Chocolate checkerboard hot cross buns

Split one batch of dough to make two types of bun: dark chocolate & orange, and white chocolate & cherry. You’ll want seconds!

Makes 12 Prep 45 mins plus 1 hr 30 mins -2 hrs 30 mins proving Cook 30 mins 250ml whole milk

50g butter, chopped into chunks 2 tbsp cocoa powder

500g strong white flour, plus 100g for

the crosses

1 tsp ground cinnamon

85g golden caster sugar

7g sachet fast-action dried yeast 1 large egg

150g mixed dried fruit

50g dark chocolate, finely chopped 1 orange, zested

50g dried sour cherries

50g white chocolate, finely chopped vegetable oil, for the bowls and

baking tray

2 tbsp apricot jam (optional)

1 Warm the milk in a saucepan until steaming (not boiling). Remove the pan from the heat, add the butter, and swirl to melt and cool the milk a little. Mix the cocoa powder with 2 tbsp boiling water in a small heatproof bowl, then set aside to cool.

2 Mix the 500g flour, cinnamon, sugar, yeast and 1/2 tsp salt together in a bowl. While the milk mixture is still warm, add it to the flour along with the egg, and mix to form a sticky dough (use a stand mixer if you have one). Continue mixing, then kneading, until the dough is less sticky and feels springy, about 8-10 mins. Add the dried fruit and mix again until the fruit is evenly spread throughout the dough.

3 Split the dough in half, weighing for accuracy if you like. Return one half to the original bowl, and put the other half in a second bowl. Add the cocoa mixture, dark chocolate and orange zest to one bowl, and the cherries and white chocolate to the other. Knead each dough for a further minute, or until they’re both well-mixed. Return each dough to a clean, oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave somewhere warm to prove for 1-2 hrs, or until the dough has roughly doubled in size.

4 Knead and fold each dough a little bit to knock out some air. Divide each dough into six pieces (weighing for accuracy, if you like). To shape the pieces into buns, take a piece in your palm, pull one side into the middle, and press to seal. Continue doing this around the edge of the dough until you have a tight bun shape when you flip the dough over. Shape all the buns, then arrange on a lightly oiled baking tray in a checkerboard pattern, alternating between the cocoa and white chocolate buns, and leaving about 1.5cm around each for spreading. Cover the tray loosely and leave for 30 mins-1 hr until almost doubled in size again. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.

5 Mix the remaining flour with enough water to make a thick paste (you’ll use about 80ml water). Transfer the paste to a piping bag and snip a small opening at the end. Uncover the buns and pipe crosses over the top. Bake for 25-30 mins, or until the buns are golden brown. Leave to cool on the tray.

6 Warm the apricot jam in a saucepan to loosen slightly, then brush this over the buns for a glossy finish, if you like. To serve, split the buns, then toast them under a hot grill and spread with lots of salted butter.

PER SERVING 362 kcals, fat 9g, saturates 5g,

carbs 59g, sugars 21g, fibre 3g, protein 10g, salt 0.4g

Tip For plumper fruit, soak it overnight in the juice from the orange before making the buns