Hot Cross Buns

One week ago, I sat about moping the failure of my hot cross bun attempt. Do you know the deliciousness that is a hot cross bun? These buns are an Easter staple in many countries, one of those being South Africa. I can remember eating many a hot cross bun purchased from the grocery store in shiny silver trays. It's not available all year, only around Easter time. They're delicious cinnamony-spiced dough buns that are OH, SO GOOD warm with a little butter. Since our boys were born I've been into continuing traditions that Keith and I both enjoyed as children. Fairly easy to do in Keith's sake. He grew up with Easter Bunny and egg hunts and the like. I remember most holidays in SA being celebrated on a much smaller scale, and most of all, at Easter time I remember these buns. And hollow chocolate eggs that were covered in a thick candy shell. Oh, and something about a resurrection or something or the other, but mostly, the buns.

A local coffee & bread chain offered hot cross buns last year, and since I stop at this place at least once a week [Karen, you know where I'm talking about!], I saw the buns on display last year. I was tempted to buy some, but then thought that surely I could make these buns. I've said it before, but I'm either really dumb or really ambitious, because I have no break making experience, and I thought I could do this, no problem. 

So last year I made a batch. I meant to post about it, but things were a little hectic back then. And I had a little Coley clinging to my legs the entire time. Truthfully I held him during most of the bread making, and put him down here so my arm could rest. He's like a koala on a mommatree, that kid.

I judge all my cooking and baking by Keith's responses. The 2009 batch must have been pretty good, because he ate more than one, and he did so without slathering it with butter. To me the buns tasted like metal, so it was no good. Plus they browned too much on top. Too crispy, too metaly. I did let the dough balls proof on the old metal cookie sheet, so maybe that's there the metal taste came from? 

Now on to this year. Keith was away babysitting for some friends we trade babysitting with, and after I got the boys in bed I took advantage of the opportunity to bake without him coming into the kitchen 5-8 times an hour asking "is it ready yet?". I could not find the recipe I used last year, so the Mr. G.oogle and I found this recipe.

And we gave it a go. The recipe seemed really, really easy. Almost too easy. I mixed, kneaded, and let rise. Then rolled the dough into balls and let rise again. While the dough rose I did my duty and finished off the last bit of wine in the fridge and watched a home decorator show on TV. 

I don't know if it was the wine or the fact that I can complete control over the TV, but the last hour of letting the dough rise passed very quickly. It was time to bake. Into the over they went, back to the couch I went. My show wasn't over yet. With 7:08 on the timer left, I went to check on the dough babies.All seemed to be going well. At this point I was fairly impressed with myself for making such good looking buns. 

But just over 7 minutes later I pulled out these. Keith's timing is impeccable, and he showed up right before they came out. We had not yet put the sweet dough crosses across the top, but decided to taste one. You know, to make sure they were OK for the kids to eat. 

My happiness was a little premature. The buns looked pretty good, but were dry, kinda hard and completely bland. Except for the occasional raison or currant, it was doughy dryness. To give you a sense of how bad they were, let's just say that even slathered with honey butter, and I mean really slathered, Keith barely finished one. 

We did still eat one on Easter morning, I suppose if its conceivable to believe that the Easter Bunny brings candy and toys, then I could also hope he brings flavor to the buns? He did not. The rest of the buns are now in the freezer awaiting their resurrection into a bread pudding the next time I feel ambitious in the kitchen.

So I want to know. Does anyone have a hot cross bun recipe or bread making tips to share? As with the half marathon, I have no desire to repeat this now, but time will dull this memory, and I'll surely want to try it again.