Description
Swirled Chocolate Buns are soft, fluffy homemade buns with a rich bittersweet chocolate filling swirled through layers of tender dough, creating a perfect balance of chocolate and buttery flavors. These buns are ideal for breakfast treat or a decadent snack, featuring a beautiful twisted shape and a golden, shiny crust from an egg wash.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Dough
- 1 ⅓ cups warm milk (320 ml)
- ⅓ cup sugar (70 g)
- 0.9 oz fresh yeast (25 g)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ¼ cup melted butter (60 g)
- 4 ⅓ cups flour (560 g)
- 1 tsp salt (7 g)
For the Filling
- 3.5 oz bittersweet chocolate (100 g)
- ½ cup butter (100 g)
- ¾ cup cocoa powder (75 g)
- ¾ cup powdered sugar (75 g)
- ¼ cup oil (60 ml)
For the Egg Wash
- 1 egg, beaten
Instructions
- Activate yeast: In a large bowl, mix the warm milk and sugar until dissolved. Add the fresh yeast and let it sit for 10 minutes until frothy and bubbly, ensuring the yeast is active.
- Make the dough: Add the egg, melted butter, and salt to the yeast mixture. Gradually incorporate the flour, mixing until a sticky dough forms. Knead the dough on a floured surface until it becomes soft, smooth, and elastic, about 10 minutes.
- First rise: Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it with a clean towel or plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until it doubles in size.
- Prepare the filling: Melt the bittersweet chocolate and butter together either in a microwave or over a double boiler. Remove from heat, then stir in the cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and oil until the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Divide and roll dough: Punch down the risen dough and divide into two equal parts. Roll each part into a large rectangle on a floured surface.
- First layer of filling and fold: Spread half of the cocoa filling evenly over one dough rectangle, leaving a small border around the edges. Fold the dough in half lengthwise and gently roll it out again to seal the filling inside.
- Second layer and fold: Spread more filling on half of the folded dough, then fold it again to create layers. Trim any uneven edges of the dough to have clean sides. Save trimmed pieces to shape smaller buns.
- Flour and roll tightly: Keep flouring the surface and dough while rolling to prevent sticking or tearing. Roll the dough tightly once more.
- Cut strips and create twists: Cut the dough into strips about 4 fingers wide. For each strip, make 3 vertical cuts in the center but do not cut all the way through to the edges. Twist each strip carefully and roll it into buns, creating a beautiful twisted swirl shape.
- Second rise: Place the shaped buns on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover them with a towel or plastic wrap and let them rise for 35 minutes until slightly puffed.
- Preheat oven and prepare buns: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Brush each bun with the beaten egg to achieve a shiny golden crust.
- Bake: Bake the buns for 35 minutes, or until they turn golden brown and sound hollow when tapped.
- Cool and serve: Allow the buns to cool slightly before serving warm to enjoy their full chocolatey richness.
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients for better dough consistency and yeast activation.
- If you don’t have fresh yeast, use an equivalent amount of active dry yeast, but proof it accordingly.
- Keep flouring the rolling surface and dough frequently to prevent sticking and tearing during rolling and folding.
- Trimmed dough pieces can be shaped into mini buns to avoid waste.
- For a shinier crust, you can brush with a mixture of egg and milk instead of just egg.
- Letting the buns cool slightly helps the chocolate filling set, preventing mess when eating.
- If you’d like a nuttier flavor, add chopped nuts to the filling mixture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bun
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
