Sad Looking Buns

Last post I promised you a recipe.  Here it is:

Cardamon Fruit Buns

1 cup skim milk

1/4 cup water

1 egg

3 TBS butter

4 cups flour (can mix white and w.w.)

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cardamom

2 tsp. yeast

Load all ingredients into breadmaker.  Process on dough cycle. When complete, remove and knead into the dough one cup of glazed fruit (candied fruit peel).  Shape into 12 or 15 buns.  Place in 9 x 13 pan, lined with parchment paper.  Let rise until doubled.  Bake in 350 oven for 20 minutes.  Cool.

These are very good with a slice of cheese.

Now, I have to tell you that this recipe is unreliable.  Sometimes these buns turn out terrific, and sometimes, like this afternoon, they look kind of pitiful.  I've tried several different ways of handling them, and am just not sure what the secret is.

Last Saturday I completely abandoned my first batch.  Actually threw them into the garbage.  They did not rise.  Period.  And they were never going to.  After about 4 hours I gave up on them and dumped them.  Then I started another batch.  Which turned out just lovely.

The original recipe called for evaporated milk.  I really don't think that's necessary.  The original recipe also did not call for the glazed fruit peel.  But it adds so much, I always include it.

I've tried adding the peel to the dough when the cycle beeps "Add".  I've also tried just kneading the peel into the dough when the cycle is complete.  I think that's the better option.

When they turn out well, they are light and delicious.  Today's batch looks pretty iffy, but I haven't tried one yet.

The one thing I haven't tried changing is the cardamom.  But could cardamom interfere so much with the ability of the yeast to raise the dough?