Why Did My Hot Cross Buns Take So Long To Rise?

Our answer

Nigella's Hot Cross Buns (from FEAST) are spiced with ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. The recipe uses one 7g (1/4-oz) sachet of easy-blend yeast, which is also known as instant yeast. This yeast is quite fast acting and should not be confused with active dry yeast, that will take longer, or if you use active dry yeast then you would need to double the quantity to 15g (1/2 oz) to give quicker proving times. You should not necessarily need to add sugar to activate the yeast as the yeast can use the carbohydrates in the bread flour, but if you do add sugar then remember that the high proportion of dried fruits in the dough make the buns fairly sweet.

The time the buns take to prove after they have been shaped can also vary, depending on the temperature they are being proved at. The dough has been chilled overnight, so needs to warm up before it can start to rise and so needs a fairly warm and draught-free place to prove. If the dough is in a cooler place then it will take longer. It is also worth mentioning that hot cross buns tend to have a closer, less spongy texture than most sweet breads, due to the amount of butter, eggs and dried fruit in the dough.