Sourdough Chocolate Hot Cross Buns
Sourdough Chocolate Hot Cross Buns take the Easter bake you know and flip it on its head. With rich chocolate, juicy cherries, and a glossy glaze, these buns are far from a classic Easter recipe — think Black Forest Gateau meets soft, pillowy enriched sourdough. Perfect with a slather of butter, they’re the indulgent twist your Easter table needs.
Equipment
- Stand Mixer Fitted With A Dough Hook Attchment
- large baking tray measuring appoximately 32 x 24cm (9 x 13 inches)
- Piping Bag With Small Nozzle
Ingredients
For The Hot Cross Bun Dough:
- 430 g strong bread flour with at least 12% protein content
- 20 g unsweetened cocoa powder
- 55 g light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 250 ml milk
- 1 egg large
- 150 g active sourdough starter 100% hydration
- 60 g unsalted butter softened
Mix-Ins:
- 100 g dark chocolate chips
- 80 g dried cherries
For The Crosses:
- 45 g flour
- 40-45 ml water
For The Glaze:
- 50 g caster sugar or granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoon water
Instructions
DAY 1:
- First thing in the morning, feed your sourdough starter and leave it in a warm place to at least double in volume.
- In a bowl of a stand mixer, combine the strong flour, cocoa powder, sugar and salt.
- Add the milk, egg and sourdough starter, and run your mixer, fitted with a dough hook attachment, for 5-6 minutes until a rough dough forms, but all the flour is hydrated.
- With your stand mixer still running, a little bit at a time, start adding butter, and mix for another 8-10 minutes, until you have a soft and elastic dough that passes the windowpane test.
- Scoop the dough into a clean large bowl, cover with cling film or a damp kitchen towel and let the dough rest it in a warm spot for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, perform a set of coil folds to redistribute the wild yeast, then cover and leave the dough for another 30 minutes. Repeat the coil folds once again and leave the dough for 30 minutes.
- On the third set of folds, mix in the cherries and chocolate chips, by scattering the mix-ins on the surface and stretching and folding the corners of the dough over. Alternatively, use the sourdough lamination method for better distribution (you can find detailed instructions and photos in the article above).
- After adding the mix-ins, let the covered dough rise undisturbed in a warm spot for 4-6 hours. It should increase in volume by about 60-70%.
- Place the dough in the fridge overnight.
DAY 2:
- The next morning, scoop the dough out onto a lightly floured kitchen surface.
- Divide the dough into 12 even-sized pieces. Shape each piece into a tight ball, tucking in the bottom to create a smooth top.
- Place the balls, seam side down, on a baking parchment-lined baking tray (ideally with high rims, so you can cover the dish without touching the tops of the balls). Cover with cling film or a tea towel and leave in a warm spot to rise for approx 5-6 hours. They may not double in size, but should puff up considerably.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (390F).
- Mix together the flour with enough water to make a thick paste, then add it to a small piping/icing bag with a thin nozzle. Pipe crosses over the buns.
- Place the hot cross buns in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Whilst the buns are in the oven, mix sugar and water for the glaze in a small saucepan. Warm on low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Simmer for a few moments, then take it off the heat.
- When the buns are cooked, brush them with sugar glaze and leave them to cool for 20 minutes before eating.
- These sourdough chocolate hot cross buns are best the day they are baked (especially, warm) slathered with butter or cream cheese.
Nutrition
Calories: 295kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 8gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 124mgPotassium: 163mgFiber: 3gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 483IUVitamin C: 0.04mgCalcium: 74mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!