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Delicious Homemade hot cross buns
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5 from 3 votes

Hot Cross Buns with Chocolate Chips

Fluffy and fragrant, homemade hot cross buns filled with melted chocolate chips to please the kids as well as the adults. Even better than store bought! There's just something about warm, fresh homemade breads! The best part? No proofing yeast!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time2 hours
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Easter, Snack
Cuisine: American, British, European
Keyword: baking, chocolate, homemade, hot cross buns, Hot cross buns with chocolate chips, kid-friendly
Servings: 15 Buns
Author: Karina Carrel

Ingredients

BUNS

  • 2 packets rapid rise yeast or dry instant
  • 1 1/2 cups milk warm
  • 3/4 cup superfine sugar or caster sugar divided
  • 4 1/2 cups bread flour or plain/all purpose up to 1/4 cup extra if needed
  • 1 teaspoons all spice or mixed spice
  • 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ semi sweet chocolate chips
  • zest of an orange or 2 tablespoons mixed peel
  • 1 large egg at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup butter melted and cooled slightly

CROSSES

  • 1 yolk
  • 10 ml milk
  • egg yolk to brush before make the crosses
  • ½ cup dark chocolate melted

Glaze:

  • 1 tbsp  jam orange marmalade or apricot jam. You can also use honey, maple syrup, agave or golden syrup
  • 2 tsp boiling water
US - Metric

Instructions

  • Start by activating the yeast. Mix the warm milk with a little sugar and the yeast, then let it sit until it turns frothy on top.
    yeast activating in warm milk with bubbles forming on top
  • In a large bowl, combine the flour, remaining sugar, spices, salt, orange zest and chocolate chips. Give everything a quick mix so it’s evenly distributed.
    dry ingredients with chocolate chips and spices mixed in a bowl
  • Make a well in the centre and pour in the yeast mixture, melted butter and egg.
    wet ingredients being mixed into chocolate chip dough
  • Knead using a dough hook if using a stand mixer, or by hand on a lightly floured surface. It will look slightly sticky at first; that’s normal.
    dough coming together while mixing
    • BY HAND: If you don't have a stand mixer, lightly dust a workbench with flour. Lightly oil your hands (to prevent it from sticking to your fingers), and knead dough until soft and smooth, about 10 minutes.
  • Knead the dough until soft and smooth. You’re looking for a texture that feels elastic and not too sticky.
    kneading dough until smooth texture
    • FOR STANDMIXER: Mix until a smooth elastic dough forms, about 5 minutes on low speed (setting 2). Add extra flour, 1 tablespoon at a time while mixing, ONLY if needed,
  • Stretch a small piece of dough to check it. It should stretch without tearing easily.
    kneading dough until smooth and elastic texture forms
    • That is called the TEST DOUGH. Hold the dough in your hands and pull slightly outwards. It should have a smooth top and not tear when stretched.
  • Place the dough in a bowl, cover and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled in size.
    dough rising in bowl until doubled in size
  • Let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size.
    dough rising in bowl until doubled in size
  • Punch down the dough to release the air.
    punching down risen dough
  • Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces.
    dough divided and shaped into balls arranged in baking tray
  • Place the dough balls into a lined baking tray.
    Baking tray without the dough balls
  • Cover again and let them rise until puffy and slightly touching.
    shaped dough balls rising in baking tray before baking
  • Mix the egg yolk with milk to make the egg wash.
    Egg wash mixture in bowl
  • Brush the tops of the buns with the egg wash.
    baked chocolate hot cross buns with chocolate crosses and glaze
  • Bake until golden brown on top.
    baked hot cross buns golden brown
  • Mix the marmalade with the boiling water to create the glaze. Brush the baked buns with it.
    Top view of Glaze for the hot cross buns
  • Transfer melted chocolate into a piping bag and pipe crosses over the buns.
    piping chocolate crosses on buns
  • Continue piping until all buns are covered with crosses.
    baked chocolate hot cross buns with chocolate crosses and glaze
  • Serve warm while the chocolate is still soft.
    chocolate hot cross buns served warm

Notes

This dough comes together pretty easily, but a few small things make a big difference in how soft and fluffy your buns turn out. Once you’ve made it once, you’ll start to feel when the dough is ready instead of just following the steps.
• Milk temperature: Aim for warm, not hot. Around 110°F (43–44°C) is ideal. If it’s too hot, it can affect the yeast and your dough won’t rise properly.
• Flour: Try not to add too much extra flour. The dough should feel slightly tacky, not dry. Adding too much will make the buns dense instead of soft.
• Kneading: Stop once the dough is smooth and elastic. If you keep going too long, it can tighten up and affect the texture after baking.
• Chocolate chips: Mixing them in from the beginning distributes the chocolate evenly through the dough, so you get a little in every bite.
• Rising: If your kitchen is cold, let the dough rise in the oven with just the light on. It creates a warm environment and helps it double in size properly.
• Even sizing: Try to keep your dough pieces similar in size so they bake evenly and sit nicely together in the tray.
If the dough springs back slightly when you press it and feels soft to the touch, you’re right where you need to be before baking.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 297kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 134mg | Potassium: 155mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 224IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 3mg