Orange Chocolate Hot Cross Buns
Hot cross buns are good, but have you tried an orange chocolate version? They’re scented with orange zest and cocoa powder, and a hint of cinnamon and they’re so so good. Add some chocolate chunks in there too for good measure and you’ve got yourself the perfect Easter treat.
I’m writing this email in the middle of brainstorming an egg hunt for my boys. I love setting up the hunt with riddles they’ve got to answer before they get their next clues. Every year as they get older, they get smarter so every year I’ve got to make the riddles a bit harder! It’s only a 2 days to go so the countdown is on, wish me luck!
Right, now on to these buns :)
You can make these by hand or in a stand mixer (which is the easier option!) If you make them by hand, it’s a sticky dough so I love a slap and fold kneading method for that. Slap the dough down hard on the bench, pull it forward quickly, and repeat. Quick motions can stop the dough from sticking to your hands too much. It will be very sticky but don’t add more flour. After a while, you will start to feel strength gathered in the dough.
Ingredients
Here’s what you need. You can also find a printable recipe for this over on the blog.
240g (1 cup) lukewarm milk (95-104°F / 35-40°C)
2 tsp instant or active dried yeast
100g (1⁄2 cup) granulated sugar
440g (3 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour*
30g (1/3 cup) cocoa powder
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
1 tsp vanilla paste or extract
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 large egg
70g butter (5 tablespoons), softened to room temperature
130g (3⁄4 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Crosses
45g (5 tablespoons) all-purpose flour
10g (1 1⁄2 Tablespoons) cocoa powder
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
45g (3 Tablespoons) water
Glaze
60g (1/4 cup) fresh orange juice
25g (2 Tablespoons) granulated sugar
Instructions
In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the yeast, milk, and one tablespoon of sugar. Let it sit for 5 minutes and become foamy.
Add the remaining sugar, flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, orange zest, vanilla, salt, and egg. Turn the mixer on medium and combine until it forms a thick but slightly sticky dough. Add in the room temperature butter and keep mixing until the butter has been incorporated.
Keep it mixing until the sticky dough strengthens, comes together, and pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl. This can take around 15 minutes. Proper gluten development will allow you to stretch the dough so thin you can almost see through it.
Pull the dough out of the bowl onto a clean workbench and flatten it. Add in the chocolate chips and gently work them into the dough.
Form the dough into a ball. Place the dough ball into a clean bowl, cover it with a lid or plate or a damp tea towel, and let it in a warm spot for 1.5- 2 hours until doubled in size. If making overnight hot cross buns, the dough can be covered tightly with plastic wrap and placed in the refrigerator overnight to rise slowly.
Shaping
After the dough has been proofed, it’s then time to shape the dough. If your dough was in the fridge overnight, it would be pretty firm. You can let it come to room temperature for 20 minutes before shaping.
Pull the dough onto a clean bench and cut it into nine even pieces. You can use a scale for exact measurements. Use your hands to form each piece into a tight ball. Line a 10x10 inch square baking dish with parchment paper.
Place each ball into the baking tray, then cover with a damp tea towel and let them rise until doubled in size.
Baking
Preheat the oven to 350 F/ 180 C.
Mix the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and water for the crosses, then pipe the crosses onto the buns using a piping bag fitted with a small round tip.
Bake the buns for around 25-28 minutes.
In a saucepan, combine orange juice with granulated sugar. Bring the mixture to a simmer and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Once dissolved, remove the heat and brush it over the buns as they come from the oven.
More easter recipes
Brioche hot cross buns
If you don’t want a chocolate orange hot cross bun, these delicious, buttery buns are a step up from traditional hot cross buns, with a rich flavour and tender, soft texture.
Easter nests
These meringue nests are so sweet. The meringue is hollowed out to create a little pocket inside, then swirled with chocolate. It’s baked long and slow until it’s crisp and dried with a chewy center. The little hollows are filled with whipped cream, and shredded coconut, and topped with mini chocolate Easter eggs.
Happy baking!