Chocolate Hot Cross Buns after Yellow and Green Hot Cross Buns? Well, why not. I usually try to mix the recipes I’m sharing, but with Easter approaching, I thought is better to share them now. I saw some similar hot cross buns last year somewhere (can’t remember where, or I would have linked), and I was intrigued.

These chocolate hot cross buns are so good. Their texture is a bit more dense, due to the cocoa powder and the added chocolate. That gives them a more cake-type sort of feeling and they are less bread-like in texture. As you can easily imagine, these taste amazing. I’ve added chocolate bits. I also added a bit of Rum flavouring. If you don’t have that, add some chocolate flavouring or a spoon of Brandy.

Ingredients for 6 Chocolate Hot Cross Buns :

– 150g strong white flour
– 100g strong wholemeal flour
– 35g demerara sugar
– 6g yeast
– 1 free range eggs
– 20g cocoa powder
– 1 tsp Rum flavouring (optional)
– 150ml soya milk, warm
– 60g chocolate bits
– 10g cocoa nibs
– 25g plain white flour

To make the dough, put in the bowl of the food mixer the flour and the cocoa powder together. Make a well and put the yeast, the sugar, the milk, the Rum flavouring, and the egg. Knead the dough at low speed for 6 to 7 minutes. You can knead by hand, but raise the time to 10 minutes if you are doing that.
Tip the dough onto the floured surface and spread it using your hands. Add the chocolate bits and the cocoa nibs and knead until they are incorporated into the dough. Put the dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and leave to rise for one hour and a half.

After the first rise, sprinkle a bit of flour on the worktop, tip the dough and knead a bit, only a minute or so. Put it back in the bowl, cover it, and leave it for another hour and a half.

Tip the dough on the floured worktop. Cut it in 6 equal pieces, using a kitchen scale if you want to, each one is about 90g. Shape the buns and place them on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper. Cover the buns with a tea towel and leave them to prove for another hour.

Preheat the oven at 220C or 200C for fan ovens. Make a flour paste from the plain flour with a bit of water. Add the water gradually so the paste is not too runny. Put the paste in a pipping bag and make the crosses over the buns, or use a teaspoon instead. Put the trays in the oven. Bake the buns for 12-15 minutes.

Transfer them on a cooling rack and leave to cool completely. Serve them with what you like. I liked these with almond butter, just plain butter, with no other ingredients, only almonds.

Chocolate Hot Cross Buns need lots of proving time, as all hot cross buns do. Keep that in mind when you are making the recipe.