Method

• Brush a large bowl with vegetable oil. Set aside.
• Place the flour, salt, chilli powder and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Note: add the dried yeast to one side of the bowl and the salt to the other side.
• Heat the milk, water and Black Garlic Paste over a low heat until the butter has melted. The mixture needs to be lukewarm not hot.
• Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in the lukewarm milk followed by the beaten egg. 
• Knead on a medium speed for 8 minutes until the dough is soft and smooth. Place the dough into the oiled bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
• Once the dough has risen, knock it back by gently punching out the air. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured board, flatten the dough slightly then scatter over the cheese, chives and chilli flakes. Press into the dough. Pull up the edges of the dough to enclose the cheese, chive and chilli mixture. Knead for 2 minutes to evenly distribute the cheese. 
• Shape the dough into 12 equal sized balls, approximately 75g each. Set the buns quite closely together but not touching, on a non-stick baking tray. Cover the buns with oiled clingfilm and leave in a warm place for 45 minutes to rise again. 
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220C/200Cfan/Gas7.
• Lightly brush the tops of the risen buns with milk. Mix 8 tablespoons of flour with 7 of tablespoons water to make a smooth paste. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a small round nozzle. Pipe a line across each row of buns, then repeat in the other direction to make crosses.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15 – 20 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack.

To Serve: serve warm with BGK’s Black Garlic Butter. Delicious as a savoury bread to accompany BGK’s Black Garlic Spring Soup.

Top Tip: it is easier to pipe the crosses onto the buns in one long line to get a smooth result.