No knead hot cross bun bread | Bibbyskitchen recipes | Bread (2024)

FAQs

Why is my hot cross bun dough not rising? ›

CHECK YOUR YEAST expiry date – The #1 problem because most people don't bake with yeast very often, and yeast does go off! If your yeast is past its expiry date OR you've kept it in hot humid conditions (instead of fridge or freezer), your dough will not rise.

Why are my hot cross buns so dense? Not kneading the dough long enough results in dense buns. As you knead the dough, the gluten in it stretches, providing the needed structure and texture for the buns. You shouldn't over-knead the dough either.

Can Hot Cross Buns Be Frozen? Yes – after baking let the buns cool. Place them in an airtight container and freeze. The dough can also be frozen but sometimes the dough doesn't rise after freezing.

Teacakes are often larger and flatter with a slightly harder consistency, meaning they can be enjoyed with a range of condiments, including jams and marmalades. A Hot Cross Bun is softer, with more spices baked in, so is often just enjoyed with butter.

“If the dough has risen too long, it's going to feel fragile and might even collapse as you poke it,” says Maggie. If this is the case, there's a chance you can save your dough by giving it a quick re-shape. Learn more about this fix in our blog on saving overproofed dough.

Let your dough proof at a high temperature (80–90°F or 27–32°C) and high humidity (about 75%) for at least 1 to 3 hours, as heat and moisture will make your dough rise faster. Add more yeast, blend in the starter, or knead in more flour to help initiate rising.

Hot cross buns contain a little fat from butter/shortening (around 5%) and are high in carbohydrate so consideration is needed around portion size for people with diabetes. Hot cross bun sizes vary a lot. For example, one commercial variety sold in a 6 pack contains 40g carbohydrate and 920 kJ (220 calories).

They are symbolic of this significant day in the Christian faith when Jesus was crucified. Each bun is decorated with a cross made from flour paste, which represents the cross on which Christ died. The spices in hot cross buns are said to represent the spices that were used to embalm Christ after his death.

British hot cross buns traditionally have the cross made of a flour & water paste then have a shiny apricot glaze added post baking. It adds shine & a little fruity sweetness. It can make them very sticky though!

In 1592, during the reign of Elizabeth I of England, the London Clerk of Markets issued a decree forbidding the sale of hot cross buns and other spiced breads, except at burials, on Good Friday, or at Christmas. The punishment for transgressing the decree was forfeiture of all the forbidden product to the poor.

What is the shelf life of hot cross buns? ›

Hot Cross Buns can typically last 1-2 days at room temperature, but this can be extended if they're kept in a cool, dry area. Once opened or sliced, they should be consumed within a day for optimal freshness. If stored in a refrigerator, they can extend their shelf life to about 7 days.

Get an oven rack, and bake the bread on it. You may also not be allowing your bread To rise fully before you bake it. You should punch your bread down and let it rise at least twice. Poorly risen bread will not brown properly.

Split the hot cross buns and toast them on each side, butter well. Put each bun toasted side up on a plate and spread with a little marmalade.

The French don't do hot cross buns.

If you're in the Paris region, Marks and Spencer's is your saviour with a selection that included a version with chocolate chips instead of raisins for dried-fruit refuseniks. Best of all, they're often reduced in price because their existence confuses Parisians.

HCBs are notorious for shedding chunks in toasters and causing them, if not all the kitchen sockets, to blow. Use the grill. And, no, microwaving them will not have the same effect. Instead, it may reduce your buns to steaming, damp lumps of perilously hot dough.

But almost as good as a proofing box is taking a Mason jar filled halfway up with water, microwaving it for two minutes, then putting your bowl of dough into the microwave with the jar to rise. The other thing you can do is place your lidded container or bowl of dough into a second, larger bowl of warm water.

Yeast is too hot Yeast may have been dissolved in water that was too hot, or the liquid ingredients in the recipe may be too hot, causing the yeast to die. Yeast needs to be warm - not too hot, not too cold. Yeast is too cold If the other ingredients are too cold, it could cause some of the yeast to die.