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Chocolate Hot Cross Bun Recipe

Created for all the chocolate lovers out there! This recipe creates the most beautiful light sweet chocolatey dough and with the addition of chocolate chips inside you get another burst of flavour. If you are not a fan of dried fruit and spices then this will bring you a flavour of Easter without the egg but it comes with a warning, you will want more than one!

Chocolate Hot Cross Buns

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Course Dessert
Servings 8

Equipment

  • 1 Piping bag for piping the crosses on the buns

Ingredients
  

  • 400 g Strong Bread flour plus a little extra for the shaping of the buns
  • 60 g Caster sugar
  • 8 g table salt
  • 10 g easy bake yeast
  • 30 g Cacoa powder or cocoa powder I use extra brute for an intense flavour so choose a really good strong cocoa or cacao powder for the best flavour
  • 215 ml whole milk slightly warm
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten preferrably free range
  • 32 g unsalted butter cubed and softened
  • 100 g chocolate chips I use Callebaut belgian milk chocolate callets
  • 125 g Apricot jam to make the glaze
  • 2 tbsp water to make the glaze
  • 80 g plain flour to make the paste for the cross
  • 80 mls cold water to make the paste for the cross
  • 2 tbsp olive oil to grease the bowl & cling film to cover the bowl

Instructions
 

  • For the dough proving preheat your oven to 50 degrees Celsius / gas mark lowest ½ – we just want it warm. If you have a dough proving setting on your oven then you can use this instead or on a sunny day putting the dough in direct sunlight works for me.
  • Put the flour and cacoa powder into a mixing bowl. Add the salt and sugar to one side of the bowl and the yeast to the other. Add the butter and beaten egg.
    Slightly warm the milk and add half to the dry ingredients. Use your hands to bring the mixture together, incorporating the flour from the edges of the bowl as you go. Gradually add the remaining milk, to form a soft pliable dough (you may not need all of the milk).
  • Tip the dough out on to a lightly oiled work surface. Lightly knead for 10 – 20 minutes until silky and elastic and forming a smooth ball. (If you are using a mixer with a dough hook then the kneading stage is approximately 10 minutes.)
  • Place the dough into an oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rest in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
  • When the dough has risen add the chocolate chips to the top of the dough and knead gently to combine.  Don't worry if they start to fall out you can press them back in when you are shaping the buns.
  • Tip the dough out onto a floured surface and divide into 8 – 10 pieces (depending on how big you want your buns). You can cut the dough using a dough scraper or sharp knife.
  • Shape each piece of dough into a smooth ball, pinching the dough at the bottom like a dim sum, this will form the bottom of the bun. With the bun on the work surface, roll the bun around your hand and fingers until the top of the bun is smooth.
  • Line a baking tray with paper and place the buns on the tray, placing them fairly close together and flattening them slightly by pressing them down on the top.
  • Gently place the cling film over the buns or in a bag so that the buns prove but don't dry out.
    Leave for 40-50 minutes until the buns have visibly risen in size.
  • Heat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas mark 6
  • To make the cross on the top, add the flour to a bowl with the water. Mix together to make a paste and spoon into the piping bag. (Snip a small amount off the end of the piping bag when you are ready to pipe the cross.)
    When the buns have risen, remove the cling film and pipe a cross on each bun. 
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes, turning the baking tray round halfway through if necessary, so what is facing the back of the oven is now facing the front, this helps the buns bake evenly.
  • Warm the apricot jam with a little water in a pan so that its runny, then sieve to remove any lumps of apricots and set aside.
  • When the buns are baked and out of the oven, brush to tops with the apricot glaze and transfer to a wire rack to cool. 
  • These buns are delicious warm and you can even add a bit of butter!
    Do not toast these in a toaster as the chocolate will melt. To regeat this can be done in a oven for a few minutes or a microwave for approximately 30 seconds.
  • When colled the buns can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
    Any spare apricot glaze can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
  • Enjoy and let me know what you think!
    Caroline xxx

Notes

These hot cross buns come with a warning, you will want more than one.
The time to create these shows 3.5 hours and most of that is proving time so please don’t be put off making them.  The proving time gives you chance to do something else and the baking time is just a mere 15 minutes.

Created for all the chocolate lovers out there! This recipe creates the most beautiful light sweet chocolatey dough and with the addition of chocolate chips inside you get another burst of flavour. If you are not a fan of dried fruit and spices then this will bring you a flavour of Easter without the egg but it comes with a warning, you will want more than one!

Chocolate Hot Cross Buns

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Course Dessert
Servings 8

Equipment

  • 1 Piping bag for piping the crosses on the buns

Ingredients
  

  • 400 g Strong Bread flour plus a little extra for the shaping of the buns
  • 60 g Caster sugar
  • 8 g table salt
  • 10 g easy bake yeast
  • 30 g Cacoa powder or cocoa powder I use extra brute for an intense flavour so choose a really good strong cocoa or cacao powder for the best flavour
  • 215 ml whole milk slightly warm
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten preferrably free range
  • 32 g unsalted butter cubed and softened
  • 100 g chocolate chips I use Callebaut belgian milk chocolate callets
  • 125 g Apricot jam to make the glaze
  • 2 tbsp water to make the glaze
  • 80 g plain flour to make the paste for the cross
  • 80 mls cold water to make the paste for the cross
  • 2 tbsp olive oil to grease the bowl & cling film to cover the bowl

Instructions
 

  • For the dough proving preheat your oven to 50 degrees Celsius / gas mark lowest ½ – we just want it warm. If you have a dough proving setting on your oven then you can use this instead or on a sunny day putting the dough in direct sunlight works for me.
  • Put the flour and cacoa powder into a mixing bowl. Add the salt and sugar to one side of the bowl and the yeast to the other. Add the butter and beaten egg.
    Slightly warm the milk and add half to the dry ingredients. Use your hands to bring the mixture together, incorporating the flour from the edges of the bowl as you go. Gradually add the remaining milk, to form a soft pliable dough (you may not need all of the milk).
  • Tip the dough out on to a lightly oiled work surface. Lightly knead for 10 – 20 minutes until silky and elastic and forming a smooth ball. (If you are using a mixer with a dough hook then the kneading stage is approximately 10 minutes.)
  • Place the dough into an oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rest in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
  • When the dough has risen add the chocolate chips to the top of the dough and knead gently to combine.  Don't worry if they start to fall out you can press them back in when you are shaping the buns.
  • Tip the dough out onto a floured surface and divide into 8 – 10 pieces (depending on how big you want your buns). You can cut the dough using a dough scraper or sharp knife.
  • Shape each piece of dough into a smooth ball, pinching the dough at the bottom like a dim sum, this will form the bottom of the bun. With the bun on the work surface, roll the bun around your hand and fingers until the top of the bun is smooth.
  • Line a baking tray with paper and place the buns on the tray, placing them fairly close together and flattening them slightly by pressing them down on the top.
  • Gently place the cling film over the buns or in a bag so that the buns prove but don't dry out.
    Leave for 40-50 minutes until the buns have visibly risen in size.
  • Heat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas mark 6
  • To make the cross on the top, add the flour to a bowl with the water. Mix together to make a paste and spoon into the piping bag. (Snip a small amount off the end of the piping bag when you are ready to pipe the cross.)
    When the buns have risen, remove the cling film and pipe a cross on each bun. 
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes, turning the baking tray round halfway through if necessary, so what is facing the back of the oven is now facing the front, this helps the buns bake evenly.
  • Warm the apricot jam with a little water in a pan so that its runny, then sieve to remove any lumps of apricots and set aside.
  • When the buns are baked and out of the oven, brush to tops with the apricot glaze and transfer to a wire rack to cool. 
  • These buns are delicious warm and you can even add a bit of butter!
    Do not toast these in a toaster as the chocolate will melt. To regeat this can be done in a oven for a few minutes or a microwave for approximately 30 seconds.
  • When colled the buns can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
    Any spare apricot glaze can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
  • Enjoy and let me know what you think!
    Caroline xxx

Notes

These hot cross buns come with a warning, you will want more than one.
The time to create these shows 3.5 hours and most of that is proving time so please don’t be put off making them.  The proving time gives you chance to do something else and the baking time is just a mere 15 minutes.

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