It’s Citrus season right now. My favourite would have to oranges! In my opinion, one of the best combination is dark chocolate and orange so therefore these buns were born! I’ve added in chopped hazelnuts to the filling as they are also in season right now, plus they provide such a great texture contrast as well as flavour which works so well with the chocolate and orange. It gives off major Nutella vibes, plus the addition with the orange, what is there to complain about! However if you are allergic to nuts or just don’t like hazelnuts, you can easily omit this ingredient and will still be just as yummy! These buns may look daunting to make but are surprisingly simple and quick to do. You can even make this recipe in stages, then leaving the dough overnight in the fridge if you fancy.
Now yeast can be a scary ingredient if you aren’t familiar with it. Plus there are lots of different types of yeast which makes it the more confusing! But I am going to go through each one step by step so you know which one to pick and also how you can switch them up so you don’t mess up the recipe.
- Instant Dry Yeast (also known as easy bake, fast action, easy blend or quick): This is the most commonly used yeast. It is the one where you add directly to the flour mixture and begins to work quickly.
- Active Dry Yeast: This yeast can be easily confused with the instant dry yeast. The difference is that you need to activate the yeast in a warm liquid. So before you add the yeast to the flour, you need to add the yeast to the liquid and let it sit for about 10 minutes to activate. However the measurements are the same for the instant as it is for the active.
- Fresh Yeast: This type of yeast is perishable, so it must be kept refrigerated and used within a couple of weeks of purchase. When using fresh yeast, it is dissolved into a liquid prior to adding to a recipe. Fresh yeast should be proofed, or tested for potency, before each use. To proof yeast, dissolve in warm water and add a pinch of sugar. If the yeast does not begin to foam within 5 to 10 minutes, it is no longer active. To switch a recipe from fresh yeast to dry yeast the ratio is 1g dry yeast to 3g of fresh yeast. So 5g dried yeast you will need 15g fresh yeast.
- Liquid Yeast: Liquid Yeast is purely used for sourdough. Another word for this is called a ‘starter’. It is a living yeast. All you need to do is to add fresh carbohydrate for it to survive and to continue to replicate.
- Nutritional Yeast: This yeast is NOT used for baking. This is purely to add flavour to savoury foods.


