Dark chocolate cocoa flavors the rich dough to make a fabulous loaf, cinnamon rolls, twists, or snails. The taste will remind you of chocolate doughnuts with chocolate frosting.
2teaspoons(2teaspoons)bread machine or instant yeast
FILLING
¼cup(57g)butter - very soft
½cup(107g)brown sugar
1teaspoon(1teaspoon)cinnamon
½cup(49g)pecans, chopped - toasted
ICING
1-1/2ounces(14g)unsweetened chocolate bar
1tablespoon(1tablespoon)butter
1-1/2cup(170g)powdered sugar - sifted if it has lumps
1teaspoonvanilla extract
2+tablespoons(2+tablespoons)milk
Instructions
Add all dough ingredients to the bread machine pan in the order listed:1/2 cup whole milk, 1/3 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons unsweetened dark cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 large eggs, 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup Greek yogurt, 5 gr vanilla extract, 3 cups of bread flour, and 2 teaspoons bread machine or instant yeast , Set your machine on the DOUGH cycle and push START.
Open the lid of the machine within the first minute. 1. Check to ensure the paddles are engaged properly. 2. Look at the dough. It should be clumping and coming together in a ball. If not, some ingredient was probably mismeasured or omitted. If you can figure it out, go ahead and add it immediately. If the dough looks like cookie dough, you may need to add more flour. If the dough is dry and crumbly, add more liquid.
After 10-15 minutes, open the lid and assess the consistency of the dough again. The dough should stick to the side, then pull away cleanly. If the dough is too wet, add flour one tablespoon at a time to get the dough to form into a pliable ball. If the dough is too dry and slapping the side, add milk one tablespoon at a time. Read more details in this post about my surprising secret.
When the dough cycle is complete, and the dough has risen to double its original size, remove the dough from the bread-machine pan onto a lightly-floured board.
Shape dough into a ball. Divide in half. Roll each half into an 11 x 11-inch square.
Spread two tablespoons of the softened 1/4 cup butter onto one square of the dough. Sprinkle half of the brown sugar-cinnamon mixture (1/2 cup brown sugar + 1 teaspoon cinnamon) evenly over the butter, then half of the 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
Starting from one side, roll the dough into a cylinder and seal it.
Cut in half with a serrated knife or dental floss. Cut each half into four equal pieces. In the end, you should have eight pieces from one ball.
Transfer slices to a greased 9-inch round pan. (If using a square pan, slice each cylinder into nine pieces. Or use a 13 x 9-inch metal pan, which will hold 16 rolls.
Repeat steps 5 through 8 with the remaining half of the dough.
Cover your prepared rolls with a tea towel, a cheap shower cap (my fave), or wax paper. Let rolls rise in a warm place until they are not quite double in size.
Bake in a preheated 350˚F oven for 13 minutes or until rolls are slightly brown on the edges. A quick-read thermometer should read 190˚F.
Allow the rolls to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then, turn rolls out onto a cooling rack (or serving plate if you are ready to eat). Leaving rolls in the pan until they are cold will likely result in soggy bottoms.
Once you pull the rolls out of the oven, make the icing.
Icing:
Place broken 1-1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate bar and 1 tablespoon butter into a microwave-safe, medium-sized glass bowl or a Pyrex quart measuring cup. Microwave for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes on 50% power, stirring halfway through to melt the butter and chocolate evenly. Continue mixing at the end of that time to finish melting the butter.
Add the sifted 1-1/2 cup powdered sugar,1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 2+ tablespoons milk. Stir vigorously until your icing is smooth and starts to shine. Slowly add more milk if needed to make the icing pourable. (If you make the icing ahead of time, it will thicken as it sits. You may need to add more milk and whip it until it's the right consistency again.)
Drizzle icing over the rolls with a spoon. If you want a neater look, fill a plastic zippered bag with the icing. Zip the bag shut. Snip a small hole in one corner and squeeze icing over the tops of rolls. Be sure you have sealed the bag before you start squeezing. I'll let you figure out what happens if the bag pops open.)
Notes
Directions for making bread with a stand mixer or by hand:
To make this recipe in a heavy-duty stand mixer: Add ingredients to the bowl in the same order. Turn on LOW to mix until all ingredients are moistened. Then, using a dough hook, turn the speed to 2 or 3. Continue beating/kneading until dough becomes smooth and elastic (about 5-10 minutes). Cover and allow to rise in a warm place. Deflate dough gently and shape as indicated in the recipe.
If making by hand: Combine all ingredients into a shaggy ball in a large bowl. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead with your hands until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. Kneading will likely take 10-20 minutes, depending on your experience. Place the dough ball into a greased bowl. Cover and allow to rise until double. Deflate the dough gently and shape as indicated in the recipe.
Please note: If you only have active dry yeast, use 1/4 teaspoon more than called for in the recipe. It no longer needs to be dissolved first, but you can if you prefer.