These chocolate bread rolls are made with a fluffy, enriched dough, filled with a chocolate swirl and topped with a cream cheese frosting.
If you've ever been to a Cinnabon, you'll know that their sweet rolls are one of the best inventions of all time.
But if cinnamon isn't your thing, or you just fancy a change from a classic cinnamon roll, these gooey, soft, delicious chocolate bread rolls are the perfect answer.
To make your chocolate bread rolls, you'll first make your enriched dough. An enriched dough is a bit different from a standard yeast and flour-based bread dough, as it's enhanced with added sugar, eggs and fat to produce a softer crumb and a richer (or 'enriched') flavour.
It all starts with milk, warmed until it just begins to steam (known as scalding point). This breaks down a protein in the milk that would otherwise weaken the gluten in the dough.
Once the milk has cooled to tepid, you'll add the yeast, followed by melted butter and eggs.
Next, you'll combine the liquid ingredients with the dry ingredients - bread flour and salt - and that's your dough!
You'll then knead the lovely, soft dough - don't worry, there are full instructions below - and then prove until doubled in size.
The fun comes next as you roll out your dough and slather it with a decadent chocolate filling mixture made from sugar, cocoa and butter. After that, you'll roll the dough up and cut it into buns, placing them into a baking tin.
The rolls will need a second prove in the baking tray so that they puff up into fluffy spirals. Once the rolls have risen, you'll bake them to perfection in a preheated oven.
While the rolls cook, you'll make a cream cheese frosting glaze and pour it generously over the freshly baked rolls. This will elevated your bread from delicious to impossibly irresistible, sticky and indulgent chocolate buns!
So if you're already drooling at the idea of tucking into these rich, fluffy chocolate bread rolls, scroll down for the recipe below.
Happy baking!
Once you've given my recipe a go, I'd love you to come back and leave a comment letting me know how yours turned out.
I'd love to see your videos and pics, too! Just tag me on social media. I'm @emilylearycooks on Twitter and TikTok or @amummytoo on Instagram.
Ingredients
For The Dough.
- 235 ml whole milk warmed
- 2 tsp fast-action dried yeast
- 2 tbsp granulated white sugar
- 45 g salted butter melted and cooled)
- 1 medium free-range eggs
- 370 g strong white bread flour (plus 30g/1oz when kneading)
- 1/2 tsp salt
For The Cinnamon Chocolate Butter.
- 80 g salted butter softened
- 50 g white caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder (dutch processed)
For The Cream Cheese Glaze.
- 150 g icing sugar (powdered sugar)
- 150 g full fat cream cheese
Equipment
Instructions
Make The Dough
Put the warmed (not hot!) milk in a small bowl with the sugar and yeast.
Whisk together and set aside for 5 mins.
Add the egg and the melted (not hot!) butter.
Whisk.
Put the 370g/13oz flour in a large bowl with the salt.
Whisk together and make a well.
Pour in the milk mixture.
Stir until all the flour is incorporated into a sticky dough.
Cover the bowl and rest for 5 minutes.
Lightly dust your surface.
Tip the dough onto the surface. Sprinkle the 30g/1oz of flour on top.
Knead for about 5 minutes. It will be sticky at first but keep going and it will start to become easier to work with until you have a smooth, springy ball of dough.
Clean and oil the bowl, pop the dough into it, rub the top with a touch of oil, then cover the bowl.
Leave in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Make The Chocolate Butter
Put the butter in a small bowl with the sugar and cocoa.
Mix until smooth.
Make The Rolls
When the dough has doubled in size, knead a few times in the bowl, just enough to knock out the air.
Lift the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently roll out into a 35x25cm (14 inches x 10 inches) rectangle - just a bit bigger than A4 paper.
Spread with the chocolate butter.
Starting along one of the long edges, carefully roll the dough up into a sausage shape.
Pinch all along the seam to seal.
Slice into 12 pieces. I find it easiest to cut into four, then cut each of those pieces into three.
Spritz the tray with oil and place the rolls into it in a 3x4 pattern.
Cover the tray and place in a warm place for 30 minutes.
Once risen, preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan / 390F). Brush the buns with 1 tbsp of milk.
Place the tray in the oven and bake for 20-25 mins until golden brown. Remove the rolls from the oven and place the tray on a wire rack.
Make The Cream Cheese Glaze
Put the icing sugar, milk and cream cheese in a small bowl.
Whisk together until you have a smooth, thick, glossy icing.
When the rolls have cooled for 10 minutes, pour the glaze all over them.
Leave to cool for 10 more minutes before serving. These gorgeous chocolate bread rolls are best served warm and gooey.
Print this chocolate bread rolls recipe
Chocolate Bread Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
For The Dough.
- 235 ml whole milk warmed
- 2 tsp fast-action dried yeast
- 2 tbsp granulated white sugar
- 45 g salted butter melted and cooled)
- 1 medium free-range eggs
- 370 g strong white bread flour (plus 30g/1oz when kneading)
- 1/2 tsp salt
For The Cinnamon Chocolate Butter.
- 80 g salted butter softened
- 50 g white caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder (dutch processed)
For The Cream Cheese Glaze.
- 150 g icing sugar (powdered sugar)
- 150 g full fat cream cheese
Instructions
Make The Dough
- Put the warmed (not hot!) milk in a small bowl with the sugar and yeast. Whisk together and set aside for 5 mins.
- Add the egg and the melted (not hot!) butter. Whisk.
- Put the 370g/13oz flour in a large bowl with the salt. Whisk together and make a well.
- Pour in the milk mixture. Stir until all the flour is incorporated into a sticky dough. Cover the bowl and rest for 5 minutes.
- Lightly dust your surface. Tip the dough onto the surface. Sprinkle the 30g/1oz of flour on top.
- Knead for about 5 minutes. It will be sticky at first but keep going and it will start to become easier to work with until you have a smooth, springy ball of dough.
- Clean and oil the bowl, pop the dough into it, rub the top with a touch of oil, then cover the bowl and leave in a warm place for 1 hour.
Make The Chocolate Butter
- Put the butter in a small bowl with the sugar and cocoa. Mix until smooth.
Make The Rolls
- When the dough has doubled in size, knead a few times in the bowl, just enough to knock out the air.
- Lift the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently roll out into a 35x25cm (14 inches x 10 inches) rectangle - just a bit bigger than A4 paper.
- Spread with the chocolate butter.
- Starting along one of the long edges, carefully roll the dough up into a sausage shape. Pinch all along the seam to seal.
- Slice into 12 pieces. I find it easiest to cut into four, then cut each of those pieces into three.
- Spritz the tray with oil and place the rolls into it in a 3x4 pattern.
- Cover the tray and place in a warm place for 30 minutes.
- Once risen, preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan / 390F). Brush the buns with 1 tbsp of milk.
- Place the tray in the oven and bake for 20-25 mins until golden brown. Remove the rolls from the oven and place the tray on a wire rack.
Make The Cream Cheese Glaze
- Put the icing sugar, milk and cream cheese in a small bowl. Whisk together until you have a smooth, thick, glossy icing.
- When the rolls have cooled for 10 minutes, pour the glaze all over them.
- Leave to cool for 10 more minutes before serving. These gorgeous chocolate bread rolls are best served warm and gooey.
Nutrition
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