Inspired by Nigel's Buns, I thought I would experiment, as a Good Friday treat to some of my friends, and make my own HCBs. (Hot Cross Buns).
Bread requires patience, and patience, is something I lack tremendously. Just ask the wife. I am as fidgety as an overdosed caffeine addict, and shun anything that requires waiting and watching for more than 5 minutes. Looking at the various recipes for HCBs made me feel slightly faint. All require proofing of the dough, and letting it rise to double the volume, and then knocking down, and then proofing again, and then shaping, and then proofing!!! ARGH!!!! There's more proof required than a criminal trying to get himself acquitted for blowing up people from northern asia.
Anyway, for the love of my friends, and an pent up desire, accumulated over 5-6 years, I decided to attempt and followed two recipes, one by Donna Hay, and one by Nigel Skelchy, both my gurus (except one I've never met)..... truth be told, Nigel's recipe trumps Donna's any day. Even though mine didn't turn out the way his did.
For starters, I felt my buns didnt rise as beautifully as Nigel's.... could be the lack of kneading and stimulation. Also, I added the shrivelled grapes at the wrong time. And then, to my horror, my CROSSes disappeared after baking....
So by the time they got to my friends, they were COLD, CROSSLESS, SAGGING BUNS...
Bread requires patience, and patience, is something I lack tremendously. Just ask the wife. I am as fidgety as an overdosed caffeine addict, and shun anything that requires waiting and watching for more than 5 minutes. Looking at the various recipes for HCBs made me feel slightly faint. All require proofing of the dough, and letting it rise to double the volume, and then knocking down, and then proofing again, and then shaping, and then proofing!!! ARGH!!!! There's more proof required than a criminal trying to get himself acquitted for blowing up people from northern asia.
Anyway, for the love of my friends, and an pent up desire, accumulated over 5-6 years, I decided to attempt and followed two recipes, one by Donna Hay, and one by Nigel Skelchy, both my gurus (except one I've never met)..... truth be told, Nigel's recipe trumps Donna's any day. Even though mine didn't turn out the way his did.
For starters, I felt my buns didnt rise as beautifully as Nigel's.... could be the lack of kneading and stimulation. Also, I added the shrivelled grapes at the wrong time. And then, to my horror, my CROSSes disappeared after baking....
So by the time they got to my friends, they were COLD, CROSSLESS, SAGGING BUNS...
The cross is visible on some of the buns.
Anyway, I decided I simply HAD to attempt them again.
Didn't bother with the Donna Hay recipe this time, and concentrated on the masterbaker's one instead. (with some slight variation...as I couldn't be bothered to get some of the ingredients listed). Okay, 2nd attempt was slightly better, but again, due to lack of patience, which requires weighing each bun to get uniform size, I couldn't be bothered, and used the agak agak method, so my buns weren't all the same size. But aiya, okay la.
But yeah, kneading is not such a bad thing. Neither is proofing, coz you can actually go and watch one episode of Heroes or Grey's Anatomy while waiting....
Anyway, the above picture is taken by the QUEEN OF THE DSLR.... this is why she's the queen...she can make anything look good hor....
27 comments:
I'd still eat them both! =D
Bring some later, pretty pls? :-)
** HAPPY EASTER, every1 **
aiya not bad lah .. cross or not, least perfect with a cuppa hot coffee/tea/milo/whatever ....
got free samples not? guinea pig here.
Okay wert...I'd buy them ;)
eh...pretty lah...VERY uniform considering you didn't weigh em. :-) The crosses ok waaatttttt
And you need to give me a couple for grading ;-) HAHHAHAHA nooo laaaa...I voluntered to show you di ;-)
Use the same dough (omit spices) for cinnamon rolls :-)
Am flattered you decided to try my recipe ;-)
Good hot buns is so enticing. As long as it taste good ... unless its for sale.
my goodness..if saggy old buns look this good..then i thank watever is up in the sky bcos i almost imagined nitemares 20 years dwn the road where saggy would b the middle name..
They looked quite erect to me when I had them. Thanks tangechi.
All hail Queen DSLR for her wonderful picture!
And kudos to the Fabulous FBB for ensuring the Queen gets her supply of erections, er, erected buns, I mean. :P
first attempt... consider yourself Ok la... don't be too hard on yourself. After all, perfection requires lotsa practice. I'm sure you can do it... soon!
Oh FBB, your buns still look pertily beautiful to meeee. Homemade, rustic and looking like they were made with love and not fistfuls of frustration! :-)
I am like you when it comes to bread - buy them!
aiyah, fbb, your buns look good la. virginal attempt summore. if me, i dun think i can even make em erect liddat. and knowing you, i'm very sure they were very tasty.
ohhh..any left???can i order some?? 1st attempt batch also nvrmd!
TNG, haha, order from nigel la, his are really good. no more left ler...i made to give my church friends. not making to sell.
hairy berry, i feel like i havent seen you in years!!! haha, well, i was God's instrument. when wife passed some to a friend at easter service, he quickly zipped out and ate one, and told me, he was starving, and was wondering how God was going to feed him.
paps, yalar, buy bread buy bread!!!
thule, well, the next practice will be NEXT easter...how's baby? must be very cute.
kgboycitygal, haha, next time ya. no more oridi.
LFB, yeah, thamby was the only heathen who received them.
thamby, you're welcome.
nipple joe, which part were you worried might be saggy? (as in of your anatomy)
world windows, haha, not for commercial use yet. for consumption amongst friends...
nigel, of course want to follow must follow the best ma.
unka, awww, that is sooo unusually sweet of you ...
j2kfm, you're right man, toasted, with a slab of butter and hot coffee, they were rather blissful.
jules, habis liao...
babe, awww, u too kind...
Where's the sagging part?? They still look pretty deluxe to me! They're handmade Hot cross buns, not play doh cookies, perfection is overrated!
super duper cute but feisty and a lil impatient :) but, still my daughter..
haha i wonder i wonder..which part of MY anatomy..or HER anatomy...
cross them buns with sugar and gold and see what the future holds.. Me thinks the future holds great things! Nicely done fbb..!
Agree with all...they all look good to me ;-) Next time, I pass you recipe, tell me when you wanna make...will come over to run you through it...
Not that you really need any help...
;-)
You got nice buns and you cannot lie... why only BFF gets to try one? What about the rest of us?
qwazymonkey, coz so happened thamby was picking up some other stuff that morning lor...anyway, i oso shy shy to let everyone try my untested buns ma.
nigel, awww, you are the sweetest. hugs...no wonder you're my baking idol. you and allan...
ciki, but at the end of the day, i wont do bread. unless got machine.
nipples, i think for the "hers", its a given.... guffaw...
thule, awww, enjoy enjoy, they grow so fast...[teary eyed, thinking about how my baby girl is now 10 yrs old oridi]
550ml, hahah, YUP, that's how i feel, perfection IS overrated.
oh FBB! they look good enough to pinch out of my screen!!! :P heeh you made me hungry between brekkie and lunch time. not good. :P i should know better than to visit your lovely blog between my feeding times! LOL! they look good la!
cheers,
ken.
i didn't get to try the XBUNZ.. why?
ciki, after tasting nigels buns...tasting mine would be like eating lumpfish roe afer having beluga caviar.
kenneth, you're such a sweetie. well, you lucky mah, your cousin such a great baker...just ask him for some la.
Oohh...yr buns look good :-P I'd try them any day, lol! Ahh... makes me wanna go knead and bake some now!
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