Place the warm water and yeast into the body of a stand mixer, stir, and allow the yeast to bloom, for 5-10 minutes. If it has not bloomed by 10 minutes, the yeast is not alive.
Add half of the flour, sugar, and salt, and mix to combine with the hook attachment, the mixture will be thick.
Stir in 2 egg yolks, the butter, milk, and vanilla. The mixture may be lumpy, but that’s okay.
Add the remaining flour and stir to combine, scrape down the sides.
Place on medium spead and knead the dough for 5 minutes. The dough will clean the sides of the bowl.
Add the chocolate chips and mix them in, you may need to knead it a little by hand to help incorporate them.
Knead the dough by hand a few times in the bowl until it forms a smooth dough.
Lightly grease a large bowl with cooking spray add the dough to the bowl, and lightly spray the top of the dough with cooking spray. Cover with plastic wrap.
Place in a warm area and allow to double for 1-2 hours.
Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Divide the dough into 12 equal portions, I like to weigh the dough on its own and then weigh each portion to make sure they are even. You do not need to do this of course, just do your best to eyeball it.
Roll the portions into a ball and place into the prepared baking dish.
Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm area again. Allow to double in size, about 1 hour.
While the buns are doing their second rise, preheat the oven to 350°F.
To make the cross mixture, whisk together the flour and 6 tablespoons of water to form a paste. Place the mixture into a piping bag or a plastic baggie.
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining egg yolk and 2 tablespoons of water.
Once doubled, remove the plastic wrap.
Brush the tops of the rolls with the egg wash.
Snip off a corner of the baggie with the cross mixture and pipe on the crosses, there will be excess mixture.
Bake for 22-26 minutes until golden brown.
While the buns are baking, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla for the glaze.
Once the buns are done baking, immediately brush them with the glaze, and use it all. Allow to cool and serve.
Notes
Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.