Go Back
–+ servings
Print Recipe
No ratings yet

Chocolate Chai Spiced Hot Cross Buns

A little different from the usual hot cross buns but oh so delicious
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Resting Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Bread
Cuisine: International
Keyword: bread recipes, chocolate chai spiced hot cross buns, easter bread, easter recipes, hot cross buns
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cake wheat or all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp instant dry yeast
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1 cup warm milk
  • 2 tbsp melted butter
  • chai spice
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • 1 tbsp honey

Chai Spice Mix

  • 5 green cardamom pods
  • 5 cloves
  • 1 cinnamon stick about 5cm
  • 1 star aniseed

Crosses

  • 1/4 cup cake wheat or all purpose flour
  • 2-3 tbsp water

Instructions

Chai Spice Mix

  • Add all the spices to a pan and toast them on a low heat until fragrant
  • Allow it to cool and grind in a spice grinder or coffee grinder. Set aside

Hot Cross Buns

  • Heat the milk and the butter on the stovetop of microwave until warm. Takes about 40 seconds in the microwave. Set aside
  • You can use a large bowl or an electric mixer to make the dough. First place all the dry ingredients in the bowl, flour, sugar, yeast, sugar, salt, chai spice and cocoa. Mix it all together
  • Add the milk/butter and mix to combine. Knead for 6 minutes in an electric mixer or 10 minutes if using your hands. Dough will feel sticky at first but on kneading it will turn soft and smooth
  • Grease a bowl with some oil. Rub some oil on the dough. Place in the bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Place in a warm place to rise for an hour.
  • After one hour. Punch the dough down. Mix in 3/4 cup of chocolate chips and set aside 1/4 cup for later.
  • Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces, about 52g each. Roll them into neat balls. Place them on a baking tray or a large glass dish. Spread them a little apart. Add the 1/4 cup chocolate chips on top of the buns.Cover and place in a warm place for 30 minutes, it will rise again
  • Mix the flour and water for the crosses. It must be a thick, runny paste so add a little water at a time. Add the mixture to a ziplock bag or piping bag. Cut a small hole at the tip and pipe crosses on the buns. Pipe them along the curves too so go slow. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
  • Bake the buns for 20 minutes or until buns are a deep brown in colour
  • Heat the honey until runny. Brush the buns, whilst still warm, with the honey

Notes

  1. The weather does affect the moisture in the flour. If at times the dough is far too sticky add a little more flour
  2. Make sure your milk is not too hot or it will kill the yeast. 40 seconds in the microwave works fine for me but test with your finger. It shouldn't burn
  3. You can use bread flour for this recipe if you wish
  4. If you are using a stand mixer it should take about 5-6 minutes to knead the dough
  5. You can replace the honey with some warm apricot jam, you can add a little water to it and heat it