What a great post! I'm hoping you can help me with a baking issue I'm currently struggling with. I have tried a few times to make Hot Cross Buns, most recently last week for Good Friday as is traditional. The first batch came out with almost no rise at all, very dense and hard. With the second batch, I successfully proofed the yeast (Fleischmann's Active Dry Original) and it rose twice (the first time after 2 hours in a greased bowl and the second time after 2 hours when rolled into buns and placed into a greased Pyrex pan), yet still did not rise well when baked. They were still very, very dense and hard, not the light fluffy buns I remember from my childhood. The recipe I used calls for 1/2 cup of granulated sugar (plus 1/2 tbsp. to proof the 2 tsp of yeast) and 2.5 cups of flour. There's also the rum soaked dried currants, 3 eggs, 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup whole milk, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1 tbsp. orange zest.

Until reading your post I had no idea there was a special yeast for sweet doughs. Do you think I should try Saf-Instant Gold yeast to make these? Or, maybe just the regular Saf-Instant? I would so love to master this recipe, it's one of my favorite holiday treats and I look forward to it every Easter week. Any suggestions you have would be very appreciated! Thanks so much!

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