Gluten Free Chocolate & Banana Buns

Instructions

1. First we'll start by activating the yeast. This handy step will ensure we know our yeast is definitely active. Simply, pour the milk into a jug and heat in the microwave for 30-40 seconds, until slightly warm. Add the tsp sugar and yeast to the jug, stir, then set aside for 10 minutes. After this time it should have a layer of foam on the surface (if not, your yeast is inactive and you'll need to start again with fresh yeast).
2. Tip the psyllium husk into the jug with the yeast and stir through - leave to sit for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through. It will thicken the liquid into a gel.
3. Meanwhile, prepare your dry ingredients. I really recommend using a stand mixer with dough hook if you have one. If not, prepare those arm muscles for some serious stirring! Tip the plain flour, tapioca starch, 60g caster sugar, salt and baking powder into the bowl and stir well to combine.
4. Pour the contents of the jug into your stand mixer, along with the egg and mashed banana, and mix for about 3 minutes until you have a smooth dough.
5. Cut the softened butter into small chunks and add to the mixer bowl. Mix for about 5 minutes, until the butter is completely incorporated into the dough. You should end up with a very soft, slightly sticky dough.
6. Take a large piece of non-stick baking paper (about 40cm/15 inches long) and place on your worktop. Rub it with a little oil (sunflower/rapeseed/olive) to stop the douhg from sticking to it then use a dough scraper or spatula to scoop the soft dough onto the paper. Use lightly oiled hands to shape it into a rectangle, about 2cm (0.75inch) thick. Then wrap completely in the baking paper and place in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
7. Take your chilled dough out of the fridge and lightly oil your worktop. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a large rectangle approx 30cm x 40cm in size.
8. Spread the chocolate spread all over the dough in a thin layer (see image below), leaving a 2 cm gap at one of the shorter sides. And scatter two thirds of the chocolate chips over the chocolate spread. Now time to roll! Roll from the shorter edge (the side where the chocolate spread goes right up to the edge), ensuring it is quite tight as you roll but not pressing it or compacting the dough. Until you have a nice cylindrical tube of dough (if you get any sticking to the worktop, just use a dough scraper to loosen as you go).
9. Line your a large roasting tin or a baking tray with sides (any shape or size is fine really, just ensure you allow a lot of space for the rolls to grow during proving and baking) with the greaseproof paper the dough was wrapped in. I simply shove the paper rather unceremoniously into the tin, ensuring the base and sides are covered, then tuck around the sides!
10. Time to slice into rolls - I use cotton thread to do this. First, make a small mark every 3cm or so (assuming your dough is about 30cm long) to show you where to cut - aim for 810 buns rolls. Simply slide the thread under the dough to the point you want to cut the bun - then lift the sides around the dough and cross the strands above the dough . Pull the strands in opposite directions (to form a V shape) and allow them to cut through the dough. You can use a knife too, but it squashes the shape a bit and the thread method is so easy.
11. Place your rolls into the baking tin, spacing them well (they will almost double in size), cover with a piece of cling film and set in a warm place to prove for 1 hour, or until they've increased in size by 50%.
12. Once proved, it's time to bake! Remove the cling film and bake for 25 minutes at 180C, on the lower shelf of the oven. Then remove from the oven, brush with the glaze (the tbsp sugar and water mixed together) scatter with the remaining chocolate chips and enjoy!