chocolate chip hot cross buns

Happy Good Friday! I am home for Easter, so as you may have guessed, I absolutely had to bake something to celebrate! As I found out, hot cross buns are traditional for today. So I set out to make those! I knew that raisins were in the original recipe, but, uh... I don't like raisins. I had already decided to just find a good recipe and replace the raisins with chocolate chips, when I stumbled upon Seeded At The Table's chocolate chip hot cross buns. Jackpot! These already had the chocolate substitution, and the crosses on top were made of melted white chocolate. Perfect!

One of my favorite things... a giant, overflowing bowl of puffy, stretchy, yeasty goodness! Am I the only one who is ecstatic when things with yeast actually rise? No? Good. These hot cross buns are honestly not hard, just a little time consuming. But most of the time is just spent waiting so you can do pleenntyy of other things in the meanwhile. Like, do your homework. Or clean. Or maybe go on Pinterest. I never go on Pinterest so obviously I didn't do that...

You know what's awkward? Not having enough white chocolate to cross all your buns. This is embarrassing.

I strategically took pictures to hide the fact not all of my buns were crossed. Then I thought to myself, "Well, I'm gonna take a pan picture anyway. I'm sure my followers will think it's funny. And also that I'm an idiot. Whatever." So, hopefully you do find that funny. Back to tastier things, how delicious does this bun look? These are honestly some of the best things I've ever made. Like, ever. Think super flaky, soft, buttery dinner rolls. With chocolate chips. And white chocolate on top. Basically amazing.

Sorry I'm not sorry!

Chocolate Chip Hot Cross Buns
Recipe from Seeded At The Table
Yields: 16-17 buns

for the buns:
1 packet {2 ¼ tbsp} instant yeast
½ cup white sugar
1 cup skim milk + ½ cup whole milk
4 cups all-purpose flour {+ more if needed}
1 teaspoon salt
3 ½ tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 egg 
1 cup mini chocolate chips

for the glaze:
3 tablespoon hot water
¼ cup white sugar

for the crosses:
2 oz white chocolate, melted

First, heat up the milks until warm {120-130F}. Stir in the sugar and the yeast, and set aside for a few minutes to let the yeast swell and bubble.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour and salt. Make a well in the middle, and pour in the melted butter, egg, and yeast mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon until incorporated, then dump out onto a floured surface and knead the dough for a few minutes. It should become smooth and elastic! Knead in the chocolate chips, then place the dough into a clean, lightly oiled bowl. Using a sharp knife, cut a cross on the top, then cover with a clean tea towel and set in a warm place to rise for at least one hour. I always forget my dough, so it usually gets huge... 
When ready, preheat the oven to 400F. Dump the dough back onto the floured surface, punch it down, and knead it a little bit. Grab a baking dish or large springform pan, and butter thoroughly. Pinch off golfball sized pieces of dough, tuck the dough under to make a smooth top, and place on your prepared pan. You should get 16-17 balls! Mist lightly with water, and cover with a tea towel to let rise for another 15-20 minutes.
After the second rise, mist the buns again with water, and set in the oven! Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and delicious. Mist the buns 1-2 times while in the oven as well. While they are baking, prepare the glaze.
Simply heat up the water, and stir in the sugar. That's it! When the buns are ready, brush them generously with the glaze. Pour the melted white chocolate into a zip top baggie, snip a corner, and draw crosses on top of your buns. Serve warm and enjoy!