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Chocolate Hot Cross Buns

Cakes Biscuits & Sweet Treats
  • Makes 12 Portions
  • Suitable for freezing
  • 40 minutes Preparation
  • 140C°, 275 F°, Gas Mark 1

 

Ingredients

For the Hot Cross Buns

  • 450g Allinson Strong White Bread Flour
    This is versatile, everyday bread flour with a high protein content which helps to make the perfect loaf. Bread flour has higher gluten levels than culinary flours such as plain or self-raising. Very strong bread flour has an even higher gluten level so can be used to produce a higher rise loaf. Good for white loaves, pizza dough and pasta.
  • 2 tbsp Cocoa Powder
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Mixed Spice
  • 3 tsp Allinson Easy Bake Yeast
    Perfect to use in bread makers and hand baking this yeast, gives your dough a quick rise, eliminating the need to ‘knock back.’ The dough will only require one kneading and one period of proving. The yeast can be added with the flour straight from the pack and will become activated as soon as it comes into contact with the liquid.
  • 75g Billington’s Unrefined Golden Caster Sugar
    This is the highest quality caster sugar available and is a great natural alternative to refined caster sugar. It has a warm golden colour from its unrefined nature and is fine grained with a subtle buttery taste, making it perfect for deliciously light sponges, shortbread and macaroons.
  • 80g Butter (Unsalted) (Room Temperature)
  • 1Egg(s) (Free Range) (Large)
  • 200ml Milk (Whole, Warm)
  • 100g Milk Chocolate (Roughly Chopped)
  • 50g Mixed Peel (Chopped)
  • 80g Raisins

For the Crosses & Glaze

  • 30g Plain White Flour
  • 2 tbsp Apricot Glaze

Utensils

  • Mixing Bowl
  • Food Processor
  • Butter Knife
  • Cling Film
  • Baking Sheet
  • Food Bag
  • Pastry Brush

Method

  1. Sift the flour, cocoa, salt and mixed spice into a bowl, then stir in the yeast and caster sugar.
  2. Rub the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, this can be done in a food processor.
  3. Mix the egg with the milk and gradually stir into the flour mixture using a butter knife until a soft dough is formed. Add only enough liquid, you may not need it all.
  4. Put the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes (this can be done in a mixer with a dough hook on a medium speed for 4-5 minutes), until the dough is smooth and silky.
  5. Place in a large lightly oiled bowl and cover with cling film and leave to rise to at least double in size, about 1-2 hours.
  6. Tip the dough out onto a floured surface and knead in chopped chocolate (not the whole rectangles), mixed peel, and raisins until evenly distributed.
  7. Divide into 12 equal pieces, place a rectangle of plain chocolate in the middle of each piece of dough and then shape each one into a round bun so the chocolate rectangle is in the middle. Place in rows (3×4) on a lined baking sheet, leaving about 1cm between each.
  8. Cover the dough with oiled cling film and leave to rise for another hour or until doubled in size and touching each other.
  9. Preheat the oven 220°C (fan 200°C, gas mark 7). Mix the plain flour with 3 tablespoons of cold water to a paste and fill a food bag, snip the corner ever so slightly (or use a piping bag with a small plain nozzle) and use as a piping bag to pipe crosses onto the buns by going all the way along the middle of the buns in both directions.
  10. Bake in the oven for 13-15 minutes until risen, turning the baking sheet if browning on one side too much.
  11. Warm the apricot glaze and brush all over the buns as soon as they come out of the oven. Cool for 10 minutes before serving with butter if desired.

Hot Cross Buns are undeniably a classic Easter bake, as is Chocolate, so why not combined two classics together to make the ultimate Chocolate Hot Cross Bun

This recipe is courtesy of www.bakingmad.com

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