Choc-Chip Hot Cross Buns

delicious slathered with butter 

I must say this is by far the best bread recipe I've ever tried.  Thank you Victoria of Victoria Bakes for sharing this wonderful Soft & Fluffy Cranberry Bread recipe which delivers a really soft and fluffy bread.  

I've doubled the original recipe to make 24 hot cross buns.

Cooked starter dough:  [Prepare this the day before]

60g bread flour

5g caster sugar

42g hot water

24g butter

• Place water into a small saucepan over low fire.  Add butter into the hot water and stir until butter has melted.
• Bring to the boil and turn off the fire.
• Mix in flour and sugar and stir to form a soft dough.
• Transfer into a container and keep it covered.
• Chill for 18 - 24 hours.

Main dough:

400g bread flour

100g cake flour (I used plain flour)

90g sugar

8g salt

15g Dutch processed cocoa powder, sifted

8g instant dry yeast

60g egg

50g whipping cream (I used thickened cream)

250g fresh milk

125g starter dough (all of the starter dough)

50g butter, softened

150g dark chocolate chips

Flour paste for crosses:

35g plain flour

2 tsp caster sugar

2 tbsp water, approx.

1/2 tsp cocoa powder

Glaze:

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp water

• In a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine all ingredients (except butter) together.  Knead until well combined and a soft dough is formed.  Add in butter and continue to knead until dough is smooth and elastic and passes the window-pane test. 
• Place the dough in bowl and cling wrap it.  Allow to proof until double in size.
• Punch the dough down and add choc chips.  Knead lightly to combine.  
• Divide dough into 24 pieces. Rest for 10 minutes.  
• Then shape dough into balls and place close together onto a greased  and lined baking tray (32 x 25 x 5 cm).  Cover and proof until double in size.  * [I could only fit 20 buns into the tray.  The remainder 4 buns had to go into another small square pan.]
• To make crosses:  Sift flour and cocoa powder into a small bowl. Add in sugar and water and stir to make a smooth paste. Spoon the paste into a piping bag and snip a very tiny hole off the bag.
• Preheat oven to 200 deg C.
• Pipe crosses onto the buns.  Bake for 10 minutes (200 deg C).
• Reduce oven temperature to 160 deg C and bake for 20 minutes or until golden.
• While the buns are in the oven, make the glaze:  Place sugar and water in a small saucepan and stir over low fire until sugar dissolves. Simmer until glaze thickens.
• Transfer buns onto a wire rack.  Brush glaze over hot buns.  Set aside to cool.

Note:  My crosses came out very very hard so I took them out and piped melted chocolate over instead.  I believe my paste was too thick.

see how hard the crosses are ...

replaced with melted chocolate crosses