Hot Cross Buns |
Recipe

British Easter buns with dark chocolate and Japanese "tangzhong"

Text:
Katharina Kuhlmann

Photography:
© Marzia Balza

26 March 2026

Hot Cross Buns originate from Great Britain and, with their cross-shaped pattern made from water and flour, are a reminder of the Christian Easter tradition. These spiced buns are usually enriched with various spices and dried fruit. In our recipe, we use candied orange and lemon peel to add fruity notes. The typical apricot glaze finish enhances the fruity flavour. Chunks of rich dark chocolate with 92% cocoa content provide an exciting contrast. A key feature of the recipe is the inclusion of the Japanese roux ‘tangzhong’, which gives the buns their exceptionally soft and light texture.

Why the "Fine Dark 92% Cocoa" matches perfectly with these Hot Cross Buns

The VIVANI Fine Dark 92% Cocoa bar captivates with its rich cocoa flavour. Due to its high cocoa content, it contains very little coconut blossom sugar. This unique alternative sugar creates a well-rounded taste experience with hints of malt and caramel. The aromatic organic cocoa from Panama is known for its mild flavour and ensures that, despite its very high cocoa content, the chocolate tastes only moderately bitter and tart. This variety pairs very well with these Hot Cross Buns, as it imparts rich chocolate notes without adding unnecessary sugar.

RECIPE: HOT CROSS BUNS

Ingredients

For 6 buns

For the "tangzhong" roux:

65 ml

milk

15 g

light flour

For the buns:

220 g

light flour

25 g

sugar

4 g

salt

egg

35 g

yoghurt

75 ml

milk

6 g

fresh yeast

20 g

sunflower oil

100 g

candied lemon and orange peel

50 g

VIVANI Fine Dark 92% Cocoa Chocolate

For the cross:

75 g

light flour

5 tbsp

water

Also:

5 tbsp

apricot jam

making

working time
approx. 3 hours

baking time
15 minutes

waiting / cooling time
approx. 2 hours

level of difficulty
medium

N°

For the "tangzhong" roux, bring the milk to the boil. Stir in the flour vigorously until smooth and lump-free, forming a jelly-like mixture. Leave to cool.

Place the flour, egg, milk, yoghurt and "tangzhong" in a bowl. Mix together using a hand mixer. Then add the yeast and oil and knead into the mixture. Fold in the candied orange and lemon peel as well.

Roughly chop the chocolate and add to the dough. Continue kneading until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. Cover and leave to rise until the volume has doubled (approx. 1 hour).

Now divide the dough into 6 equal pieces, shape into balls and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Cover and leave to rise again for 1 hour.

In the meantime, for the cross, mix the flour and water in a bowl until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag. Without a nozzle, pipe thick lines onto the dough pieces to form a cross.

Bake the Hot Cross Buns in a preheated oven at 200 °C for approx. 15 minutes until golden brown.

Meanwhile, warm the apricot jam in a small saucepan. Spread it over the warm buns immediately after baking.

This is VIVANI

For 25 years, VIVANI has been developing high-quality organic chocolate from sustainably grown cocoa beans. The brand from Bochum (Germany) stands for ecological cocoa cultivation, transparent supply chains and responsibility along the entire value chain. VIVANI was awarded “The National German Sustainability Award” for this commitment.

Production takes place at the traditional Weinrich chocolate factory in Herford, where each bar is created with a great deal of expertise and craftsmanship.

VIVANI's organic chocolate Fine Dark with 92 percent Panamanian cocoa and coconut blossom sugar

Fine Dark 92 % Cocoa

Panama Cocoa | vegan | with coconut blossom sugar

Discover

Hot cross buns apricot jam Recipe hot cross buns chocolate Easter buns Great Britain Hot cross buns with candied orange peel Hot cross buns with candied lemon peel Japanese roux tangzhong Hot cross buns with tangzhong Recipes VIVANI Fine Dark 92 % Cocoa