Tahini-chocolate challah buns
Apr. 4th, 2020 04:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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bakeitupThis is what I've been saving my precious eggs for! And lo, it was worth it. This is a lightly adapted Smitten Kitchen recipe as one last hurrah before the chametz gets sealed away in the Quarantine Treif Dungeon (the freezer) next week.
To make these buns you need to be able to accurately measure things in spoons and cups, knead dough for 5-7 minutes (or operate a stand mixer/food processor to do it for you), mix and whisk dry and wet ingredients before combining, fill and move the large baking dish in and out of the oven, and cut slices with a knife or with thin thread.
This recipe contains wheat, gluten, eggs, chocolate, dairy, and sesame seeds.
Ingredients:
DOUGH
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable or another neutral oil, or melted butter
2/3 cup (150 ml) milk or water, plus an additional tablespoon if needed
3 3/4 (490 grams) cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the counter
1 packet (7 grams or 2 1/4 teaspoons) yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse or kosher salt
Butter or nonstick spray for baking pan
FILLING AND ASSEMBLY
3 ounces (85 grams) dark (semi- or bittersweet) chocolate (or approximately 3/4 cup chocolate chips)
1/2 cup (115 grams) unsalted butter, cold is fine
Scant 1/2 cup (50 grams) powdered sugar
1/4 cup (20 grams) cocoa powder
1/2 cup tahini, well-stirred
1 large egg, beaten
Sesame seeds
Make dough: Warm milk or water slightly, add sugar and yeast, and leave for ten minutes to proof. Whisk eggs, yolk, oil and yeast mixture in the bottom of a stand mixer bowl or food processor. Add flour and salt and combine with dough hook until it comes together, then let machine knead it for 5 to 7 minutes (1 minute in a food processor). Oil a large bowl and let dough rise in it at room temperature for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until slightly shy of doubled.
Were your ingredients cold? This is fine, but if so, it might take 30 to 45 minutes longer. You can speed this process along by turning your oven on to 150 degrees F and turning it off and then placing bowl the dough inside. Keep an eye on it because it will rise more quickly.
Butter a 9×13-inch or equivalent size baking dish, or coat it with nonstick spray.
Make filling: Melt butter and chocolate together until smooth. Stir in powdered sugar, cocoa and tahini; mixture will likely be runny. If so, pop it in the fridge or freezer (if freezer, keep a very close eye on it) for a few minutes to let it thicken a bit.
Assemble buns: On a very well-floured counter, roll out dough into a rectangle about 18 inches wide (side facing you) and as far away from you (i.e. length) as it comfortably goes, usually 12 to 15 inches. Dollop chocolate mixture over and spread it smooth. If it is very warm and messy, put the whole thing in the fridge or freezer to stiffen a bit before rolling and cutting. Roll dough in a tight spiral.
Cut log very gently —use a sharp serrated knife, sewing thread works well here too — into 1 1/2-inch to 2-inch segments. Arrange cut side up in prepared pan. Beat egg in small bowl. Brush tops of buns and tops of sides with egg and cover with plastic wrap. You can either refrigerate overnight, along with leftover egg wash, or leave it at room temperature to proof for another 60 to 90 minutes, until puffed a bit.
Bake buns: If in fridge, remove buns from fridge and let warm up for 30 minutes before baking. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Brush tops tops of sides with egg with egg wash again (I forgot and skipped the sides, which is why they are pale in the photos) and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 30 minutes, until bronzed all over and buns have an internal temperature of 190 degrees F. Let cool slightly before serving.
--
I've played around with the filling ratios to make it more tahini-forward. I've also switched up the instructions to accommodate non-instant yeast and deal with the high likelihood that your just-spread buns will be very messy indeed, what with all the melted chocolate. The original ratios and steps can be found at the website linked at the top of the post.
To make these buns you need to be able to accurately measure things in spoons and cups, knead dough for 5-7 minutes (or operate a stand mixer/food processor to do it for you), mix and whisk dry and wet ingredients before combining, fill and move the large baking dish in and out of the oven, and cut slices with a knife or with thin thread.
This recipe contains wheat, gluten, eggs, chocolate, dairy, and sesame seeds.
Ingredients:
DOUGH
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable or another neutral oil, or melted butter
2/3 cup (150 ml) milk or water, plus an additional tablespoon if needed
3 3/4 (490 grams) cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the counter
1 packet (7 grams or 2 1/4 teaspoons) yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse or kosher salt
Butter or nonstick spray for baking pan
FILLING AND ASSEMBLY
3 ounces (85 grams) dark (semi- or bittersweet) chocolate (or approximately 3/4 cup chocolate chips)
1/2 cup (115 grams) unsalted butter, cold is fine
Scant 1/2 cup (50 grams) powdered sugar
1/4 cup (20 grams) cocoa powder
1/2 cup tahini, well-stirred
1 large egg, beaten
Sesame seeds
Make dough: Warm milk or water slightly, add sugar and yeast, and leave for ten minutes to proof. Whisk eggs, yolk, oil and yeast mixture in the bottom of a stand mixer bowl or food processor. Add flour and salt and combine with dough hook until it comes together, then let machine knead it for 5 to 7 minutes (1 minute in a food processor). Oil a large bowl and let dough rise in it at room temperature for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until slightly shy of doubled.
Were your ingredients cold? This is fine, but if so, it might take 30 to 45 minutes longer. You can speed this process along by turning your oven on to 150 degrees F and turning it off and then placing bowl the dough inside. Keep an eye on it because it will rise more quickly.
Butter a 9×13-inch or equivalent size baking dish, or coat it with nonstick spray.
Make filling: Melt butter and chocolate together until smooth. Stir in powdered sugar, cocoa and tahini; mixture will likely be runny. If so, pop it in the fridge or freezer (if freezer, keep a very close eye on it) for a few minutes to let it thicken a bit.
Assemble buns: On a very well-floured counter, roll out dough into a rectangle about 18 inches wide (side facing you) and as far away from you (i.e. length) as it comfortably goes, usually 12 to 15 inches. Dollop chocolate mixture over and spread it smooth. If it is very warm and messy, put the whole thing in the fridge or freezer to stiffen a bit before rolling and cutting. Roll dough in a tight spiral.
Cut log very gently —use a sharp serrated knife, sewing thread works well here too — into 1 1/2-inch to 2-inch segments. Arrange cut side up in prepared pan. Beat egg in small bowl. Brush tops of buns and tops of sides with egg and cover with plastic wrap. You can either refrigerate overnight, along with leftover egg wash, or leave it at room temperature to proof for another 60 to 90 minutes, until puffed a bit.
Bake buns: If in fridge, remove buns from fridge and let warm up for 30 minutes before baking. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Brush tops tops of sides with egg with egg wash again (I forgot and skipped the sides, which is why they are pale in the photos) and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 30 minutes, until bronzed all over and buns have an internal temperature of 190 degrees F. Let cool slightly before serving.
--
I've played around with the filling ratios to make it more tahini-forward. I've also switched up the instructions to accommodate non-instant yeast and deal with the high likelihood that your just-spread buns will be very messy indeed, what with all the melted chocolate. The original ratios and steps can be found at the website linked at the top of the post.
