These Chocolate Custard Buns with Chocolate Chips are the ultimate bakery-style treat, featuring pillowy soft dough enriched with cream and loaded with pockets of rich chocolate. Filled with smooth, decadent chocolate custard and studded with melting dark chocolate chips, every bite is a luxurious explosion of texture and flavor.
Easy Chocolate Custard Buns with Chocolate Chips (So Good!)
There’s nothing quite like pulling apart a warm, freshly baked bun to reveal a creamy center. These buns take comfort food to a new level by combining the fluffiness of milk bread with the richness of a double chocolate filling. They are perfect for slow weekend mornings or as a special afternoon treat, offering the perfect balance of airy dough and gooey, chocolaty goodness.
Why These Chocolate Custard Buns Are the Best
- Ultra-Soft Dough: The addition of double cream and whole milk creates an incredibly tender and fluffy crumb.
- Double Chocolate Hit: Features both creamy chocolate custard and melting dark chocolate chips for maximum richness.
- Sourdough Option: Includes an optional sourdough starter addition for better keeping qualities and depth of flavor.
- Bakery Quality: The combination of strong bread flour and T45 flour yields a professional, light texture.
- Rich & Creamy: The custard filling keeps the buns moist and decadent from the inside out.
- Comforting Aroma: Baking these fills the kitchen with the irresistible scent of yeast, butter, and warm chocolate.
Easy Chocolate Custard Buns with Chocolate Chips (So Good!)
Perfect for Any Occasion
These Chocolate Custard Buns are ideal for a luxurious weekend brunch, a holiday breakfast spread, or a comforting treat on a rainy afternoon. They are a standout bake that fits every indulgent mood. Serve them warm from the oven with a glass of cold milk or a hot latte for the ultimate cozy experience.
Ingredient Notes
Dough Base
- Whole milk: Used warm to activate the yeast and create a soft, enriched dough.
- Double cream (Heavy cream): Adds extra fat and richness for a tender, velvety crumb.
- Sugar: Feeds the yeast and sweetens the dough slightly.
- Instant yeast: The leavening agent that ensures a good rise and fluffy texture.
- Active sourdough starter (optional): Can be added for flavor complexity and improved texture, but is not strictly necessary.
- Salt: Essential for strengthening the gluten structure and balancing the flavors.
- Strong white bread flour & T45 flour: A blend of flours provides the perfect balance of chew and softness (can use all bread flour if preferred).
- Unsalted butter: Softened and cubed; enriched the dough for a brioche-like finish.
Filling & Mix-ins
- Dark chocolate chips: Kneaded into the dough for distinct pockets of melted chocolate.
- Chocolate custard: A thick, rich pastry cream used to fill the center of the buns (prepared ahead).
Finish
Milk: Used to brush the buns before baking for a golden, soft crust.
Easy Chocolate Custard Buns with Chocolate Chips (So Good!)
Tips for Making the Best Chocolate Custard Buns
- Watch the Temperature: Ensure the milk is warm (around 38°C) but not hot, so it activates the yeast without killing it.
- Knead Well: The dough should be smooth and elastic (passing the windowpane test) before adding the butter and chocolate chips.
- Cold Custard: Ensure the chocolate custard is completely chilled and thick before filling the buns to prevent it from leaking out during shaping.
- Don’t Overfill: Be careful not to overstuff the buns, as the custard can boil over during baking; seal the edges tightly.
- Room Temperature Butter: Softened butter incorporates much easier into the dough than cold butter.
Easy Chocolate Custard Buns with Chocolate Chips (So Good!)
Serving Suggestions
- Warm and Fresh: Best served slightly warm when the chocolate chips are still melty and the custard is soft.
- Dust with Sugar: A light dusting of powdered sugar adds a beautiful bakery finish.
- Coffee Companion: Pairs perfectly with a cappuccino or dark roast coffee to cut the sweetness.
- Berry Side: Serve with fresh strawberries or raspberries for a tart contrast to the rich chocolate.
- Glazed Finish: Brush with a simple sugar syrup immediately after baking for a shiny, sticky glaze.
Easy Chocolate Custard Buns with Chocolate Chips (So Good!)
A Must Try
These Chocolate Custard Buns with Chocolate Chips are fluffy, creamy, and undeniably decadent. It’s the kind of bake that feels like a hug in food form, satisfying every craving for soft carbs and rich chocolate. Whether you’re baking them for a family breakfast or a personal treat, one bite of this custard-filled delight will remind you why homemade bread is always worth the effort.
Easy Chocolate Custard Buns with Chocolate Chips (So Good!)
Ingredients
- 250 ml whole milk about 1 cup, warmed to 38 °C
- 50 ml double cream or heavy cream about 3 1/2 tablespoons
- 165 g strong white bread flour about 1 1/3 cups
- 385 g T45 flour or more strong white flour about 3 cups
- 75 g sugar about 6 tablespoons or 1/3 cup
- 7 g instant yeast about 2 1/4 teaspoons or 1 packet
- 3 g salt about 1/2 teaspoon
- 70 g unsalted butter soft and cubed (about 5 tablespoons)
- 130 g dark chocolate chips about 3/4 cup
- 230 to 250 ml chocolate custard about 1 cup
- 20 g active sourdough starter optional (about 1 tablespoon)
- Milk for brushing
Instructions
- Begin by pouring the warm milk into the bowl of your stand mixer.
- Add the sugar, cream, yeast, and sourdough starter, then stir gently until the sugar has fully dissolved and the mixture looks smooth and unified.
- Add the two flours along with the salt. Mix at a low speed for about three minutes, then increase to medium speed and continue mixing for another three minutes to bring the dough together properly.
- Lower the speed again and begin adding the butter a little at a time, allowing each piece to disappear into the dough before adding the next. Knead for another ten to twelve minutes, until the dough is silky, elastic, and no traces of butter remain.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover it, and let it rest in a warm place around 25°C until it has doubled in size. This usually takes about one to one and a quarter hours, though it may take longer if your kitchen is cooler.
- Once risen, roll the dough out into a large rectangle, roughly 55 by 40 cm. Spread the chocolate custard evenly over the surface, then scatter the chocolate chips on top. Fold the dough over itself twice, like closing a letter. If the dough or filling feels too soft, place it in the freezer for five to ten minutes to firm up. Cut the dough into long strips, about nine in total.
- Twist each strip several times, then coil it into a bun shape. Arrange the buns on trays lined with baking paper and leave them to rise in a warm spot for forty to sixty minutes, until soft and nicely puffed.
- Heat the oven to 190 °C. Brush the buns gently with milk, or egg if you have it on hand. Bake for fourteen to sixteen minutes, until beautifully golden.
- If you like a shiny finish, brush them while warm with a simple syrup made from two teaspoons of sugar dissolved in two teaspoons of boiling water.
Easy Chocolate Custard Buns with Chocolate Chips (So Good!)