Chocolate Tahini Buns
…with a Tahini Glaze
Soft, sweet, and fluffy buns swirled with a decadent, chocolate-tahini ganache, then drizzled with a light tahini glaze. My husband (and photographer) Dan took one bite, glanced over at me with a smile, and said “Oh my god”. That made me pretty happy. Pull one apart, sink your teeth into it and you’ll get it.
If you aren’t used to tahini (sesame paste) in desserts, think of it in the same way that nuts can add depth and balance to the sweet flavors. Peanut butter is an amazing compliment to chocolate, and so is tahini! I used both black and regular (tan in color) tahini in this recipe since I had both on hand, and thought the black would visually blend nicely into the chocolate and the regular would work better in the glaze, but you can use regular for both.
I’ll be honest, this is a messy project! I washed my hands a lot when I was cutting these spirals, but the end result is worth it. I promise.
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Chocolate Tahini Buns before adding the glaze. (Photo by Daniel Marks)
A light coating of glaze. Photo by Daniel Marks
Chocolate Tahini Bun Recipe:
Yield:
12 large buns
Difficulty:
Easy, but a little messy!
Special Equipment:
Bowl scraper, optional but useful
Bench scraper, optional but useful
Fishing line or dental floss, optional but useful
Ingredients:
Chocolate Tahini Filling:
¼ cup granulated sugar
90 ml (a little less than 1/3 cup) heavy cream
⅛ tsp kosher salt
4 TBSP black tahini, well stirred*
2 ½ TBSP (37 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
85 grams (3 ounces) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (not chocolate chips), chopped
½ tsp vanilla extract
*You can use regular tahini, the color of the filling will just be a little lighter.
Dough:
540 grams (4 ½ cups) all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp table salt
100 grams (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
2 ½ tsp instant yeast
5 TBSP (74 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup whole milk, 80° F - 100° F
Tahini Glaze:
1 TBSP unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ cup tahini, well stirred*
¼ cup whole milk
67 grams (¾ cup) powdered sugar
*I wouldn’t use the black kind for the glaze. It will make it very dark.
Instructions:
Make the filling first. It needs time to come to room temperature and thicken before it can be spread on the dough.
Place tahini, softened butter, and chopped chocolate in a small or medium size bowl. Heat heavy cream, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved and it starts to simmer. Pour cream mixture over the chocolate mixture and stir until smooth. Set aside and let the filling cool to room temperature and thicken while you make the dough.
Tip: The filling can be made a day or two ahead of time, covered and refrigerated. Remove from refrigerator and let come to room temperature before using.
Make the dough. Stir together all ingredients until combined, then knead until a smooth, soft dough forms. About 17-20 minutes in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment.
Lightly spray a bowl with non-stick spray, or use a neutral oil, and transfer the dough to the bowl, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until it puffs up. 1 or 2 hours. Start preheating the oven to 385° F while the dough rises.
When is the dough ready? If you gently press a finger into the dough and the imprint very slowly comes back, it’s ready. If the dough springs right back it needs more time.
Lightly coat a clean work surface with non-stick spray. Gently press the air out of the dough and turn it out onto the surface. If the dough feels sticky, spray the dough as well. Roll out into a 16 x 21 inch rectangle so the shorter side is facing you. This will make it easier to roll up.
Drop tablespoonfuls of the filling evenly across the dough, then spread out into a thin, even layer with an offset spatula, leaving ½ inch of the dough at the far end clear so you can seal the roll. Roll up the dough into a log, starting with the short side. Seal it up at the end.
Tip: The dough is soft, so using a bench scraper or edge of a bowl scraper may help coax it along while you’re rolling.
Divide the log into 12 even pieces and place the spirals into a greased 9x13 inch pan.
Dough cutting tips:
Mark the dough with a knife where you want to cut.
Slide fishing line or dental floss underneath the dough. Quickly cross the two ends over the dough to cut the buns without crushing them.
In one swift move, lift the dough off your work surface with your index finger and thumb on the outer edges of the bun, and place swirl side up in the pan. The first couple may be messy, but you’ll get the hang of it. Again, you can use a bench scraper to help coax it off the counter if necessary.
Cover the pan with plastic and let the buns rise until doubled in size, 30-45 minutes. (You could also cover and let them rise in the refrigerator overnight. Take them out an hour before baking to bring them to room temperature.)
Bake for 15 minutes until the top just starts to turn golden. The inside temperature of the dough should be 185°F - 190° F.
Make the glaze. Whisk together all of the ingredients in a small or medium mixing bowl. If the butter doesn’t quite blend, heat it in the microwave for just 5 seconds, then keep whisking. If you prefer a thicker glaze, add more powdered sugar.
Once the buns have cooled in the pan for 10 minutes – but are still warm – pour the glaze over the buns, or serve and let everyone add their own glaze.
So soft and fluffy! (Photo by Daniel Marks)
