The FastDay Forum

There were several requests for a HCB recipe on one of the other threads, so here is my version - dead easy and cheap as chips - but quite delicious!

http://nobreadisanisland.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/hot-cross-buns-spicy-fruit-buns.html

Since this is the 5:2 Diet Recipes board, I'll do a calorie counted version shortly - just in case you fancy one on your fasting day!

Thank you for sharing your recipe Breadandwine. I adore hot cross buns with loads of butter but refuse to buy them after Christmas when they first appear in the shops here. I will make these on Friday to enjoy over the Easter weekend.

thanks for this recipe - made these for t today ( as a practice for easter lol) they were delicious

I can make them with my sourdough starter, can't I?

thanks for this recipe - made these for t today ( as a practice for easter lol) they were delicious

Excellent - thanks for the feedback!

I can make them with my sourdough starter, can't I?

Don't see why not!

Just proceed as normal, but add all your spices/sugar/fruit, instead of the salt, to the flour. The second proving might take a bit longer since the yeast has a bit more work to do.

Or: Have a look at this recipe from The Fresh Loaf:

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/keyword/sourdough-vs-yeasted-hot-cross-buns

Let us know how you do them and how they turn out.

Good luck!

Monday is a fasting day for me, but I think I'll give those a try this week. Thanks!

Thank you! So many of the commercial hot cross buns here in Aus have palm oil in them, I think it's best we all make our own not to mention they'll taste better straight out of the oven.

Thank you. I've also just discovered most of the bought hot cross buns in Aus have palm oil in them, and was about to hunt for a recipe. Think I"m going to try soaking the fruit in red wine too - sounds like a great idea!
(though looking at the recipe while fasting is a bit hard... think I might make a trial batch tomorrow.)

Thanks, folks - and greetings to Australia!

I spent 12 happy years in the RAAF and I have fond memories of my time there!

I've got a batch of HCBs proving as I write, but I won't be tasting them straight out of the oven - I'm on a 24 hour fast, ATM! (Only 1 hour 31 minutes to go and then I can eat normally. I'm maintaining my weight, so I have one full on fasting day - Wed, for me - and one day where I do 24 hour without food and then a normal meal.)

But I'll have one this evening. Actually, I've made half the batch into Chelsea buns, and, since my MIL ,who's staying with us loves glace cherries, I've included some in the Chelseas.

You really can ring the changes with this recipe. I've got some cranberries for the next batch I make - and, as my daughter is coming down sometime over Easter, I'll have to make some with chocolate chips instead of dried fruit! She doesn't like the stuff! <sigh>

I'd like to know how the sourdough ones go too since I'm tempted to make them on Friday for the weekend. I made sourdough crumpets on Sunday since I was giving Sammy, my starter, a bit of a feeding boost last week. Delicious!

Hi Applespider

Nice to see someone using the discard (I'm presuming a bit here) instead of ditching it as is the usual advice!

Next time you make them, have a go at these:

http://nobreadisanisland.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/sourdough.html

You'll need to scroll down to the 12th of May.

Cheers, B&W

You'd be right. Saved the discard, added some sugar, salt and some bicarb of soda and ta da.... I had crumpets.

As a Scot, what you call pikelets, I call drop scones... and yes, they are good too.

I notice though that you have a really wet starter... double water to flour ratio? How do you find it? I keep my starter at a 100% hydration - equal amounts of flour/water.
You do have less water in the final dough though so perhaps it evens out.

My standard white bread recipe (makes two 500g loaves)
200g starter (100g flour, 100g water added to 50g starter the night before)
315g water
1tsp salt
500g strong white flour (I used Waitrose Leckford Estate Strong bread flour)

Great stuff!

Just to say I make pikelets because I'm too impatient to wait for crumpets. Plus I don't have any crumpet rings!

About the starter, I don't think it matters as long as you know how much flour and water it contains. I get annoyed by recipes which asks for '200g starter' as if all starters were equal!

I'm not a consistent sourdough breadmaker - I go through phases when I get really keen on the stuff. But I'm someone who, in the end, prefers the predictability of commercial yeast.

So, more than one of my starters has ended up down the sink over the years, I'm afraid, after I've neglected it to death!

Oh yum, just made your recipe, and it's a winner! This was the pre Easter test run, will make some more on Friday. Thank you

About the starter, I don't think it matters as long as you know how much flour and water it contains. I get annoyed by recipes which asks for '200g starter' as if all starters were equal!

I'm not a consistent sourdough breadmaker - I go through phases when I get really keen on the stuff. But I'm someone who, in the end, prefers the predictability of commercial yeast.

So, more than one of my starters has ended up down the sink over the years, I'm afraid, after I've neglected it to death!

Your poor starter! I haven't lost one yet... 3.5 years in but I do have some dried as an emergency back up.. just in case. I am more scared of commercial yeast - to me, it's far too demanding in terms of requiring more exact timings. My little 'Sammy' sourdough and I just rub along with what feels right!

I did find a recipe for sourdough hot cross buns on the Fresh Loaf although I adapted it a little to include the Earl Grey/Cointreau mix that I'd soaked the fruit in and a couple of egg yolks...

Here are the final results... my modifications did mean I ended up with more than intended but hey, there are now some in the freezer for weekend treats.