How Can I Get My Hot Cross Buns To Rise More?

Our answer

Nigella's Hot Cross Buns (from FEAST) are made with an enriched bread dough that includes milk, butter and eggs. The dough will therefore never be quite as light and airy as some breads, particularly with the dried and candied fruit mixture. Hot cross buns generally will not be as light as regular breads.

However, the dough should rise. We are not sure if the dough just did not rise initially or after shaping. If the dough did not rise initially then it is usually due to the yeast. Even overnight in the fridge the dough should rise. Check that the yeast is in date. The recipe uses 7g (¼ ounce) of easy-blend yeast, which is the fast-acting or instant type of yeast (sometimes called breadmaker yeast) that has very fine grains and is designed to be stirred straight into the flour. The amount of 7g is usually sufficient for up to 500g (4 cups) of bread flour, so is the correct amount for an enriched dough with 400g of flour. If you have used active dry yeast, with larger grains that need to be dissolved first) then it will not activate if you stir it in directly to the flour. Instead you will need to dissolve the yeast in 50ml (¼ cup) of the warm milk, let it stand for about 15 minutes until it starts to foam and then add it to the dough. This type of yeast can also take slightly longer to rise. Once the buns have been shaped, they are left to prove (proof) until almost doubled in size. This should take about 45 minutes but really depends on how cold the dough is when you first knock it back and also how warm it is where they are left to prove. If the buns have not risen much after 45 minutes it could be that the dough is still slightly chilly and they just need more time. Find a warm, draft-free place to leave them or heat the oven to 50C (120F or the lowest setting) for 5 minutes then turn off the oven, put the shaped buns in the warm oven (make sure they are still covered), shut the door and leave for around 30 minutes or until almost doubled in size. Remove the buns before you turn on the oven to bake them.