My hot cross buns are more like cold grumpy buns. Anyone got a foolproof recipe?

[Flibbertyjibbet]

I used delias recipe from her yeast cookery section.
Anyone got a good recipe that maybe uses self raising flour instead? Or let me have your yeast based recipe and I'll have a go at that tomorrow.

Try 2 sachets of yeast, and I make the dough nice and wet, not hard and dry.

All recipes are similar -sweet yeast dough: strong flour, butter (NOT MARGE) spices, sugar, eggs, milk, dried fruit.

is your yeast too old?

Thanks ladies, my yeast is not old, its the stuff I use every day in my breadmaker that needs activating first with warm liquids - looks like the top of a beer! Delias recipe did seem to take a lot of yeast so double is probably right.

We don't even have marge in the house, always use butter.

BUT, I did think the dough was too wet so I added quite an extra bit of flour. Is it ok to have it stuck all over my hands and the worktop when I'm doing the neading and knockback stages?

AND delia just says 'flour' so I used plain flour. I did wonder how it would rise if no gluten... will try it a bit wetter with bread flour this weekend.

I have salvaged last nights, they are soaking in an milk and egg mixture to make hot cross bread and butter pud for tonight

For the first rise of any sweet yeast dough, I make mix very wet and "knead" in v large bowl, without puttiing on table, yes, wet sticky hands. Then cut into buns with floured hands and place on tray for second rise.
Deff bread flour!

I like the "hot cross bread and butter pud" is that hot cross buns or hot cross cook?

Thanks logged out I just treated myself to one of those huge mason cash mixing bowls so I'll use that to make some more tomorrow.

We have wooden oiled worktops and they are not good for any kind of rolling out or neading on.

The hot cross bread and butter pud was lovely. The cook is not so much hot and cross as fat and bloated now!