Chocolate Cherry Hot Cross Buns

Preparation time: 2-3 hours | Serves: 6 people

Hot cross buns are such an Easter staple, but I’ll be honest I’ve never loved the traditional version with spice and raisins. This recipe is slightly more devious, combing dark chocolate, cherries, cinnamon and coffee for an elevated, almost grown up version of the classic hot cross bun.

Why you should make this recipe -
These homemade hot cross buns are an elevated version of the usual buns you find in the supermarket. While making them from scratch is a labour of love, if you enjoy baking, you should give them a try. There’s almost a brioche like quality to the dough - it’s enriched with butter and milk for a beautifully crisp exterior and an incredibly fluffy interior.

For those who don't enjoy overly sweet desserts, these buns offer the perfect balance of dark chocolate, warm spices, and brown sugar, with the coffee bringing out the tart, treacly notes in the cherries, Served warm and slathered with butter, they make an irresistible treat that's perfect for Easter brunch or afternoon tea. This recipe makes a large batch but I find with baking, it’s always wonderful to share with friends (or freeze some for later for when you’re craving them).

Find my tips and tricks in the recipe notes below.

Ingredients

For the buns

• 150 mls full cream milk

• 150 mls water

• 50 gms butter

• 7g dry yeast

• 600 gms flour

• 30 gms cocoa powder

• 1 tbsp. instant coffee powder

• 2 tsps. ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp, ground nutmeg

• 100 gms dried cherries

• Pinch of salt

• 150 gms brown sugar

• 2 tsps. vanilla essence

For the topping

• 2 tbsps. cocoa powder

• 1 tbsp. flour

• 2 1/2 tbsps. water

• 1 tbsp. milk

• 1 tsp. honey

Method

1. Mix milk and water in a saucepan. Warm until room temperature. Add butter until melted, then add yeast. Let sit 10 minutes.

2. In a stand mixer bowl, combine 520 gms flour, spices, salt, and coffee powder. Reserve the rest of the flour.

3. Add the yeast mixture and vanilla. Beat 5 minutes, then add dried cherries and beat for 3-4 more minutes until smooth.

4. Cover with damp cloth and let rise until doubled (about 1 hour). Punch down dough and place on lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth - use the reserved flour for this.

5. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

6. Cut dough into 8 pieces and shape them into balls. Place them on the tray so they touch slightly. Cover and let rise another hour - they should double in size.

7. Preheat oven to 180°C.

8. Mix cocoa, flour and water for crosses. Use a piping bag to pipe crosses along all the buns.

9. Mix milk and honey in a bowl.

10. Bake 15 minutes, brush with milk-honey mixture, then bake 5 more minutes until golden.

11. Serve fresh or toasted - slathered with butter.

RECIPE NOTES

Swaps, Serves & Storage

1. What can I swap the dried cherries with?
   You can go the traditional route and use raisins instead of cherries, or use dried cranberries instead. Orange zest would also be lovely in this recipe.

2. How long can I keep these hot cross buns?
   The buns will stay fresh at room temperature for 3-4 days in an air tight container or wrapped tightly in foil. Reheat/toast them before eating.

3. Can I freeze the buns?
   Freeze the buns in a zip lock bag for up to 6 months. To reheat, pop the frozen buns into an oven at 150ºC for 10-12 minutes. Toast as normal.

4. What do I serve with the hot cross buns?
   Toasted buns with butter are a classic combination, however I also like drizzling them with honey and a pinch of salt, Nutella or melted dark chocolate.

Tips & Tricks

1. Temperatures - Yeast likes a warm environment, so ensure all your ingredients are at room temperature before mixing/ kneading. If your kitchen is too cold for the proofing process, turn the oven to 100ºC for 5 mins, then turn it off - this should be warm enough for the yeast to activate.

2. Measurements - Precision is always key when it comes to baking. Invest in a baking scale for accurate measurements. I just use a $14 scale from Kmart and it’s been fool proof! You can also use the scale to weigh the dough and make even sized buns so they bake evenly.

3. Working with an enriched dough - This dough is enriched and has high hydration, which means it can be extremely sticky if not kneaded for long enough. It should become less sticky after the first proof, however I would recommend oiling the dough scraper and your hands while kneading and gently dust the dough with flour if it sticks to the bench too much. Be careful not to add too much flour or they will become tough.

4. Yeast - Make sure you check the expiry date on your yeast. If your yeast isn’t active, the buns won’t rise. I find that storing my yeast in the fridge has the best results. It might take slightly longer to activate but will last for much longer.