Chocolate Hot Cross Buns
2 tsp yeast
600gms bread flour
2 tsp bread improver
2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp caster sugar
2 Tbsp dutch cocoa
380ml-400ml warm milk
2 level Tbsp soft butter
1 1/2 cups choc bits
Milk glaze:
Mix 1 Tbsp milk with 1 Tbsp sugar
Crosses:
40gm plain flour, 1/2 tsp light olive oil, 50g water (mix until smooth).
By Hand:
# Measure dry ingredients into a bowl (don’t add choc bits at this stage), stir well, use spoon to rub in the butter, pour in most of the really warm milk, mix well to make a fairly soft dough. Add extra liquid if necessary.
# Tip dough onto a floured board, knead gently (about 1 minute), return to bowl.
# Cover the dough with a freezer bag and leave in a warm place to double in size.
# Tip out dough, stretch out into a rectangle shape, knead in the choc bits.
# Cut the dough in half and roll each half into a short fat sausage. Cut each sausage as evenly as possible into 6 pieces. Shape each piece into a round bun.
# Line a roll tray with grease proof paper (4 rows of 3), spaced apart, brush with milk glaze.
# Leave to rise until double in size in a warm place.
# Pre-heat moderate oven.
# Once buns have risen, put crosses on top of buns.
# Bake 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.
# Remove from oven and place onto a cooling rack.
By Bread Machine:
~ Measure ingredients into bucket in the order that your machine specifies.
Run on dough setting.
~ When dough cycle complete and dough is well risen, press stop and remove bucket; then follow shape and place in tray, then rise again as above steps.
Variation:
For chocolate crosses melt a block of chocolate and pipe on cooled buns.