Two Sugar Bugs' Chocolate Swirl Rolls

Ingredients

Sweet Bread Rolls

Dark Chocolate Filling

Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Glaze

Directions

{I like to turn on my Breville toaster oven to 120°F while I am mixing and kneading the dough. Turn it off when it reaches temperature and keep the door closed. This creates a warm environment for letting the dough rise}

In a medium to large bowl add the sugar, yeast and warm milk and give it a little stir. Add the flour, salt, egg and egg yolk and melted butter and mix until a soft dough is formed.

Scrape the dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. I prefer to do this by hand, but you can also use a stand mixer with the dough hook. Add flour as necessary, but try to add as little as possible.{I typically use less than 2 tablespoons flour for kneading}

Grease the bowl you mixed the dough in {no need to wash it} and place the dough in the bowl, cover and let rise about 1 hour {I place it in the barely warm toaster oven}, or until double in size.

While the dough is rising, prepare the filling. Chop the Scharffen Berger Chocolate into very small and fine pieces, some should even be powdery. Add the chocolate, granulated sugar and kosher salt to a medium bowl and mix to combine. Then work in the butter with a fork until it’s evenly dispersed through the chocolate. Set aside.

Grease a 9x13 pan with butter or cooking spray and set aside. You could also line the pan with parchment paper.

Remove the dough from the bowl and roll it into a rectangle on a lightly floured surface. I like the narrow side to be about 12 inches and the long side as long as I can get it, which is typically 22-24 inches.

Spread the dark chocolate filling over the dough, covering almost to the very edge. Beginning with the short side of the dough, tightly roll up the dough until you create a log, lightly pinch the seam together. Using dental floss*** {or a sharp knife}, cut the log into 12 equal pieces and place them in the prepared pan. I lightly score the rolls to help guide me with where to cut them.

Place the dough back in your warm spot and allow it to rise a second time, about 30 to 45 minutes. When the chocolate sweet rolls are close to the end of the second rise, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until the edges are lightly brown. If you want to check by temperature, the sweet rolls internal temperature should be 190°F.

When the rolls are done, remove the pan from the oven and place the pan on a wire cooling rack.  Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes while you prepare the glaze.

In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese and vanilla bean paste until smooth and combined. Then add the confectioners’ sugar and mix until thick. Finally whisk in the milk until a glaze consistency is reached.

Spoon the glaze evenly over the warm rolls and enjoy!

Cover and store leftovers at room temperature for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in the oven until warm.

*I also tested this recipe with all-purpose flour. Either works, but I prefer the lighter/fluffier sweet roll with bread flour. If using all-purpose flour, 3 cups is 375g.

**You can substitute pure vanilla extract, but you may need slightly less milk to reach a glaze consistency.

***Slide a long piece of dental floss under the dough. Wrap it around the top. Pull tightly in
opposite directions to pull the floss through the roll. Using dental floss is the best way to slice your rolls and have them keep their shape.

If you would like to make the rolls ahead of time: You can bake the rolls and allow them to cool {don’t glaze them yet}. Then cover them tightly and store at room temperature for up to one day. Gently rewarm them {tightly wrapped with foil and warmed at 300°F for 10-15 minutes. Then add the glaze and serve. Or, you can also prepare the rolls up until the second rise, then loosely cover
with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Pull the rolls out of the refrigerator when you start the coffee and preheat the oven, then bake.

Espresso cream cheese glaze: make the glaze as directed, but add 1/2 - 1 teaspoon of instant espresso powder.

Cocoa icing: Sift together 1 cup confectioners’ sugar (102g) and 3 tablespoons Scharffen Berger unsweetened cocoa powder (15g). Then add 3 tablespoons of milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter (14g) and 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract. Mix until a smooth icing is formed.

Courtesy of Two Sugar Bugs https://twosugarbugs.com/