Bake hot cross buns with Dan Lepard, Mon 29 March, 10.30am to 12.30pm

[GeraldineMumsnet]

We're very glad that baker and food writer Dan Lepard is back for another Mumsnet webchat and bakealong on Monday 29 March from 10.30am to 12.30pm.

This time, as it's nearly Easter, Dan will be making hot cross buns. You can see his recipe for easy hot cross buns, plus lovely picture of a batch he made earlier here.

While Dan's (and your) buns are in the oven , he will answer questions and swap tips about baking, 1001 ways with yeast, and the like.

Please share a picture of the finished result on your profile, so we can all gawp in admiration.

If you don't have time to bake but still want to quiz Dan, please join us anyway.

And, of course, if you can't make it on Monday but have a question you'd like to ask Dan, please post it here.

[thumbbunny]

I have just made these hot cross buns ready for tomorrow - and used spelt flour instead of ordinary. They look a bit darker but jolly good - DH is already salivating to try one! The only minor sadness is that the spelt flour crosses appear to have gone quite brown as well. But I'm sure they'll taste just fine, even if they don't look quite perfect. [bugrin]

[haninka]

Hi Dan,
I started with GF baking just few months ago and I am not sure if using Original pudding Dr.Oetker- Vanila is coeliac safe?
I am coeliac myself and I feel fine after eating Dr. Oetker puddings.The product itsself is made just from cornstarch+natural flavours and colours but it's made in a factory which works also with milk and wheat.
Do you have any experiences with these products?
And if yes are these products safe for all coeliacs?

Thank you
H.

[GeraldineMumsnet]

Calling MayOnnaise (and anyone who needs a gluten-free fruit bread recipe).

Have a look at this gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan-ready fruited bread recipe by David Whitehouse on Dan's site.

It was inspired by MayOnnaise but incorporates lots of suggestions other people made on this thread.

Thanks David

[MarthaFarquhar]

bit late, but I just wanted to say thanks for the ace recipe. DD and I have just finished making them, and I am now off for a little lie down after eating too many.

pics on profile

[senua]

I lurve hot cross buns but shop-bought ones can be disappointing, they are flabby and full of air.

I have just made these HCB and they are gorgeous. They are doughy & chewy and yet, at the same time, light as a feather.

Thanks, Dan, for an easy but fabulous recipe.

[HCBunBaker]

Thank you guys! I will check out those recipes and make some notes for Thurs pm.

[midnightexpress]

HCB, Nigella has a recipe for HCBs in 'Feast' which looks similar to Dan's, except she uses bread flour rather than normal flour, and she recommends leaving it overnight in the fridge.

[MayOnnaise]

HCB: Have a look at this recipe that I have also tried from Dan, its an overnight rise in the fridge, so you save time the next day. These are also very good too :-)

www.danlepard.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=723

[HCBunBaker]

Dan, was wondering this afternoon, if we wanted to have these fresh baked on Friday morning, would it be possible to leave the shaped buns proving in the fridge overnight ready to bake in the morning?

[MmeLindt]

Thanks Dan and MNHQ for a fun afternoon.

Interesting to see how we all made slightly different variations of the same recipe.

They are delicious, shared them with my neighbour and the DC want to take them tomorrow for gôuter (school snack).

[midnightexpress]

Oh your buns all look magnificent! I am inspired.

Thanks for the tips Dan. Come back soon.

[gillthepainter]

You're good at piping HCBBaker.
They look wonderful.

[MayOnnaise]

Gill: Looking good :-)

Dan: If you try the GF Hot cross loaf recipe, let me know if you make any changes or adjustments to ingreds or method, I would be interested to know. As I said my Coeliac friend ate it sliced and toasted, and froze the remaining slices to eat later.

[HCBunBaker]

Mine are uploaded to. Have read the links instruction now and hope that this will work.

HCBuns

[gillthepainter]

And here we go, they're on my profile too. You can see how big they are next to the freezer clip:

picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/eRn6sN58pX23EsLGDMYfvw?feat=directlink

[gillthepainter]

I've brushed mine with beaten egg white and water for the last 5 mins (OH doesn't like sticky glazes too much)

[MayOnnaise]

Have patience, they will!! Mine were so big they needed a little longer than I would normally give them in the oven (normally do them 20, perhaps 5 mins more...which was Dans given time!!)

BebeJones, yours looked great too :-)

[gillthepainter]

nearly there May-O. I'm worried the ones in the middle aren't browning .........

[Slubberdegullion]

eveyones look like proper buns.

mine look like hot cross scones.

never mind

[MayOnnaise]

Gill, mine were too! They still had a lot of rising power when they hit the oven, and got BIGGER!!! Looking forward to seeing your pics...

[gillthepainter]

Delicious, Slubberdegullion.
I bet the apricots taste great in there.

[gillthepainter]

Lovely pictures so far, HCBBaker. Looking forward to seeing the finished results.

Just turned the buns round in the oven, mine are enormous, 15mins to go.

[Slubberdegullion]

Mine are done and photographed and partially eaten.

hmm they don't look as lovely and raised as yours bebejones.

maybe it was the apricots.

they tasted bloody yum though.

[MayOnnaise]

Gill: mine turned out like monsters, I thought I would stick to instructions as it was the first time, next time, I will probably make 16 smaller ones as I normally do out of a 1/2kg flour mix. I must have speeded my yeast up, as I was behind at the start, and now mine are done, but it is warm here, and mine rose enough inside 1 hour, not 90mins.

Dan: I always use a snipped off freezer bag, that is why my crosses look runnier :-)