Chocolate chip hot cross buns recipe

Classic-looking golden hot cross buns but with the raisins replaced with dark chocolate chips.

These chocolate chip hot cross buns are such a welcome treat over Easter. Even people who aren't keen on the raisins in the traditional version should love them. This recipe was created by Celebrity Masterchef winner, Lisa Faulkner. It only takes 45 minutes to make and bake, but you will need another 2-3 hours in between for the dough to prove and rise. It's worth the wait though. They recipe makes a dozen chocolate chip hot cross buns - perfect if you have guests over Easter. Serve warm with plenty of melting butter.

Ingredients

For this Easter recipe you will need:

• 200ml milk
• 100g unsalted butter
• Zest of 1 orange
• 20g fresh yeast
• 50g golden caster sugar
• 450g strong white bread flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 150g dark chocolate chips

For the crosses:

• 3 tbsp plain flour
• Pinch of salt
• 50g caster sugar

Method

1. In a pan, bring the milk, butter and orange zest to a simmer then remove from the heat and leave to cool. Whisk in the yeast and half the sugar and set aside.
2. Put the remaining sugar, the flour and salt into the bowl of a free-standing mixer, fitted with dough hook, then pour in the milk and yeast mixture and the eggs. Knead for 3 mins on a low speed, then turn the speed up to the next highest setting and knead for a further 6 mins.
3. Tip the dough into a large bowl, cover and leave to rise for 1½ hours, until doubled in size.
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and flatten into a large rectangle. Scatter the chocolate chips over the dough then fold everything into the centre and knead for a couple of minutes until the chocolate is evenly distributed. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and roll each into a smooth ball.
5. Put the buns on two baking trays lined with greaseproof paper, leaving a little space in between each one. Cover the trays with a clean tea towel and leave to rise for an hour until the dough has doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6.
6. For the crosses, mix the flour and salt with enough cold water to make a stiff paste then spoon into a piping bag fitted with a 3mm plain nozzle. Pipe a cross onto each bun then bake for 18–20 mins until golden brown.
7. While the buns are baking, pour the sugar into a small saucepan with 50ml water and boil for 3–4 mins until syrupy. Once the buns are cooked, brush with the glaze while still warm, then leave to cool completely.

Top tip for making chocolate chip hot cross buns

Make sure you allow the milk to cool again in step 1, before you add the yeast. It should be warm but not hot or it will kill the yeast and the buns will not rise properly.

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