Chocolate Swirl Buns

If you like baked products that use chocolate, this one is for you.  I only messed up the rolling part and would have had more swirls if I had paid more attention to the details.  But the taste was not compromised.  I had run out of the dry yeast that I had bought in the UK.  You know how it is with the best before date that the products have. It said BBE Dec 2014.  I used it in January 2015 and sure enough the yeast was ineffective.  I then got this Indian dry yeast and I am glad it worked well.

This recipe from Smitten Kitten, and though she uses her stand mixer, I did the kneading manually.  That worked too :-)

Ingredients - makes 12 ( I used half the recipe and made six)

The Dough

Milk ( I used skim) 1/2 cup

Granulated sugar - 1/4 cup

All Purpose Flour - 2 cups 

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Dry Yeast - 2 1/2 tsp

Egg - 1 large

Unsalted butter - 3 tbsp plus more to grease the bowl and muffin tin and filling

* egg and butter at room temperature

Filling

Unsalted butter - 3 tbsp

Granulated sugar - 1/4 cup

Semi sweet chocolate- 225 gms

Salt - pinch

Ground cinnamon - 3/4 tsp ( optional) 

Egg wash - optional

I had used only part of the egg, so I beat the balance with a little milk

Make the dough - 

Warm milk.  Mix the sugar.  Add the yeast.  Let it stand for about 5 minutes till it becomes foamy and bubbly

In a bowl, whisk the egg and remaining sugar and then mix in the yeast mixture

Combine flour and salt.

Add the egg-yeast mixture.  Knead the dough gently

Add the butter and continue to knead  for about 10 minutes.  

The dough will be sticky, but not a reason for worry.

Grease a bowl with butter, place the dough in it. Cover with cling film.  

Keep for an hour or till the dough doubles in size.

Prepare the filling.

Chop the chocolate, pulse it in a mixer with salt, sugar and cinnamon.  The chocolate is finely chopped and part of it will be powdered.

Keep the butter ready

Grease a muffin tray and keep ready

Making of the bun

Once the dough has risen.  Turn on to a well floured surface

Deflate gently.  Rest for another 5 minutes

Roll it into a large rectangle.  

Short side should be 11 to 12 inches ( for six buns it can be much less)

And roll the other side as long as you can

Now spread the butter over the dough surface

And then spread the chocolate mixture

This is where I went wrong !

Tightly roll the dough over the filling from the short end all the way to the other short end.  You will get more swirls this way

Cut 1" segments and place in the greased muffin tray

Cover and keep for another 30 minutes

Meanwhile pre-heat oven to 180 degrees

You can brush the buns with egg wash or avoid it altogether

Bake for about 15-20 minutes till puffed and golden.  Keep on cooling rack.