Chocolate Hot Cross Bun

Makes:          8 Buns

Prep time:    2 hours

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients: 

250g high grade flour / strong bread flour + dusting (I use 15g for dusting)

20g cacao powder

4g dry yeast

120ml warm milk

50g sugar

3g salt

40g unsalted butter, softened

1 egg

1 tsp cinnamon powder

60g chocolate, chopped (i used 70% dark chocolate)

for the cross

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup milk

1 tsp sugar

for the glaze

1 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp water

Method: 

1. Combine flour, cacao, yeast, sugar, salt and cinnamon powder in a large bowl and add warm milk, egg and butter. Use spatula or wooden spoon and mix the ingredients until it started to form soft & sticky dough.
2. Flour the clean bench top and knead the dough for approx 10 minutes or until it becomes smooth and springs back when you push with your finger. 
3. Place the dough in a bowl, covered with clings wrap or tea towel and leave it in a warm place until doubled in size. I left the bowl in a warm oven at 40 degree celsius for about an hour. 
4. Remove the dough from bowl, flatten with your hand, and add chopped chocolate. Fold in from sides and knead the dough for couple of minutes. Place the dough in a bowl again, covered and allow to raise for another 30-40 minutes. 
5. Pre-heat oven to 180 degree celsius, oil baking tin and line with banking paper.
6. Remove dough from bowl on surface and divide into 8 pieces. Roll each dough into a small ball and place them in a tin leaving 1cm gap in between
7. Cover with cling wrap and allow to raise until doubled in size (By then, you won’t see any gaps in-between the doughs). Make the cross by mixing flour, milk and sugar in a bowl until soft past and scoop it into a piping bag or small ziplock bag.  This cross ingredients will be enough for 16 buns if you want to double the recipe!
8. Pipe crosses onto the buns and back in oven for 15 minutes.
9. Heat and dissolve sugar with water in a microwave or saucepan and glaze with brush as soon as buns are removed from oven! You should be hearing almost sizzling sounds 😀
10. Serve with butter!