Vegan Hot Cross Chocolate Buns

Instructions

1. In a saucepan, heat up plant-based milk, then add in vegan butter and vanilla. Remove from heat and let the butter dissolve and the milk come to room temperature.
2. In a mixing bowl combine flour, dry yeast, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Make a hole in the middle and pour in the milk with butter. Mix to combine, then drop the dough on the counter, dusted with flour, and knead thoroughly for about 7 minutes, until the dough is shiny and elastic.
3. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm spot for about 2 hours, or until the dough has risen and doubled in size.
4. Once the dough has risen, remove it from the bowl and turn it back on your counter. Flatten it out with a rolling pin to a large rectangle. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the dough generously, then shape the dough into a ball again and let rise covered another hour.
5. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Turn the dough on your counter one last time and cut into 12 even-sized pieces. Roll each dough piece into a ball and place on the baking tray, leaving a space of about 2 cm (1 inch) between them, as the dough will rise. Cover the buns with a towel and let rise for about 45 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Before baking add the crosses to the buns: In a small bowl, mix flour with about 5 tablespoons of water (add the water by the tablespoon until your dough is the right texture). Your dough should be paste-like, but not too liquid. Fill a piping bag with the flour paste and pipe crosses across the buns.
7. Place the baking tray in a preheated oven on the middle rack and bake for about 15-20 minutes, until the buns are a golden brown color. During baking, the crosses will remain white, while the dough will change color.
8. Once baked, remove from the oven and set on a cooling rack. While still hot, spread the buns with some maple syrup for shine. Heating the maple syrup a bit will make it more easily spreadable.
9. Store in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.