Sticky Dark Chocolate and Coffee Buns

It's good thing the tradesman got called away on another job today. If he mentioned anything about my Hot Buns, I wouldn't know where to look.



Sticky Dark Chocolate and Coffee Buns
slightly adapted from Donna Hay
Makes 12

For the Dough:
7g dry active yeast
160ml lukewarm milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
450g "00" flour
55g caster sugar
1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
125g unsalted butter, melted

For the Coffee Glaze:
80ml maple syrup
60g brown sugar
75g unsalted butter, chopped
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules dissolved in 1 tablespoon boiling water

For the Dark Chocolate Ganache:
75g dark chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons cream

Make the Dough:
Place the yeast, milk and vanilla in a bowl and mix to combine. Set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes.

Place the flour, sugar, salt, eggs, butter and yeast mixture into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook and beat for about 8 minutes, until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl.

Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap (I use a disposable plastic shower cap) and leave it in a warm place for an hour, until doubled in bulk.

Make the Dark Chocolate Ganache:
Pu the chocolate in a heat proof bowl. Place the cream in a saucepan over a low heat and heat until nearly boiling. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Set aside for two minutes, then stir until it is smooth and glossy. Cool completely.

Make the Coffee Glaze:
Place the maple syrup, sugar, butter and coffee in a small saucepan over a low heat and cook, stirring, until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved.  Increase heat to medium, bring to the boil and cook for 3-4 minutes, until smooth and glossy. Pour into a lightly greased 20cm x 30cm baking pan and set aside.

Make the Buns:
Roll the dough between two 2 sheets of baking paper to make a 60cm x 25cm rectangle. Spread with the ganache, leaving a 1cm boarder. Starting with the longest side, roll the dough tightly to enclose the filling.

Trim the both ends of the roll and cut 12 even portions. Place the portions, side-by-side and scroll-side up, in the  pan, on top of the glaze. Cover with a damp tea towel and set aside for about an hour or until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Place the pan on a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes. Cover the pan loosely with foil and bake for a further 15-20 minutes or until cooked through and golden brown. Allow to stand for 2-3 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool a little before serving.