Sourdough Hot Cross Buns With Chocolate Chips

Directions

1. Make the levain (9:00 p.m.)
   
   In the evening, when your sourdough starter is ripe (when you’d typically give it a refreshment), make the levain. In a medium jar, combine 65 grams bread flour, 13 grams caster sugar, 65 grams water, and 26 grams ripe sourdough starter. Be sure to use a jar that has a little extra space for this levain, as it will rise quite high and be very bubbly when ripe. Cover the jar and let the levain ripen overnight at warm room temperature (I keep mine around 74°F to 76°F/23°C to 24°C).
2. Mix the dough (9:00 a.m.)
   
   Cut the butter into small pieces, place it on a plate, and set it aside to soften at room temperature. Warm the 156 grams of milk to about 76°F/24°C, either in the microwave or on the stove. Warming the milk will lead to a warmer mixed dough, which ensures ample fermentation activity. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add the 521 grams flour, warmed milk, 52 grams egg, 10 grams salt, half (21 grams) of the sugar (keep the remaining half aside until just before adding butter), 107 grams water, and the ripe levain. Set the mixer to low speed and mix until all the ingredients are combined and no dry bits of flour remain. Turn the mixer up to medium-low and mix for 3 to 5 minutes until the dough starts to clump around the dough hook. This is a moderately strong dough, but it won’t completely pull away from the bottom of the mixing bowl.
   
   Let the dough rest 10 minutes in the mixing bowl, uncovered.
   
   The butter should be at room temperature by this time (meaning a finger should easily push into a piece with little resistance). First, add the remaining 21 grams of sugar, the cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and the orange and lemon zests, along with a small splash of water or milk. Turn the mixer on to low and mix for 1 minute, until the new additions are incorporated.
   
   Add the butter, one pat at a time, waiting to add the next until the previous is totally incorporated. Once all of the butter is added, turn the mixer up to medium-low and continue to mix until the dough gets smooth and once again begins clinging to the dough hook (this can take up to 5 minutes). The dough will be cohesive, smooth, and elastic at the end of mixing.
   
   Transfer the dough to another large bowl or container for bulk fermentation.
3. Bulk ferment the dough (9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.)
   
   Cover the dough with a reusable airtight cover and let it rise at warm room temperature (76°F/24°C) for a total of 4 hours. During this time, you’ll give the dough three sets of “stretches and folds” (see next paragraph for an explanation) to give it additional strength. The first set is performed 30 minutes after the start of bulk fermentation, and subsequent sets at 30-minute intervals, then the dough will rest for the remaining time. Set a timer for 30 minutes and let the dough rest, covered. After 30 minutes, give the dough its first set of stretches and folds.
   
   To stretch and fold: 30 minutes after the start of bulk fermentation, spread about a quarter (28 grams) of the chocolate chips over the surface of the dough in the bulk fermentation container. Then, with wet hands, grab the north side of the dough (the side farthest from you) and stretch it up and over to the south side. Sprinkle over another quarter (28 grams) of the chocolate chips to the top of the newly exposed dough, and fold the south side up to the north. Then, perform two more folds, one from east to west, and one west to east, spreading the remaining quarters of chocolate each time. Finally, let the dough rest, covered, for 30 minutes.
   
   Perform the remaining two sets of stretches and folds in the same way, without any ingredient additions, with 30 minutes rest in between. After the third set, let the dough rest, covered, for the remaining two and a half hours of bulk fermentation.
4. Chill the dough (1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.)
   
   Check your dough; after 4 hours, it should have risen in the bulk fermentation container, smoothed out, and be light and fluffy to the touch. To make the final shaping easier, place the covered bulk fermentation container into the refrigerator for 1 hour to firm up.
5. Shape the dough (2:30 p.m.)
   
   Liberally butter a 9x9-inch baking pan. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and uncover. It should be cool and semi-firm to the touch. Lightly flour a work surface and use a bowl scraper to gently scrape the dough out to the floured surface. Next, using a bench scraper, divide the dough into 115-gram pieces (you might have a little scrap leftover that can be discarded). Then, using the bench scraper and your other hand (floured, to avoid sticking), shape each dough piece into tight rounds. As you shape each, place it into the pan to form three rows of three buns. The dough pieces will be snug in the pan with dough pieces touching.
6. Proof the shaped dough (3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.)
   
   Proof the dough at a warm temperature (74°F to 76°F/23°C to 24°C is ideal) for about 3 hours. If your kitchen is on the cool side, expect the dough to take longer to proof. Extend the proof time as necessary until the dough rounds are well-risen, very puffy, and soft to the touch. Don’t rush the proof; this is a slower-moving dough due to the enrichments.
7. Bake the buns (6:00 p.m.)
   
   Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C) with a rack in the middle.
   
   Prepare the cross mixture by combining the ingredients in a small bowl and mixing until no dry bits remain. Scoop the mixture into a pastry bag. (If you don’t have a pastry bag, you can use a plastic zip-top bag by pushing the ingredients into a corner and cutting a very small part of the corner off to allow the mixture to flow through when squeezed.)
   
   Prepare the egg wash by whisking together the egg and 1 tablespoon of whole milk until frothy.
   
   Once the oven is heated, pipe the cross mixture on the top of the dough by moving edge to edge over the buns so the mixture makes a straight line through the middle of the top three. Then, proceed with the other two rows. Next, rotate the pan 90 degrees and repeat. In the end, you should have a cross shape on each piece of dough. Next, use a pastry brush to carefully dab on a light layer of the egg wash over the buns and slide the pan into the oven.
   
   Bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, rotate the pan back to front, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C), and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until the buns are golden and the internal temperature is around 195°F (90°C).
   
   While the buns are baking, prepare the simple syrup glaze: Combine the 52 grams sugar and 52 grams water in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, whisking constantly. Boil for a minute, then remove from the heat and let cool.
   
   When the buns have finished baking, remove them from the oven and immediately brush with the simple syrup. Let the buns cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack. Enjoy while still warm (or reheated in the oven)—I dare you to eat only one. They’re fantastic the next day warmed, cut in half, and buttered.