Chocolate Hot Cross Buns

I've made something involved with Easter for the last few years but didn't really feel like doing the same for this year..However, these chocolate hot cross buns from Delicious Magazine ( April issue) made me change my mind although I've found it not in/on the right time ..well...it's better be late than never, isn't it ??

Instead of plain hot cross buns, this version is kind of jazzing things up and made me interested in giving it a try which I easily decided to do so!!

Here is my version :


Ingredients:

Dough:

½ cups warm milk
1.5 tsp instant yeast
65 g bread flour
2 tsp sugar

Bun :

210-220 g bread flour
1/2 rounded tsp cinnamon
12 g cocoa powder
45 g soften butter
1 egg
75 g semi-chocolate chips
45g caster sugar
1/4 rounded tsp salt
2 tbsp apricot jam

Crosses :


70 g plain four
2 tsp cocoa powder
1/3 cup milk
25 g sugar

Method:

For the dough: Combine all of the ingredients. Whisk together to combine and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside for 20 minutes or until frothy.

Sift the flour, cocoa and cinnamon together into a large bowl.  Add the butter, lightly beaten egg, sugar and salt to the flour mix along with the yeast mixture. With a dough hook fitted on a stand mixer, mix until a soft dough is formed and knead for 15-20 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Place the dough into a lightly oiled or buttered bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place until dough has doubled in size around 1-1.30 hours.

Punch down dough to its original size. Divide dough into 8 balls and put in a baking sheet lined with baking paper /silicone mat. Place 1-2 cm apart. Cover with plastic wrap and put somewhere warm until they have doubled in size.

Meanwhile, making the crosses: Mix all ingredients together until smooth. Put mixture in a piping bag or a zip lock bag and cut corner. Squeeze paste across buns in pan to make crosses on the top.

Heat oven to 190c degrees. Bake buns for approximately 12-15 minutes or until a skewer comes out
clean.

Glaze:

Heat 2 tbsp water and apricot jam . Brush onto buns while they're still warm. Then serve with or without butter !

Ps. This bun has also been posted to yeastspotting hosted by Susan of Wildyeast.