Chocolate Hot Cross Buns

I’m definitely starting to love making hot cross buns. There are so many variations to try and modify for this type of bread, and I’ve been curious to try mixing some flavors and fillings. This was my second success of making hot cross buns, although the chocolate flavor was actually the one that I tried twice few years ago. I was still learning baking bread, so it was still new to me and I made some mistakes that made my bread not so edible or nice looking.

Other mistake that I will not repeat again is mixing the chocolate chips or chopped chocolate bars with the dough. It became so messy and difficult to shape, so I decided to just add the chocolate chips as the filling and before placing them on the baking tray.

The bread was soft and aromatic and you should make it to Celebrate the upcoming Easter. It’s great for breakfast and as snacks in between meals. I also added raisins to increase the flavor (and because I like dried raisins and other fruits).

Ingredients:

1. 200 ml plain white milk
2. 100 gr raisins
3. 1 large egg
4. 30 gr brown sugar
5. 20 gr white sugar
6. 50 gr cocoa powder
7. 5 gr cinnamon powder
8. 400 gr bread flour
9. 7 gr instant yeast
10. 50 gr salted butter

Filling:

1. Chocolate chips

For Brushing:

1. milk
2. runny honey (mix thick honey with freshly squeezed 1 tsp of water or orange juice or lemon juice)

For Crossing:

1. 20 gr all purpose flour
2. 5 gr dark cocoa powder
3. 5 gr sugar
4. 30 to 35 5 ml hot water (me: 35 ml)

Method:

1. In the mixing bowl, combine milk and dried raisins and soak the dried raisins for about 10 minutes
2. Into the bowl, add egg, brown and white sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon powder, bread flour, then instant yeast and start mixing the dough in low speed until the dough clings to the hooks and cleans sides of the bowl, then add salted butter
3. Continue mixing until the dough is smooth, elastic, and bounces back when you press the dough with your finger. The dough should be in windowpane stage
4. Place dough in a bowl and cover with cling wrap and a clean cloth and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in bulk. Note: lightly grease the bowl and the dough with oil so the dough won’t be sticky to handle and shape. To see if the dough has risen enough, simply poke your finger into the dough, and if the fingermark stays, then it has finished rising
5. Punch the dough to release the air, then divide into 12
6. Roll them into balls then flatten with the palm of your hand. Fill each dough with 1 tsp of chocolate chips. Bring all sides together, pinch to seal, then flip and roll with the palm of your hand to make a smooth ball
7. Lay them on a baking tray (30 x 25 cm) lined with parchment paper. Cover with a clean cloth and leave to prove for 1 hour or more, then brush the top with milk
8. Mix together all purpose flour, dark cocoa powder, sugar, and hot water until smooth but in sticky consistency and pourable. Spoon into piping bag and cut to make a small opening, then pipe crosses into each rising bun
9. Bake for 25 minutes in a preheated 170 Celsius oven
10. While the buns are baking make the glaze by mixing together the thick honey with orange juice (or lemon juice or just water)
11. Once the buns are baked, immediately glaze with the mixture
12. Leave to cool slightly, then transfer to a cooling rack and cover. Keep for up to 3 days at room temperature in an airtight container
13. Reheat and serve warm with butter