Chocolate Chunk Hot Cross Buns- soft, yet light, very tasty chocolate flavor, some of the chocolate chunks melted during baking making them completely irresistible.
Ingredients
Makes 12 buns
3 cups (375g) bread flour
½ tsp (2g) salt
1 tsp (3g) ground cinnamon
½ tsp (2g) ground nutmeg
¼ tsp (1g) ground ginger
½ cup (100g) sugar
15g fresh yeast (1 tsp active dry yeast)
3 tbsp (40g) butter, melted
½ cup (120ml) lukewarm milk
1 tsp (5g) vanilla
1/4 cup (60ml) water
1 egg
½ cup (70g) raisins
7 oz (200g) semisweet chocolate, cut into chunks
For the crosses
5 tbsp (40g) flour
3-4 tbsp (45-60 ml) water
For the glaze
2 tbsp apricot jam
1. In a large bowl whisk together flour with sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.
2.In a small bowl stir fresh yeast with 1 tsp sugar until it liquefies. Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup milk and then add to the
flour mixture. Add the butter, egg, vanilla, rest of milk and water and start kneading until soft and smooth and slightly
pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Transfer to an oiled bowl.
3. Cover with plastic wrap. Let it rest for about 1-1.5 hours at room temperature (warm space) until doubled in size.
4. Incorporate raisins and chocolate into the dough, cover and let it rise again for 30 minutes.
5. On a lightly floured surface turn the dough out and divide into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into balls.
6. Place the dough balls into a parchment paper lined baking sheet and cover with an oiled plastic wrap. Let them rest again
for 30-45 minutes.
7. Preheat oven to 400F (200C).
8. In a bowl combine flour with water to form a thick paste. Transfer into a piping bag fitted with a 3 mm small tip.
9. Pipe crosses onto buns.
10. Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown.
11. Brush the buns with warm apricot jam right after you take them out of the oven.