones. Last year's were terrif, and I was not expecting to better them this year. I didn't. Pretty good, but not quite up to 2011's batch. I compromised on a couple of ingredients and left out another, rather than sticking to the tried and true that had worked so well in previous years. Baker's slackness then. If anyone is interested in the recipe, which virtually guarantees an outstanding bake if you don't get lazy and compromise on quality ingredients, here it is.

And here are pics of the SD buns:

 

+ crumb shot

 

This year's yeasted buns, on the other hand, were a surprise - very good indeed! I adapted a prize-winning recipe published by a national online newspaper. Ingredient measures were in cups, which I weighed and recorded in grams as I worked through the recipe. I also needed to adjust the flour, and added spices and mixed peel to taste. I'm not sure whether this is a particularly good recipe (it seems pretty standard - similar to others I have tried), but it did work out very well. I'll type it out if anyone is interested in giving it a go.

yeasted buns

 

+ crumb shot

 

Cheers all!
Ross

Comments

thomaschacon's picture
thomaschacon (not verified)

These look delicious.

You make them the authentic way, applying the cross 'frosting' before baking.

I think I'll throw away the poppy seed muffins in my oven when they're done and reboot with hot cross buns. I was Catholic once, I think, so why not cross buns on Easter?

rossnroller's picture
rossnroller

Hope you didn't throw away the muffins, though!

Cheers!
Ross

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Nice bake Ross...if I wasn't still stuffed from brunch I would actually hunger for one!

rossnroller's picture
rossnroller

Doesn't seem to matter whether you're actually hungry or not - TFL gets you salivating! I suppose we should be grateful that matter transfer technology is some way off yet. Keeping weight under control is hard enough as it is!

Thanks for your comment.

Cheers!
Ross

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Engage transporters #1!

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

Nice display!  Happy Easter, Ross! 

Sylvia

rossnroller's picture
rossnroller

And hope your Easter was a lovely one!

Cheers!
Ross

hansjoakim's picture
hansjoakim

They both look delicious, Ross, but it's the SD version, slathered with butter, that gets my vote. Flavour doesn't translate well into 0's and 1's, but it looks spectacular.

Do you know whether SD HC buns are sold by artisan bakeries, by the way, or is this a personal specialty?

rossnroller's picture
rossnroller

Yeah, what's a hot cross bun without an extravagant spread of butter on the melt? Bad, but so good!

I've never seen SD HC buns offered for sale here. Even the HCBs sold by the local specialist SD artisan bakery are yeasted. A pro baker once told me that SD does not make good HCBs (or bagels!). Funny how these theories fossilise over time and become 'fact'. In practice, generally speaking, I think both for flavour and texture a top batch of home-baked SD HCBs is unbeatable.

Cheers!
Ross

Franko's picture
Franko

Hi Ross,

I didn't think I wanted to see another hot cross bun after making scads of them daily over the last 2 weeks at work, but these are beauties. Like Thomas, I appreciate the pre-bake crossing you've done, and with a traditional 'bun flip' paste, rather than bun icing.The yeasted ones look fluffier and lighter of the two bakes, but the sourdough version sounds delicious with a flavour combination of sweet, sour and spice. Nice baking on both Ross!
Cheers,
Franko

rossnroller's picture
rossnroller

You're quite right about the yeasted ones being fluffier and lighter - much closer to typical commercial HCBs than the SD version. As I mentioned in an earlier comment, however, a top batch of the SD version is as good as HCBs get, IMO.

BTW, what exactly is a 'bun flip' paste? I haven't come across that term before.

Cheers!
Ross

Franko's picture
Franko

Ross,

Bun Flip is what the crossing paste is called, or at least that's what it's called in my old school text. It's a mix of boiling water, shortening, salt, and pastry flour. It's briefly cooked and stirred ( 30-45 sec.) on the stove top, then into a mixer with paddle, 2nd speed, adding more water till it's smooth and of piping consistency. What you've used is very similar but with more flavour.

Cheers,

Franko

rossnroller's picture
rossnroller

Mine's quite a bit different, really. I mix my paste up at room temp, and it consists of flour, water, cinnamon sugar and canola oil. Getting the right consistency is key to minimising the fuss in laying it on the buns, then flattening it out reasonably evenly. Labour intensive and finicky, I have to admit, and certainly not something a commerical bakery would contemplate!

Cheers!
Ross

breadsong's picture
breadsong

Hi Ross,
Very lovely Easter baking! Your photos really do capture how beautiful these rolls are.
Looking back to your previous post, it was interesting to see how you applied the crossing paste.
Happy Easter :^) from breadsong

rossnroller's picture
rossnroller

My improvised method of applying the crossing paste is partly down to laziness and convenience. I find it's just too messy to bother with piping crosses on when only making a small quantity of buns at one time. Also, I can get away with a very small quantity of paste, whereas piping would require considerably more. It's a matter of incidental good fortune that I do happen to like the rustic look of crosses fashioned and laid on by hand prior to the bake.

Happy Easter to you, too!

Cheers!
Ross

Janetcook's picture
Janetcook

Hi Ross,

I am having a heck of a time finding this year's entry on your HCBs so I gave up and figured you would find my note here...

I finally got to your sd version of these this week and they turned out great.  A wonderful dough to work with and one I will make again.

Since Easter is long gone I didn't add the crosses and I used a mix of baking spices that I recently purchased from Penzeys in place of the individual list of spices you use.  Only difference in the mix I used was the addition of a bit of anise and there was no ginger which was easily overcome.  The smell was heavenly :-)

Thanks for posting these.

Take Care,

janet

Floydm's picture
Floydm

Here you go, Janet.

rossnroller's picture
rossnroller

I'm a bit confused about the new setup. In the old site, Janet's post would have come up on the Recent Posts page, and I would have noticed it there straight away, as soon as I opened up TFL. In this case, though, it does not appear. The only reason I knew she'd posted was an email notification I received.

Would you mind clarifying how this aspect of the new system works, pls? Is it part of the plan that not all new posts appear on the New Posts page, and if so, what is the criteria for which do appear and which don't? Just curious for future reference.

In this aspect, I preferred the old site, because often posts like Janet's might come up on a thread I didn't author, or to which I was not subscribed, and it was good to be alerted to "revived" older posts like this.

Cheers
Ross

rossnroller's picture
rossnroller

Sorry, I stated that I'd post the new yeasted recipe on this year's HCB entry "when I have time" - then forgot about it.

I did keep handwritten recipe notes, but neglected to transfer them to a Word doc online (my usual procedure for 'keeper' recipes I think I've got right). I can't currently locate my scribble, but I'm sure it's around somewhere - I was so pleased with these buns, there's no way I would have thrown the notes out. As soon as I come across them, I'll post the recipe.

OR, you could just apply the SD-yeasted conversion principles I detailed in response to Khalid's post, and that would get you pretty close.

Cheers!
Ross

PS: Thanks for the feedback on the SD buns. Chuffed that you enjoyed them and found the recipe worked for you.

 

Janetcook's picture
Janetcook

Hi Ross,

I do 'forgetting' very well so no problem with your omission. :-)

I simply adapted your 2011 or 2012 IY version to sd using 'my' method which includes a leaven using 15% of the total flour that I build up to volume on the day I mix my doughs and then I included my overnight bulk retard in the refrig. that helps my whole grains absorb more water, increases flavor AND works the best with my schedule.  :-)

I will report back when I get feedback from the people I gave them too....If I remember :-)

Take Care,

Janet

thaliablogs's picture
thaliablogs

Ross, have been trying to go through all the different years' posts to find the recipe for the yeasted ones you say are best, but can't find it! Don't suppose you can post again? I know easter is over but passover finishes tonight and I am keen to bake!