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.

[gillthepainter]

picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/UsdKoutdO91Qa__qiC_3sw?feat=directlink

and I'm at the warming the bowl stage now:

picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ZUW6YuYdIKXsVRHPNKSHxg?feat=directlink

[FaintlyMacabre]

Hello Dan- sorry I can't join in this morning, but I am going to make this recipe of yours later this week.

A question about GF baking though- where do you find tapioca flour? I am going to attempt some GF HCBs as well, but my recipe requires tapioca flour. My local Tesco does rice and potato flour but not tapioca. Any ideas?

[bebejones]

Am at the 90min resting stage now. Have found a recipe for chocolate HCBs so will adapt this one later in the week & make some of those too. Think one batch is enough for today!

[gillthepainter]

Chocolate sounds wonderful bebejones.

Mine have fresh ginger, sultanas and are made with camomile tea for the water

Fast kneading stage here: picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/HOEQaqJ9Z-RofNmwmFmosw?feat=directlink

[MmeLindt]

Mine are rising, should be finished now. Good thing about these webchats is that I could look up when I last posted.

Went for a run so have earned my hcb today.

[gillthepainter]

Resting for 45mins now, before shaping into individual rounds

picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/4gTuZMxrJK_8mvIuDjewvg?feat=directlink

[bebejones]

Camomile tea sounds nice, Earl Grey might be good too perhaps?

[gillthepainter]

A run MmeLint.
I'd say you've earned your hcb yes.

Hi bebejones, early grey would be very good, I love that tea.

[DanLepard]

I'm here, not quite ready but here we go...

bebejones, yes they can be frozen. As soon as they're cold, stick them in a plastic bag and seal it well, then freeze. As Easter is coming up they'll last till then, though they're will be fine for 1 - 3 months. I tend to reheat them in a hot oven at 180c (160 fan) for 20 minutes, with a little foil over them to stop them burning.

FaintlyMacabre, buy tapioca flour at WingYip or in Chinatown (hope that's helpful). You can use angel delight (!!!) as that contains tapioca and I think is GF (??).

Off to the kitchen to catch up now...

[Slubberdegullion]

Morning Dan.

I am at stage 6 already [swot] but have veered off course slightly with your ingredients (raisin fail and mixed peel in fridge looking a bit rough) so have gone for 300g chpped dried apricots. Hope this is OK.

[MmeLindt]

Yes, I am feeling rather smug this morning.

It is ironing avoidance tbh.

Buns formed. Slightly worrying that I weighed them to make sure they were the right size. Not sure if they are rolled tightly enough.

[Slubberdegullion]

gah I see loads of people are already WAY ahead of me

[HCBunBaker]

Still mixing up spices. Hope I'm not too late.

[bebejones]

MmeLindt - I weighed one too to guage size! Not sure mine were tightly rolled but did the best I could with my 19month old clinging to my leg!

[DanLepard]

CMOTdibbler, I don't have a GF HXB recipe to hand but I like the look of the HX Loaf recipe MayOnnaise posted earlier - so much so that I'll be making it later this week, for my friend Wendy who is acutely allergic to wheat!

[gillthepainter]

15 mins I'll be at stage 8, the shaping slubberdegullion.
I won't quite have enough time to draw them out of the oven in time I don't think.

Hi Dan
Hi HCBunBaker

[midnightexpress]

Sorry I can't join in this morning, but I'm following everyone's exploits with interest and will make some of my own later in the week when my sous chefs are back from nursery.

[GeraldineMumsnet]

Dan's just mixing the yeast and water and weighing out other ingredients. He'll be back on the thread soon.

(MmeLindt, congrats on the run.)

[HCBunBaker]

Dan, are there pictures somewhere? (or will there be?).

[DanLepard]

Incidentally, if anyone's looking for the recipe, it's at www.mumsnet.com/food/bake-day-hot-cross-buns

Slubberdegullion, your chopped apricots should be lovely. Hi gillthepainter, good to see you here, and hi to everyone who was also at my last bake day.

[gillthepainter]

Yes, thank you May-Onnaise. I'd have missed this otherwise, Midnight Express.

[Slubberdegullion]

Resting in airing cupboard on top of the bowl of water stage.

buns not me.

[GeraldineMumsnet]

Yes, there will be pix. Will twitpic some of them during the chat and then will add some to the recipe page afterwards.

[MmeLindt]

Earl grey tea sounds lovely. Think I will have one as I write my blog. I will put the pics on there as I go along. Save putting them on my profile here, if that is ok, MNHQ?

[GeraldineMumsnet]

oh, and forgot to say we're in Carrie's kitchen again. Last time there was thick snow outside, today just a bit damp.