Nutella Rolls

I couldn't think of a title for this post. I usually try to write a quote, or something linked to the topic without explicitly saying what it is; but I felt that for this, a simple title is all I needed. 

Nutella Rolls.

I love Nutella - give me a jar and I could happily finish it off! I've never tried to bake with it before, instead sticking to the usual Nutella on toast/pancakes/banana route (that last one is my meagre attempt at making it healthy). 

Last week I had a sudden craving for sweet rolls. I'm a relative newcomer to the world of sweet rolls, having only discovered them this year; and there are so many variations! (A couple of my favourites: shopgirl's raspberry swirl rolls, Sally's caramel apple cinnamon rolls - could a recipe be more autumnal? and these peach pie cinnamon rolls.)

Unlike the cinnamon rolls I made in Feburary (with the help of the lovely Kristin, aka Iowa Girl), this time I wanted rolls made with yeast. 

I'll openly admit that the thought of working with yeast scared me a bit - but you have to conquer your fears at some point. Inspired by the brilliant Bake Off girls, I thought I would have a go at kneading and proving and shaping. 

As you can see from the photos below, my rolls weren't tight enough - I think my dough was too thick. It was harder than I realised to roll out the dough because the yeast just wanted to bounce back! If you plan on making these, roll the dough as flat as you can before spreading the Nutella. My rolls still taste good, but the carb-to-chocolate ratio is not quite right! (If you're not a fan of nuts, this could probably be made with any other chocolate spread!)

Anyway, I started with Mary Berry's recipe for Chelsea buns, and fiddled around until I had a recipe to my liking. 

Start with flour and salt.

Rub in the butter and the yeast - it's the crumble method again! 

Add the sugar.

Make a well in the flour (my favourite part) and add egg, milk and water. 

Mix to a soft dough.

Begin to knead! Enjoy the yeasty smell and pretend you're working in a bakery.

Then, place in a bowl and cover with oiled cling-film. Leave to rise whilst you tidy the kitchen/practise piano/read a book/sleep…

Once doubled in size, knock back (knead again) for a few minutes. Then roll it out!

(Roll it out more thinly than in the picture here, otherwise you won't have very many rolls in your buns.)

Spread with Nutella and try not to lick the spoon.

Roll up, cut into fairly thick pieces and leave to rise in a warm place for another half hour. 

Bake!

Eat the buns warm - whether that's straight out of the oven or a few days after baking. The chocolate will melt and the bread will be soft and squidgy… Enjoy with a glass of milk!

 Nutella Rolls
500g strong white flour
1tsp salt
60g butter
7g sachet fast action dried yeast (approximately 1 tsp)
30g caster sugar
100ml tepid milk
100ml tepid water
1 large egg, beaten
3-4 tbsp Nutella (or similar spread)

1. Put the flour in a large bowl and stir in the salt. Rub in the butter and yeast, then stir in the sugar.

2. Make a well in the middle of the mixture and pour in the egg, milk and water, mixing to a soft dough.

3. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic - about 15 minutes. Shape into a round and place in a large oiled bowl. Cover with oiled cling film and leave in a warm place to rise for about 1 - 1 1/2 hours. 

4. Once doubled in size, remove from the bowl and knock back with your fists. Knead for about 2 minutes until smooth. 

5. Roll out into a large rectangle, about the thickness of a £1 coin. (This will be difficult but persevere!) Spread the Nutella all over the dough, right to the edges. Roll up and cut into roughly 12 evenly sized ovals. Place into a baking tin, cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise again, for 15 - 30 minutes until the pieces are touching. 

6. Remove the cling film and place in an oven at 220°C (200°C fan). Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and they sound slightly hollow when tapped with a finger.

Serve warm.