20. March 2026

Sourdough Chocolate Hot Cross Buns

Hot cross buns are an Easter staple, but honestly, I firmly believe they deserve a place in our kitchens all year round. And when you add chocolate and sourdough into the mix, they become something truly special. Think of them as your classic hot cross bun… just richer, deeper, and a little more indulgent.

There’s something about the combination of warm spices, melty chocolate, and that subtle tang from the sourdough, all finished with a generous spread of butter, that feels just right every time.

This is my chocolate sourdough hot cross bun recipe, but if you’re after something more traditional, you can find my classic version here.

Ingredients

For the buns 

• 240g Light milk (full cream works fine too!) 

• 450g Bread flour
• 50g Cocoa powder 

• 50g Sugar 

• 10g Sea salt 

• 115g Soft salted butter 

• 100g Active sourdough starter 

• 1 Large egg 

• 80-100g Chocolate chips (I like a mix of dark and milk) 

• 2tsp Vanilla extract 

• 1tsp Cinnamon 

• 1tsp Mixed spice (something that contains cloves, nutmeg and cardamon) 

For the cross 

• 75g Plain flour 

• 5tbsp Water  

For the glaze 

• Honey (you can use male syrup if you want) 

Method

1. Combine milk, salt, egg and sourdough starter. 

2. Add flour, cocoa powder and sugar, knead until smooth. I like to do this in a stand mixer as you only need one bowl. 

3. Whilst kneading, add the butter bit by bit until fully incorporated. 

4. Toss in the chocolate chips along with the spices and mix lightly. 

5. Cover and rest overnight or until the dough is roughly triple in size. 

6. Divide the dough into balls, for 6 buns use 98g, for 9 buns use 65g, for 12 little buns use 48g. 

7. Place the balls into a lined dish and leave for another couple of hours for them to puff up. 

8. When ready to cook, heat a fan forced oven to 175 degrees Celsius.  

9. Make the paste by combining the flour and water, I use a sandwich bag to pipe it onto a cross shape on top. 

10. Bake for 25-35 minutes, watching for colour. 

11. Once out the oven, immediately brush with honey (or your glaze of choice) and enjoy!