Chocolate Krantz Rolls

Chocolate Krantz Rolls

Adapted from Jerusalem: A Cookbook and SmittenKitchen

Ingredients

Dough

2 ¼ teaspoons / 1 envelope active dry yeast

½ cup / 120 ml milk (your choice of milk)

¼ cup / 1.8 oz / 50 gr sugar (I used raw coconut palm sugar)

1 large free-range organic egg, at room temperature

2 cups / 8.8 oz / 250 gr flour (I used Community Grains 100% Whole Grain Wheat Flour)*

½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt

3 tablespoons / 45 gr butter, at room temperature

Zest of 1 small lemon

* for gluten-free baking use Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten-free Baking Flour

Filling

3 tablespoons / 45 gr butter, at room temperature

1 ½ bars / 5.3 oz / 150 gr +70% dark chocolate, roughly chopped

¼ cup / 1.8 oz / 50 gr sugar (I used raw coconut palm sugar)

½ cup / 2 oz / 56 gr pecans, roughly chopped

Pinch of fine grain sea salt

Directions

Dough

Warm milk and a pinch of sugar in a small bowl (you’re looking for it to be warm but not hot to the touch), sprinkle yeast over milk and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.

In another bowl, whisk together egg and remaining sugar, then slowly whisk in yeast mixture.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flour, salt and lemon zest. Run mixer on low and add egg+yeast mixture and let it knead the dough on low.

If you don’t own a stand mixer, knead the dough in a large bowl with a wooden spoon. The dough is soft and sticky and very easy to work.

After about 8 to 10 minutes it should be completely smooth, elastic and shiny.

Place the dough in a large bowl lightly greased, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Filling

To make the filling, combine chocolate, pecans, sugar and salt in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse until the chocolate is finely chopped. Add butter and pulse until evenly distributed.

If you don’t own a food processor, finely chop with a sharp knife chocolate and pecans and combine all ingredients in a bowl.

Assemble rolls

Generously butter a standard 12-muffin tin. Set aside.

Once the dough is doubled, roll it out onto a well-floured surface into a large 12 x 20 inches (30 x 50 cm) rectangle.

Trim the sides to get rid of any unevenness and place the dough so that the short side is closest to you.

Sprinkle the filling evenly over the dough.

Brush a little bit of water over the short end furthest away from you. Use both hands to roll up the rectangle from the short end closest to you forming a 12-inch log.

Press to seal the wet end onto the log and then use both hands to turn the log seam down.

With a sharp serrated knife, gently saw 1-inch segments off the log and place each in a prepared muffin cup.

Loosely cover with plastic wrap or tea towel and let rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).

Bake buns for 15 to 20 minutes, until puffed and brown.

Let cool completely before unmolding (with the aid of a knife or spatula to make sure nothing has stuck).

Note. These buns can be formed, placed in the muffin cups and refrigerated (loosely covered with plastic the night before), to bake in the morning. You can bake them directly from the fridge. Which is what I did.