Fluffy Chocolate Hot Cross Buns
I love heading to the kitchen to try out something I haven’t made before, and I challenge you to do the same! So, if you have never made hot cross buns before, this one's for you! Sometimes making anything involving yeast can be intimidating, but it is actually a lot easier than you might think! This recipe is simple, but the buns do need two proving times. This just allows the dough to chill out and do its thing and rise, making for a delicious fluffy bread!
This recipe is adapted from Lauren Melissa – Plant Based Baker
Ingredients:
Hot cross buns:
2 Tsp (7g) Instant Dried Yeast
2 Cups Seedy Sister Organic White Bakers Flour
¼ Cup Seedy Sister Organic Cacao Powder
1/3 Cup Seedy Sister Organic Coconut Sugar
½ Tsp Ground Mixed Spice
½ Tsp Seedy Sister Ground Organic Cinnamon
1 ½ Tbsp Non-Dairy Butter
½ Cup Seedy Sister Couverture Chocolate Chips
Cross mixture:
2 ½ Tbsp Seedy Sister Organic White Bakers Flour
Water
Glaze:
2 Tsp Seedy Sister Organic Coconut Sugar
4 Tsp Water
INSTRUCTIONS:
Begin by making the buns first. In a medium sized measuring jug, add the yeast, 1 teaspoon flour, ½ teaspoon coconut sugar and 60ml lukewarm water. Stir and leave for 10 minutes. The top should turn frothy.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the flour, cacao powder, coconut sugar, and spices. Using your fingers, rub in the non-dairy butter and form a crumbly mixture.
Pour the frothy yeast mixture and stir to combine. Slowly add an additional 150ml lukewarm water, mixing as you pour. The dough should be able to come together and be slightly sticky. Sprinkle some flour on your clean bench and knead the dough by hand for at least a minute.
Shape dough into a ball and place into a large, oiled bowl. Cover bowl with a clean tea towel and place in a warm space for 40 minutes – or once doubled in size.
Add the chocolate chips into the bowl and knead into the dough in the bowl (it's easier than doing on the bench as the choc chips go everywhere) Once the chocolate chips are roughly kneaded in, knead once more on the bench for a minute. Cut dough roughly into 6 pieces and shape each piece into a bun.
Place 1cm apart in a lined baking tray (18x28cm). Cover with a tea towel and place in a warm area for 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 180c fan force.
Make the cross mixture by combining the flour and enough water to make a paste that can hold its shape. Pipe crosses over the buns and place the buns in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, before lowering the temperature to 160c and baking them for a further 20 minutes.
Make the glaze by boiling the coconut sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Be careful that it doesn’t burn. It should turn into a sticky syrup.
Remove buns from the oven, brush the glaze over the top and then allow to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before serving.
Lasts up to 5 days at room temperature in an airtight container.