Choc Cross Buns
Another Easter favourite. This is a chocolatey version of the famous buns. Might sound like a lot of work but it’s definitely worth it!
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Ingredients for 8 large or 12 smaller buns
Dough:
660g ‘0’ Bread Flour
1tbsp Dry Instant Yeast
110g Caster Sugar
2tsp Ground Cinnamon
2tsp Mixed Spice
Zest of 1 Orange
A Pinch of Salt
375ml Full Fat Milk (warm)
1 Egg (room temperature)
50g Stork Margarine (cubed, room temperature)
200g Sultanas
100g Chocolate Chips
Crosses Paste
80g Plain Flour
2tsp Icing Sugar
90ml Cold Water
Glaze
110g Caster Sugar
150ml Boiling Water
Directions:
Start with the dough. In a large bowl/mixer bowl place the flour, dry yeast, caster sugar, cinnamon, mixed spice, orange zest, and a pinch of salt.
Warm the milk over a low flame or for about 30 seconds in the microwave. It should be warm, not hot as it will kill the yeast.
Whisk the egg with the milk.
Add it to the dry ingredients and start combining the dough using a mixer or by hand.
When the dough starts coming together add the margarine and continue kneading for 10 minutes until you get a silky dough.
Add the sultanas and chocolate chips and combine them into the dough.
Place the dough in a bowl lightly greased with vegetable oil and cover with cling film.
Let it rise for at least an hour or until it doubles in size.
Put it on your kitchen top and lightly dust it with some flour.
If it’s too soft, add a little more flour and knead it well.
Cut into portions. You can obtain 8 large buns or 12 smaller ones.
Roll each portion using the palm of your hand and transfer them to your baking dish lined with baking paper.
Leave some space between them as they will puff up.
Cover them with cling film. Coat the cling film with some vegetable oil to avoid from sticking to the buns.
Let them rise for about 40 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare the cross paste by combining well the flour, icing sugar, and water. Also preheat the oven to 180°c
Put it in a piping bag.
Remove the plastic from the bins and create a cross on each bun. The easiest method is to keep going from one side to the other on all the buns.
Bake them immediately for 22-25 minutes until they puff up and start getting nicely browned.
While they are in the oven combine the sugar and water for the glaze.
Take them out of the oven and brush them with the glaze while they are still hot. Don’t use all the glaze, just the right amount to get a nice shine.
Gently lift them up from the tray with the baking paper and let the cool off on a wire rack.
Drizzle melted chocolate on the crosses and allow them to set.
They are delicious served with butter.
