Rich challah-style dough wrapped around a chocolate–tahini filling, baked until shiny and bronzed — these spiraled buns are showy but entirely do-able.
Challah, that stretchy, rich, lightly sweet, braided glossy bread that’s brushed with egg and baked to an burnished burnt umber shine, like many great traditional foods, does not exist in a vacuum. While challah is a Jewish ceremonial bread, eaten on Sabbath and major Jewish holidays, and is usually pareve (dairy product-free, so it’s Kosher regardless of what is being served), pulled away from the Judaic lens, it’s a close cousin to brioche and other enriched breads.
And it is from this jump — challah is brioche-like; breakfast buns are brioche-like — that I began making challah-ish breakfast buns last year. We adore them. They’re less rich and more fluffy than the usual gooey, rich and very sweet cinnamon rolls (which, of course, there is always a time and place for), they go well with afternoon coffee or tea, should you find yourself in the kind of civilized life where this is your norm (and please teach me your ways) but hardly abstemious. My two favorite fillings I auditioned were a sweetened cream cheese with jam (basically tastes like cheesecake) and a chocolate-tahini swirl. For a Food Network episode, we featured the cream cheese buns; they liked the story about my dad growing up in the Bronx and having cream cheese and jelly sandwiches from a local deli (as do I, less so that ridiculous face I’m making in the video still).
But if you think that meant I’d let rich chocolate spirals float off into The Ether of Retired and Forgotten Recipes, you might have missed the part where I mentioned they had chocolate in them. Also: butter, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar to smoothly offset the bittersweet chocolate. (It takes a page from this babka filling.) Also: tahini, but just enough for a toasty, nutty, but not overwhelming effect. You can make a powdered sugar glaze for it; it’s great here with either lemon or orange juice (your choice); I know they often taste over-the-top but here, where the sweetness and richness is slightly restrained, it’s not unwelcome. But my favorite part is that it has that deep varnished top of a good (and here, very lucky) challah.
Servings: 12 large buns Time: A few hours
Servings | Total time | |
|---|---|---|
12 large buns | A few hours (mix, 1st rise ~2–2½ hrs, assemble, proof 60–90 min or overnight chill, bake 30 min) |
Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
Large eggs | 2 |
Large egg yolk | 1 |
Granulated sugar | 1/4 cup (50 g) |
Vegetable oil or melted butter | 1/2 cup (120 ml) |
Milk or water | 2/3 cup (150 ml), plus extra 1 tbsp if needed |
All-purpose flour | 3 3/4 cups (490 g), plus more for counter |
Instant yeast (packet) | 1 (7 g / 2 1/4 tsp) |
Coarse or kosher salt | 1 1/4 tsp |
Butter or nonstick spray | For the baking pan |
Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
Dark chocolate (semi- or bittersweet) | 4 oz (115 g) (about 3/4 cup chips) |
Unsalted butter, cold | 1/2 cup (115 g) |
Powdered sugar | Scant 1/2 cup (50 g) |
Cocoa powder | 1/4 cup (20 g) |
Tahini, well-stirred | 1/4 cup (30 g) |
Large egg, beaten | 1 (for egg wash) |
Sesame seeds | For sprinkling |
Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
Powdered sugar | 2 cups (240 g) |
Lemon or orange juice | 3–4 tablespoons |
Make dough: Whisk the eggs, yolk, sugar, oil and milk (or water) together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the flour, yeast and salt, mix with the dough hook until the dough comes together, and then allow the machine to knead for 5–7 minutes. Oil a large bowl and let the dough rise at room temperature for about 2 to 2½ hours, until it’s just shy of doubled.
If your ingredients were very cold, expect 30–45 minutes more rising time. To speed a slow rise you can turn the oven to 150°F, switch it off, and place the bowl inside — keep an eye on it because it will then rise faster.
Make filling: Melt the butter and chocolate together until smooth. Stir in powdered sugar, cocoa and tahini to make a spreadable filling. New note: If the filling seems thin, chill it briefly in the fridge or freezer (watch carefully if using the freezer) until it thickens.
Assemble buns: On a very well-floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle roughly 18 inches wide (the side facing you) and as long as your counter will allow (about 12–15 inches). Dollop the chocolate mixture over the dough and spread it evenly. Roll the dough into a tight spiral.
Cut the log gently — the dough will be soft; a sharp serrated knife or sewing thread helps — into 1½- to 2-inch segments. Arrange the cut pieces, cut-side up, in the prepared pan. Beat the remaining egg and brush the tops and the sides of the buns with egg wash, then cover with plastic wrap. You may refrigerate the pan overnight (along with any leftover egg wash) or leave it at room temperature to proof for another 60–90 minutes until puffed a bit.
Bake buns: If chilled, remove from fridge and let warm for 30 minutes. Heat the oven to 350°F. Brush the tops/sides with egg wash again (the author notes skipping the sides resulted in paler sides in her photo) and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 30 minutes, until the buns are uniformly bronzed and an internal temperature reaches about 190°F. Let cool slightly before serving.
To glaze (optional): Whisk powdered sugar with lemon or orange juice until smooth. Drizzle over buns or serve on the side. If drizzling, wait until the buns are almost fully cooled so the glaze doesn’t run off.
Tip | Source text (short) |
|---|---|
Allow 2–2½ hours for the first rise; cold ingredients may add 30–45 min. | “let dough rise … for 2 to 2 1/2 hours… Were your ingredients really cold? … it might take 30 to 45 minutes longer.” |
Speed a slow rise by placing the dough briefly in a turned-off oven at 150°F. | “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.” |
If filling is thin, chill briefly so it becomes spreadable. | “If your filling is thin, pop it in the fridge or freezer … for a few minutes to let it thicken a bit.” |
Cut the log gently with a serrated knife or sewing thread; the dough will be soft. | “Cut log very gently — it’s going to be a soft mess, use a sharp serrated knife, sewing thread works well here too.” |
Proof overnight in fridge or 60–90 minutes at room temp; brush with egg wash twice. | “You can either refrigerate overnight… or leave it at room temperature to proof for another 60 to 90 minutes… Brush tops … with egg …” |
Bake until bronzed and ~190°F internal; glaze once mostly cool. | “Bake for 30 minutes, until bronzed… internal temperature of 190 degrees F… let buns almost fully cool before [glazing].” |
