Double Chocolate and Orange Hot Cross Buns

prep: 30 mins / cook: 25 mins / inactive: 60 mins / total: 1 hour 55 mins / quantity: 12 buns

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Put the flour into a large bowl and rub in the vegan butter using your fingertips until no lumps of butter remain
2. Stir in the sugar, spices, orange zest and cacao powder
3. Gently warm the almond milk - you want it blood temperature which means when you put your finger in to test it you can't feel if it's hot or cold!  If it's too hot it will kill the yeast and it won't prove (think hockey pucks!) ... too cold and the yeast will take longer to activate!
4. If you get it too hot just set aside until it cools to blood temperature
5. Whisk they yeast into the milk and leave for 5-10 minutes until the surface froths slightly. Pour the milk into the dry ingredients and stir together till it starts to form a dough
6. Tip out onto a floured work surface and knead for around 5-10 minutes until it's soft and elastic.  You'll want to put your back into this as you're trying to stretch the gluten in the flour that gives baked bread its texture!
7. Once its well kneaded put into a large clean bowl that you've lightly oiled and cover with a clean t-towel or piece of clingfilm
8. Leave the bowl in a warm place to prove for around an hour or until doubled in size
9. Once it's doubled in size tip the dough back onto your work surface and knead in the chopped apricots and chopped/grated chocolate until very well incorporated
10. Divide the dough roughly into 12 equal sized balls and using your hands roll/shape them into buns
11. Put onto a large tray lined with parchment.  The rolls are going to rise again so you'll want to space them not too close together to allow room to expand.  Use 2 trays if you don't have one large enough
12. Loosely cover the tray with a piece of oiled cling film (the oil stops it sticking when you remove it to bake the buns!) and again leave in a warm place for around an hour or until doubled in size
13. Just before they're ready to be baked, preheat your oven to 180 Fan / 200 C / 400 F / Gas 6.  Prepare your crosses - whisk together the flour and water to a thick but fluid paste - too thin and it will just run off the top of your buns, too thick and you won't be able to pipe it!  This part is a bit trial and error - different flours have different absorbency qualities so add more flour or water to get the right consistency
14. Put the paste into a piping bag - or a sturdy sandwich bag which you'll then snip the corner off
15. Remove the piece of cling film and pipe crosses of paste over the tops of each bun
16. Put the tray(s) in the oven for 20-25 minutes.  To check if they're cooked, carefully lift one of the hot buns and tap the bottom - it should make a hollow sound
17. Remove from the oven and immediately brush with maple syrup to glaze the buns
18. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely
19. To serve, split in half and toast under a hot grill

Notes

• These buns freeze really well!  Just put into a lidded container (the sticky top will stick to a freezer bag!) and defrost thoroughly before using

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