Mary Berry is wrong about hot cross buns

[rosebud5678]

Saw in the paper this week that Mary Berry, aka the Queen of Baking, has said in an interview that hot cross buns are very difficult to get right. She goes on to recommend that the best thing to do is buy them at the supermarket!

I'm no expert, but I manage to make them very successfully most years - they are really not much harder than bread! Yes - there are some things which it's definitely NOT worth trying to make yourself, and yes - I've had my fair share of homemade disasters. I just don't think hot cross buns fall into that category.

I'm also slightly disappointed that MB is promoting this view when surely her role is to encourage us all to have a go in he kitchen. Maybe she's sponsored by Waitrose?

Who's with me?

Super easy - better from home too

Would you like to share your recipe @rosebud5678? I fancy making hot cross buns and my usual recipe (an old good housekeeping one) is fine but a little heavy. Better than supermarket hot cross buns but not as good as our local bakery.

I’ve made them many times and enjoy them, and I also like making a HXB loaf. I haven’t found them hard to produce in a way that I like. But maybe she (and I’m sure others do too) just prefers the texture/flavour of mass-produced ones? They are different because they are made differently and it’s hardly a crime

And agree they are pretty easy and it is lovely to have them fresh.

They look super!

They look lovely! Mind sharing the recipe? This might be the year to give it a try since I can't justify a trip to the shops just for hot cross buns.

Mary Berry's recipies never seem to come out quite right for me, always a bit off. Have her book but not using anymore. Maybe I have a heavy hand or something.

Maybe she means her HCB recipie is too hard!

It's a BBC Good Food recipe:
www-bbcgoodfood-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/hot-cross-buns?amp&usqp=mq331AQRKAGYAbDGhaeLwdr91wGwASA%3D&amp_js_v=a2&amp_gsa=1#referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbcgoodfood.com%2Frecipes%2Fhot-cross-buns

My modifications are:

• soak the sultanas in orange juice before adding
• add all ingredients except sultanas into the dough at the start. This makes it easier to spread out the spices evenly
• Instead of jam, I brush with warmed golden syrup

I made that recipe yesterday. They were brilliant. I added 2 teaspoons of mixed spice, an extra teaspoon of cinimon and some extra sultanas. All changes recommend by the reviews.

You are right, OP.
MN had a webchat with Dan Lepard about HCB a few years ago (OMG it was 10 years ago where has my life gone!?) and his recipe works for me, though I must confess that I had disappointing supermarket HCB this morning.

I'm an experienced baker and my hot cross buns always work, but I just don't think that they're worth the effort, in all honesty. Most baking is infinitely superior to supermarket versions, but I just don't feel that way about HCBs 🤷‍♀️

I would make them but I don't have the ingredients at the moment. Luckily I had to go to Sainsbury's to get a prescription yesterday so managed to pick up a shedload. Yes I did stockpile HCBs because they're bloody lovely!

I’m 39 weeks pregnant and I don’t have all the ingredients in either so I’m not going out for them. However our road is doing a joint order from a local bakery so we have some coming later

I've never got them as soft as supermarket buns. They're always fine but I think they are best viewed as a different bun to the supermarket ones.

I think that’s right soupdragon - and maybe MB just prefers the supermarket style ones

Where do you prove your dough? I don't have an airing cupboard and I'm still looking for a suitable spot.

I agree - they are easy to make. Yum.

lovely idea BUT

THEY NEED YEAST

which is not available anywhere for any price.

I got my buns from asda

@BaronessBomburst they'll prove fine at room temperature, especially in this warm weather. Putting them somewhere warm like and airing cupboard just speeds up the proving, but it's not essential. If I'm impatient I sometimes turn the oven onto it's lowest setting - like between off and 50C and stick them in there.

I'll give it a go! Thank you.

They are much nicer made at home but I can never be bothered and get bored putting the crosses on.

I don't actually like Mary Berry recipes though and think her main dishes are bland and puddings are too sweet.

Maybe she just means her recipe is no good.

By the way, Sainsbury's choc and caramel HCBs. Yum!

I have a sunny windowsill in the front room that I use for dough proving - works a charm.

HCBs work well at home but are a bit of an effort, if I’m going to make a sweet/enriched dough it’s a Cornish saffron bun for me every time