Boozy Chocolate Sticky Buns

By heinstirred

December 2, 2014

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Author Notes: The softest buttery brioche, plump boozy raisins and lashings of brandied caramel with hits of slightly bitter dark chocolate. It all makes these sticky buns fantastic for a Christmas treat and very hard to resist.
I came across Drizzle and Dip’s recipe for Hot Cross Cinnamon Sticky Buns with its distinct Easter feel in April this year. It looked delicious and I immediately saved it, knowing that I would want to make a Xmas version, adding numerous splashes of brandy and definitely some dark chocolate for an added bit of Xmas decadence. —heinstirred

Makes: 16

Dough:
.25 cups warm water
10 grams instant dry yeast
50 grams butter, and extra for greasing
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest (heaped)
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups flour (and extra for dusting)
Plumping the Raisins:
.33 cups boiling water
.33 cups brandy
Filling:
.5 cups Muscovado sugar
.25 cups light brown or caramel sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon mixed spice
2 tablespoons candied citrus peel, finely diced
100 grams 70% dark chocolate, chopped into small chunks or blitzed in the food processor (not too fine)
1 cup raisins
40 grams butter, at room temp
Topping:
115 grams butter
.75 cups muscovado sugar
.75 cups cream
1 tablespoon liquid glucose
.25 cups golden syrup
2 tablespoons brandy
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon chocolate extract
.5 cups raisins

Make the dough:
Combine the water, yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer.
Set aside for 5 minutes to dissolve and become frothy.
Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl with only 3 of the 4 cups of flour.
Fit a paddle attachment and mix on a low speed until just combined.
Change to a dough hook attachment and mix. While mixing, slowly add the remaining 1 cup of flour, and continue to mix for about 5 minutes until you have a smooth dough.
Grease a mixing bowl with butter and place the dough in the bowl. Cover the top with some more butter, cover with plastic cling wrap and set aside in a warm area to rise until doubled in size. (this can take about 1 – 2 hours)
Plump all the raisins:
Place the raisins for the filling and topping in a bowl.
Cover with the boiling water and brandy and let it steep for about 30 minutes.
Strain into colander and let it drain.
Divide into the quantity needed for the filling and sauce.
Make the filling:
Combine all the ingredients except the butter and plumped raisins and mix. Set aside
Assemble the buns:
Punch the risen dough down and tip onto a floured surface, sprinkle with more flour so the rolling pin does not stick and roll into a rectangular shape about 45cm long and 30cm wide.
Dust off any excess flour and spread the softened butter for the filling over the entire surface.
Sprinkle the sugar and chocolate filling evenly over this.
Scatter 1 cup of raisins over the sugar mixture and gently press the filling down.
Starting from the longest edge, roll the dough and filling up until you have a long log. Brush off any excess flour as you roll and keep the join seam underneath.
Let the log rest where it is while making the topping
Caramel Sauce:
Melt the butter in a small pot over medium heat, and then add all the other ingredients except raisins.
Bring the mixture to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce has come together and is golden brown with a nice sheen (about 3–4 minutes).
Pour ¾ of the glaze into baking pan (about 22cm x 32 cm), swirl this around to evenly coat the bottom. Set the rest of the sauce aside.
Sprinkle the raisins over the sauce evenly.
Trim the edges of the log and then cut it into 16 even pieces.
Place the 16 cut slices of log on top of the caramel and raisins, allowing some space in between for proving.
Baking:
Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees C and bake the buns for 35 minutes until golden brown.
Check the buns halfway through. If they are browning too fast, cover loosely with tin foil to prevent over browning.
Remove from the oven and spread the remaining glaze over the buns.
Allow to cool in the pan on a cooling rack.