A Miserable Failure at Giddy Cross Buns

… or otherwise known as Golden Sweet Potato Buns.

I tried my hand at this yesterday and although the taste was great, it felt a bit *heavy* 🙁  Any chance anyone knows what went wrong?  Or am I going to get *heavy* breads and buns every time I knead the dough with my hands as opposed to an electric mixer?  Its texture is not the light fluffy texture I would expect and we all know texture plays a really important role in the overall taste.

So this made 9 buns and 3 buns have gone into our tummies.  The remaining 6, I’ve put them into a container and frozen them.  For now, at least.  Until I think of how to make eating them more palatable.

I modified the recipe from AllRecipes.com, but on hindsight, I could have and should have made it shinier by egg-washing it before I baked them.  Not that that would have helped the texture though.  Anyway, homemade is still healthier… 🙂

Golden Sweet Potato Buns

Ingredients:

• 
  
• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 4 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/2 cup canned sweet potato puree (I made my own puree by dicing the sweet potato, steaming it and mashing it up, adding some milk to make it smoother)
• 1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 3 tablespoons margarine or butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• Custard mix (Optional – omit this if you do not want any design on the top of the buns)

Directions:

1. Dissolve yeast, warm water, and 1 tablespoon sugar in a mixing bowl. Let stand 5 minutes.
2. Add remaining sugar, sweet potato, butter or margarine, salt, and slightly beaten eggs. Stir to mix well. Stir in 3 cups of flour. Turn out on a lightly floured surface. Knead 2 to 3 minutes, adding just enough of remaining flour to prevent sticking. Do not knead too heavily; when smooth, shape into a ball. Place in an oiled bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover, and let raise about 1 hour or longer.
3. Punch down, and allow dough to rest for 2 minutes. Divide into 9 balls, and place on a greased cookie sheet or in a baking pan. Allow to rise until doubled.
4. Make a smooth custard paste using the instructions on the custard mix.
5. Pipe the custard on the buns in any design you like.
6. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 12 to 20 minutes. Serve warm.