I’ve been making a lot of bread lately using the tangzhong method, a natural method of making bread that creates a very soft and fluffy texture. You can read more about it here.
After making my matcha chocolate bread roll, I had some leftover tangzhong mixture so I decided to make some more chocolate bread but make rolls instead of a loaf.
Next time I’m going to add some chocolate chips into these rolls to get a bigger chocolate punch.
The rolls came out super soft. I baked them in the same small 7 x 3-inch loaf pans I used for the matcha chocolate bread. Three inches wide ended up being the perfect size for these rolls. I’m glad I baked them stuck together (which can easily be pulled apart later).
I previously had made matcha rolls with red bean filling. I baked each roll individual on a baking sheet. It ended up not being very soft since the oven was cooking all sides of the roll. By placing these rolls together, they stayed much softer.
I was pretty happy with how these came out. They stayed soft for days! I put the leftovers in an airtight container and they tasted just as fresh for the next few days as the day when they were first baked.
Chocolate Bread Rolls
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups bread flour
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp + 2 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp instant yeast
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 120 g tangzhong (see note)
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter softened and cut into small pieces
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, cocoa powder, salt, sugar, and instant yeast. Make a well in the center and add the milk, one egg, and tangzhong. Switch to the dough hook attachment and mix on low speed until the dough comes together. Add the butter and mix on medium to high speed for 18 to 20 minutes or until the dough is no longer sticky. At this point, the dough should be very elastic to the point that you can stretch it very thin without it breaking.
- Remove the dough from the mixer and shape it into a ball. Grease a large bowl and place the dough in the bowl and cover it with a wet towel for 40 minutes, or until it has doubled in size. Divide the dough into six pieces of equal size. Roll them into balls, cover them with plastic wrap, and let them rest for 15 minutes.
- Roll each dough ball into an oval shape. Fold one end so that it meets the middle of the oval. Fold the other end so that it is slightly overlapping the other end. Turn the dough over, with the folds facing down, and flatten the dough with the rolling pin. Turn the dough over with the folded side facing up and roll the dough again.
- Turn down the sides of the dough roll until they meet at the bottom and pinch them together. Roll and shape the dough until it forms a round ball. Repeat this step with the rest of the dough.
- Place the dough rolls seam side down in a 7 x 3-inch loaf pan lined with parchment paper (there should be 3 rolls in each pan). Cover the pans with plastic wrap or a wet towel for 45 to 60 minutes, or until they have doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Whisk one egg and brush it on top of the rolls. Bake the rolls for 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the rolls to a wire rack to cool before serving.
Notes
- Tangzhong recipe
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
I haven’t tried the recipe yet but there seems to be a discrepancy between the recipe posted vs what is in the blog? Do we use 1 egg or 2 eggs? Do you also add unsweetened cocoa in addition to the unsweetened baking chocolate?
You should use 1 egg and 1/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa. Sorry for the confusion!
Nom, nom, nom! Those look so incredibly good to me right now, maybe it’s just one of those days but I want one…now! 🙂 Can’t wait to try this out!
I definitely have those days. =)
I’ve used your tangzhong method and I must say, it produces great bread. I’d love to try these.
I’m so glad you’ve had success. These are convenient to pack on the go.
This bread takes a lot of patience, but worth it! My 2 kids love it so much, and if I don’t stop them it will be done before tomorrow’s breakfast!
I’m so glad your kids love the rolls!