Chocolate-Filled Overnight Buns (with a simple chocolate icing)
Servings: 8 buns
Ingredients
Dough:
- 1 egg (medium)
- 50g (3½ oz) butter
- 150ml (⅔ cup) milk
- 300g (2½ cups) spelt flour (see note 1)
- 7g (2¼ tsp) yeast (see note 2)
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp salt
Egg Wash:
- 1 egg (small)
Filling:
- milk chocolate (see note 3)
Icing:
- 1 tbsp milk (see note 4)
- 1½ tbsp cocoa (see note 4)
- icing / confectioners' / powdered sugar
Instructions
Dough (made in a stand mixer or bread machine):
- Both Methods:
- Add the egg, butter and milk to your stand mixer bowl or bread machine pan.
- Add the flour, along with the other dried ingredients.
- Made in a bread machine:
- Set your machine to make the dough.
- Made using a stand mixer:
- Set your mixer going, and mix until all the ingredients are fairly well combined (the butter will still be a little chunky, and that's fine).
- Gradually add a little more flour (if needed), until your dough is still a little tacky, but starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
- Switch to your bread hook (if you have one) and knead for about five minutes.
- Cover and proof until doubled in size.
Both Methods:
- When the dough is ready, pour out onto a floured surface and form into a rough ball. The dough might still be a little sticky, but just incorporate a touch more flour as needed.
- Divide the dough into eight equal parts (use scales to ensure they are as close in weight as possible).
- Taking one ball at a time, pinch the bottom together, and then roll it on a surface until you have a round ball.
- Roll each ball out into a circle and place a chunk of chocolate in the middle.
- Cover the chocolate with the dough, give it another little roll until it's as round as possible, then place in the centre of a greased, round springform pan (mine is 20cm / 8").
- Continue with the remaining dough balls and place them around the ball in the centre (leaving a little space in between them).
- Cover well with clingfilm and place in the fridge overnight.
- The next morning, take the buns out of the fridge, cover them with a tea towel, and let them sit on the counter until they come up to room temperature.
- Pre-heat the oven to 175℃ (350℉).
- Beat the egg and then liberally brush over the top of the buns.
- Bake for around 20 minutes, until the top is nice and golden.
Icing (see note 4):
- Mix the milk and cocoa together, then gradually add as much icing (powdered) sugar as you like. The more you use, the thicker the icing.
Notes
Please note: I have converted grams to cups/ounces/tablespoons using online converters. Although I have no reason to believe they are inaccurate, please be aware that I have not made this recipe with imperial measurements.
- You can use all-purpose or even bread flour in place of the spelt. Just use the same measurements as specified.
- In Sweden, we have something called dried yeast. It is used both in warm liquid to proof and also added directly to flour. I am aware that the US has two options for dried yeast, and I believe instant yeast is the most similar for the purpose of making this particular bread.
- I used regular milk chocolate in the buns. I broke it into chunks and placed one chunk inside each bun. However, you could use two chunks, if you preferred. Alternatively, you can use dark or white chocolate in place of the milk chocolate.
- You can use more cocoa for a richer icing. If you would like to have more icing, just double the recipe. The amount of icing sugar has not been specified because you may prefer a thicker consistency than I used (mine was quite runny when the bread was warm, but hardened a little as it set).
