The one yeast bread worth a try

Press, 11 April 1979, Page 21

The one yeast bread worth a try

Home & Fteople

Even though you may not make yeast breads regularly, it is worth making Hot Cross Buns at Easter. When you work with yeast mixtures, remember that the handling of the dough is as important as the ingredients. The speed at which the dough rises depends on the temperature.

In low temperatures, yeast works slowly, and ihe dough takes longer to rise. At temperatures around body temperature, the yeast works much more quickly, and the rising time is reduced.

If, however you warm yeast mixtures so that they are much hotter than body temperature, you may kill the yeast (which is a living organism). Once the yeast is killed, the dough will stop rising. Remembering these facts, try to keep the dough comfortably warm, from the time you mix it

until the time when the puffy, risen buns are put into the oven. Ingredients: i cup bakers yeast or 1 tablespoon dry yeast granules J cup warm water j cup sugar 50g butter IJ cups milk 1 j teaspoons salt 4 cups (approximately) Hour 2 teaspoons cinnamon 2 teaspoons mixed spice J cup dried fruit Mix the yeast and lukewarm water in a large bowl. Add half the sugar, and leave the mixture to stand for a few minutes until it is bubbly. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the milk, heat until it is lukewarm, then stir in the remaining sugar and the salt. Put the flour into a roasting pan and warm it to body temperature in the oven. Add the warm milk to the yeast mixture, then

beat into this about two cups of the warmed flour, the cinnamon, the spice and the dried fruit (currants, sultanas, or mixed dried fruit). Beat well with a wooden spoon, then cover the bowl with a piece of plastic film and stand it in a sink of warm (body temperature) water, until it is twice its original volume.

Add more of the measured, warmed flour until the dough is firm enough to turn out onto a floured surface for kneading. Keep the dough as soft as possible.

Knead thoroughly for 4 to 5 minutes, until it feels springy when you push your finger into it, Using a sharp knife, cut the dough in half, then quarters, then into 20 to 24 pieces. Form each into a ball, and put these on greased oven trays (or into greased cake tins) leaving space for rising.

Cover lightly with plastic film and stand in the sun. or in a turned off but slightly warm oven until they have risen to twice their size.

Meanwhile, mix two tablespoons of flour with one tablespoon of oil and about one tablespoon of water. Pul this in a small plastic bag. When buns have risen, cut the corner from the plastic bag and squeeze a cross onto each bun.

Bake in a hot oven 220 degrees Celsius (425 degrees Farenheit) for 10 to 15 minutes, until tops are brown. While buns cook, warm two tablespoons of sugar with two tablespoons of water until the sugar dissolves. Brush this over the buns as soon as they come out of the oven. Freeze buns as soon as they are cold, if desired. Reheat buns before serving.