Not THAT kind… but BREAD!
I have gone baking mad! I just love making bread, especially Hot Cross Buns- so much so that I am proving a batch right now to take up to my boyfriend’s parents for Easter.
The fact is I have never been a cook- I made horrible puddings and biscuits when I was a kid that even the dogs wouldn’t eat! So now I am all grown up and happily have some time on my hands I have decided I should read cook books, follow recipes as much as possible, weigh stuff and get the right ingredients so I can make things people (especially myself) would like to eat. Now I think it’s my favourite thing and I do love the eating part too! My lovely man got me Julia Child’s ‘Mastering The Art Of French Cooking’ I & II for my birthday last week as I was obsessing over the inspirational film ‘Julie and Julia’ (if you haven’t seen it, WATCH IT!) and I have been trying the more simple and least expensive recipes from that – I wish I could afford the ingredients for some of the classic French dishes but alas… not right now! But even when I am making an omelette I feel like I am achieving something and I thoroughly enjoy it.
So now I have discovered the joy of cooking and especially baking, I want to share these recipes with you! In fact I have got a few messages asking for my hot cross bun recipe so here goes…
I warn you this is mainly taken from the BBC food website but I changed a few bits and pieces and adding some gabbyisms!
HOT CROSS BUNS (Especially for Easter)
INGREDIENTS:
For the buns
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625g strong white flour
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1 tsp salt
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1½ tsp ground mixed spice1½ tsp ground cinnamon
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45g unsalted butter, cut into cubes, plus extra for greasing
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85g/3oz sugar (normal refined)
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1 lemon (for rind)
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1½ tsp fast-action yeast
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1 free-range egg
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275ml warm milk
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125g mixed dried fruit (I use currants and sultanas but either or any other dried fruit is good)
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- For the topping
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1 tbsp golden syrup, gently heated, for glazingReady..? BAKE!
- Pour the flour, salt, cinnamon and mixed spice into a large mixing bowl, give it a little stir then rub in the butter using your fingertips. Make a well in the centre of the mixture, then add the sugar, finely grate in the lemon rind and yeast.
- Beat the egg and add to the flour with the tepid milk (which I just warmed up in the microwave). Mix together to a form a soft, pliable dough.
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Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Carefully work the mixed dried fruit into the dough until well combined. Knead lightly for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic.
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Grease a large mixing bowl with butter. Shape the dough into a ball and place it into the prepared bowl, then cover with a clean damp tea towel and set aside in a warm place for one hour to prove.
NB, Things to do whilst proving:
Walk your dog, sew a pin cushion, watch an episode of “Location, Location, Location” and wish you could buy a big house! Have a nap (kneading really takes it out of you!) Clean the kitchen and all the tools you have used so far, or make your supper. All of which I have done whilst waiting for the yeast to work it’s magic! - After the hour is up turn out the proved dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knock back and knead the dough for a minute or two. Shape it into a ball again and return it to the bowl, then cover again with the tea towel and set aside for a further 30 minutes to rise.
NB, This is a great time to start a blog about baking bread!! 😉
- Then turn out the dough onto your floured surface and divide it into 12 equal pieces, I did this by rolling it flat and squareish with a rolling pin and cutting it into 12 bits as even as possible. Roll each piece into a ball, then flatten slightly into a bun shape using the palms of your hands. Cover the buns again with the tea towel and set aside to rest for 5-10 minutes.
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Grease a baking tray with butter and transfer the buns to the tray. Wrap the tray with the buns on it
loosely in greaseproof paper then place inside a large polythene bag. Tie the end of the bag tightly so that no air can get in(I didn’t have any so I just went straight for putting the tray in a plastic bag and tried to stop air getting in) and set aside in a warm place for a further 40 minutes to rise. - Preheat the oven to 240C/475F/Gas 8.
NB, If you are worried about your oven getting to the temperature or just generally don’t know it’s actual temp get a handy little oven thermometer they are super cheap and put your mind at ease – as I am in a rented flat I was always guessing with my oven before getting one of these now I know it cooks at the right temp I can be more confident things are cooking!
- Meanwhile, for the topping, mix the plain flour to a smooth paste with 2 tablespoons of cold water and spoon the mixture into a piping bag.
NB, don’t bother with those cheap plastic piping bags they do split and it all gets rather messy (I learnt the hard way) I invested in this pro one last week and find it SO much easier!
- When the buns have risen, remove the bag
and the greaseproof paperand. using the piping bag, pipe a cross on each bun with the flour mixture. - Then put the buns in the middle of the oven and bake for 8-15 minutes, or until pale golden-brown. As soon as you remove the buns from the oven, brush them with the hot golden syrup (again I did this in the microwave), then when they are cool enough to handle set aside to cool on a wire rack.
Then eat, eat, eat with lashings with butter, jam or whatever the hell you want! Stephen likes cheese on his… I believe that’s a northern thing! I was lucky enough to have the Damson jam that our lovely friend Diane Leek made from our garden! YUMMY!
I can’t wait to give these to Stephen’s mum and show what a proper little house wife I can be!! 😉I’m happy to be back on the blogging bus and have a list of other things to blog about from planting up for spring to the amazing freecycle giveaway I got yesterday so I will try and get those up soon too!Take care bakersXox Gabdough xoX
