Testing times for hot cross buns

Harry Sideropoulos, Franco Lambiase and Dorah Sitole tasted their way through seven buns from various supermarkets and bakeries.

The buns were tasted plain without butter. No one knew which buns they were tasting. They were presented numbered and on a plate.

We asked the panel to judge the buns on appearance, taste and texture, and fruit content. with a mark out of 10 for each for a total mark out of 30.

THE PANEL

Harry Sideropoulos

He is well-known for his theatrical performances, and Harry is launching a theatre and dining experience company. He will come to your home, cook and serve a wonderful Mediterranean meal and entertain you for the evening.

Thrilled to be on the panel, Harry loves hot cross buns and eats them frequently.

"I love a bun that I can grab and eat while travelling," he says.

Franco Lambiase

Known as "The Cake Man" and famous for his beautiful wedding cakes, Franco also loves hot cross buns.

Franco does buy hot cross buns at Easter. He prefers to make his own. "Nothing beats the taste of freshly baked hot cross buns," he says.

Dorah Sitole

Dorah, who has been the editor of True Love for many years, is about to head up a new book division for Thought24.

She is also the author of Cooking from Cape to Cairo: A Taste of Africa.

Dorah's family loves hot cross buns but she feels they shouldn't be available all year round.

"It should be something special you look forward to at Easter time," she says.

BUN 1 ... 14.6/30

Fournos

Price: R12.90 for 6

Comments: The panel thought that this bun had an unpleasant citrus aroma and taste.

Dorah: It looked home made which was a good thing but the fruit content was disappointing and the taste was not spicy enough.

Franco: This bun had a egg glaze which had dripped down the bun and also made the appearance quite dark.

3rd place BUN 2 ... 19.6/30

Woolworths traditional

Price: R13.95 for 6

Comments: The panel thought this bun had a good colour and nice shape. Although it was not glazed, it had a generous amount of fruit and a good balanced spice flavour.

Harry: Perfect for eating on the go, no sticky glaze to worry about.

BUN 3 ... 16/30

Spar - Freshline traditional

Price: R13.99 for 6

Comments: The panel found this bun to be very pale and heavy textured, almost under baked. The flavour was disappointingly bland.

Dorah: The saving grace on this bun is the cross, it is not too tough and chewy.

The fruit was hard to find and there was no spicy aroma and flavour.

1st place BUN 4 ... 24.6/30Pick n Pay - bakery line

Price: R9.99 for 6

Comments: The panel found this bun to be plump and generous looking with a good colour and texture.

Dorah: It looks trustworthy.

Harry and Franco thought the fruit content was very generous and that the buns had a wonderful spicy taste and aroma with a pleasant aftertaste.

BUN 5 ... 17/30

The Bread Basket

Price: R 3.95 each or R19.50 for 6

Comments: The panel was impressed with the look of this bun. It was the only individual bun.

Franco: It looks a bit like a hamburger bun.

When opened, it contained a disappointing amount of fruit and the texture inside was dry.

Dorah: If your family doesn't like fruity buns, then this would be a good choice.

BUN 6 ... 12/30

Doppio Zero

Price: R15.00 for 6

Comments: The panel found this bun very disappointing all round. It looked like it had not risen enough and was very heavy in texture.

Harry: There was an unpleasant synthetic after taste.

The cross was also found to be a strange colour.

Dorah: It looks like a curry cross.

Checkers

Price: R9.99 for 6

Comment: The panel thought this bun had a good shape and light texture. The cross was perfect and not too tough.

Harry: It could have more fruit

Dorah: There was just the right amount. Franco: It has a lovely cinnamon taste.

CRANBERRY HOT CROSS BUNS

Angela Day shares a favourite recipe from the Angela Day Favourites cookbook. Makes 16 buns

4 x 250ml flour

60ml sugar

5ml salt

10g sachet instant yeast

15ml ground cinnamon

finely grated rind of one orange

250ml buttermilk, warmed

60g butter, melted

1 extra large egg, beaten

150g dried cranberries, roughly chopped

beaten egg for glazing

Put flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a mixing bowl. Add the cinnamon and orange rind. Combine the butter-milk, butter and egg and mix well.

Add to the flour mixture and mix to make a dough that is soft but not sticky. Use extra warm water if necessary. Knead well until smooth and elastic. Knead in the fruit.

Put the dough in an oiled plastic bag and leave to rise in a warm place for 30-40 minutes. Once risen, remove from bag, knead gently and divide the dough into 16 equal balls. Place side by side on a lightly greased baking tray, cover with the plastic bag and leave to rise until double in size.

Brush with beaten egg and pipe a cross over each bun. Bake at 180°C for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and brush with sugar glaze.

Crosses: Mix 125ml flour, 15ml oil and a little warm water to make a stiff paste. Place in a piping bag fitted with a plain, narrow nozzle.

Glaze: Boil 50ml water, 30ml sugar and a pinch of ground cinnamon in a saucepan for 1-2 minutes.

• This article was originally published on page 15 of The Star on March 25, 2010

Source : Babynet