Saturday Baking (The Hot Cross Bun Recipe!)

I got an email from Bon Appetit which had a link for a No-Knead Focaccia Bread. I love the Jim Lahey 18 Hour No-Knead Bread. I started the recipe last night, yes this is what I do on a Friday night.
The dough rose perfectly overnight in the fridge. The result was nice focaccia risen to a good height to be used in this coming week's Meatball Sub dinner and Sausage and Pepper dinner. Click here for the Bon Appetit Recipe.

Wednesday was the start of Lent which means it is Hot Crossed Bun Season!!! I have my Mom's recipe. My sister also uses this recipe. The Buns are great. The dough is beautiful to work with. The rise is always perfect and the flavor is well we make this recipe every year so that means it is always delicious!

My Mom's Hot Cross Buns Recipe -

Ingredients-
2 envelopes active dry yeast
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup seedless raisins
4 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Lemon Icing (recipe at the end)

Method-

1. Sprinkle yeast into warm water in a large bowl. ("warm" water should feel comfortably warm when dropped on the wrist.) Stir until yeast dissolves.
2. Melt butter in a small saucepan; remove from heat. Stir in evaporated milk, sugar and salt until sugar dissolves; stir into yeast mixture.
3. Beat eggs in a small bowl; stir into yeast mixture with raisins,
4. Sift 2 cups of the flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg over yeast mixture; beat until smooth, then stir in just enough of remaining 2 1/2 cups flour to make a soft dough.
5. Turn out onto a lightly floured board; knead until smooth and elastic, adding only enough flour to keep the dough from sticking.
6. Place in a greased bowl; brush top lightly with butter; cover with a clean towel. Let rise in a warm place, away from draft, 1 hour, or until double in bulk.
7. Punch dough down; turn out onto a lightly floured board; cut into 18 equal size pieces. Shape each lightly into a ball; place in a greased baking pan, 13 x 9 x 2.
8. Cover with a clean towel; let rise in a warm place, away from draft, 45 minutes, or until double in bulk.
9. Bake in moderate oven (375˚) 30 minutes, or until golden brown; remove pan; cool on a wire rack.
10. Make Lemon Icing; drizzle from tip of knife or spoon over buns to make crosses.

 

Lemon Icing - Blend 1 cup unsifted confectioners powdered sugar with 4 teaspoons of milk, 1/4 teaspoon on vanilla and 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract in a small ball. Makes about 1/2 cup.

A little bit of baking...

In all fairness I must state that I started these breads on Friday and Saturday. But this is what I had to work with at this morning -

 And this is what I ended up with -

 Let me introduce you to the line up -

 

The Rye Bread is from the Jim Lahey book, My Bread: The Revolutionary No Knead Bread Method.

The Pain a l"Ancienne is from Food 52.

The Hot Cross Bun is a recipe I got from my sister who got it from.... my Mom! This dough is wonderful to work with it and just smells so good. And the finished product... well my sister and I make them every year so that has to say something.

And this is my entry for BYOB Bake Your Own Bread!

 

 Okay where's the butter?

 

Oh yes and I almost forgot about dinner. Last night I made extra Aborio rice to go with our dinner. I am making a casserole that you will see later this week. After preparing the casserole this morning (I do most my by cooking on Sundays for the upcoming week) I still had a bit of rice. So I made Rice Balls. I remember Julie, I work with her, saying she baked her rice balls instead of frying them. I gave it a try. I had some of the amazing sauce from the Osso Bucco that I did not want to waste so I combined it with the Rice Balls and dinner was served, along with a big salad.