Usually I have a lot to say about a recipe post, to the point that most times, I have to stop myself or I’d never get to the recipe. But for these Chocolate Nutella Rolls, I am at a loss. What more can you say about a Chocolate Milk Bread/Nutella combination, other than GIVE ME SOME NOW.
Based on a Versatile Bread Recipe
For everyone who has tried my Milk Bread recipe, you know how versatile this dough can be—it’s the touchstone of our many Chinese bakery bun recipes.
Today, I want to step out of the Chinese bakery and add just a little drama to our classic milk bread. With the help of cocoa powder and Nutella, we can effortlessly turn this soft, fluffy bread into a gooey, molten, chocolate-y sweet treat. Sprinkle some shaved almonds on top to finish these chocolate Nutella rolls and you’ll be in heaven.
This recipe makes a double batch, and I know that 16 gooey chocolate-y buns, however good they are, can be a bit much to take down at a time. In my case, I did make 16 of them, and Kaitlin had the good sense to take them to work. I was told that they were gone as soon as she put them out.
What a great way to test a recipe (and share the calories, hehehehe…). But if 16 sounds like a bit much, you can just cut the recipe in half.
As far as the milk bread itself is concerned, I truly believe that we have just scratched the surface of its potential. For all you milk-bread-making kitchen warriors out there, I’m sure you’ve created a bun or two of your own using this Milk Bread recipe. We’d love to hear about your variations and results in the comments!
Chocolate Nutella Rolls: Recipe Instructions
In the bowl of an electric mixer, add the ingredients in the following order: heavy cream, milk, egg, sugar, cake flour, bread flour, yeast, salt and cocoa powder.
DON’T HAVE BREAD FLOUR OR CAKE FLOUR?
Feel free to substitute all-purpose flour for both! We have since extensively re-tested this recipe, and have not found that using 100% all-purpose flour in this recipe makes a meaningful difference to the result.
Using the dough hook attachment, turn the mixer on at the lowest setting. Let the dough come together for 15 minutes, occasionally pausing the mixer to push the dough together with a rubber spatula. If you’re in a humid climate, and the dough is too sticky, feel free to add a little more flour 1 tablespoon at a time until it comes together. If you don’t have a mixer and would like to knead by hand, extend the kneading time by at least 5-10 minutes.
After 15 minutes of mixing, the dough is ready for proofing. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and place in a warm spot for 1 hour. I proofed the dough in my oven (I had the oven on rapid proof for 5 minutes, turned the oven off, and then closed the oven door). The dough will grow to 1½ times its original size. (Just so you know, in some cases, readers have reported that their proofing takes slightly longer than 1 hour.)
In the meantime, prepare 16 4” x 4” pieces of parchment paper and a large baking sheet.
After the dough finishes proofing, put the dough back in the mixer, and stir for another 5 minutes to get rid of any air bubbles.
Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and cut into 16 equal pieces. To assemble the buns, follow the photos. Roll each piece of dough out into a rough rectangle, and spread each piece with a tablespoon of nutella.
Partially slice the rectangle into ½ inch strips, keeping them all connected at one end.
Then roll them over diagonally…
And curl the resulting cigar-shape into a snail-shape.
Once shaped, lay each bun on a prepared piece of parchment paper and arrange them on the baking sheet with at least 2 inches of space between them. Let the buns proof for another hour.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush the risen buns with egg wash…
And sprinkle with sliced almonds.
Bake for 14-16 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush the chocolate Nutella rolls with simple syrup to give them a really great shine, sweetness, and color.
For the best results, serve your chocolate Nutella rolls warm
