Chocolate Buns with Cream (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Dough

01 - 240 g bread flour (2 cups)
02 - 250 g all-purpose flour (2 cups and a smidge)
03 - 28 g Dutch process cocoa powder (about 1/4 cup)
04 - 75 g sugar (rounded 1/3 cup)
05 - 240 g milk, warmed (~1 cup, 95°F)
06 - 2 large eggs, let these hang out at room temp
07 - ¼ cup mild-flavored oil (like canola or vegetable)
08 - ½ tbsp vanilla extract
09 - 2½ tsp instant yeast
10 - 1 tsp salt

→ Egg Wash

11 - 1 tbsp milk (2% or whole works)
12 - 1 large egg

→ Whipped Cream Filling

13 - ⅔ cup powdered sugar, sift it for smoothness
14 - 4 tbsp cocoa powder, also sifted
15 - Pinch of salt
16 - 2 cups cold heavy whipping cream

# Instructions:

01 - Pop everything into the mixer bowl (use the dough hook). Run the mixer on low until the dough's nice and smooth. Sticky's good—it should cling to the bottom but not the sides.
02 - Grease a bowl lightly and toss the dough in. Cover it up, and let it chill for 1-2 hours or until it doubles up in size.
03 - Grab a baking sheet, lay down some parchment, and set it aside.
04 - Take the dough out, split it into 8-12 pieces (weigh them if you want them just right). Flatten each chunk in your hand, fold the edges in, pinch to seal, then roll it around until it’s a smooth ball. Place them seam-side down.
05 - Spread those dough balls on your prepped baking sheet. Cover them and let them puff up—about 30-60 minutes.
06 - Set the oven to preheat at 350°F and whisk the milk and egg together for the wash.
07 - Brush the tops of the puffed dough balls with your egg wash. Pop them on the middle rack and bake for roughly 16 minutes. Since they’re chocolatey, you may not notice browning, so tap the bottoms—they should sound hollow when ready.
08 - Move the buns to a wire rack to cool off completely.
09 - While waiting for the buns to cool, whip the cold cream with the sifted cocoa and powdered sugar. Add a pinch of salt. Whisk until the peaks are halfway between soft and stiff. Stick it in the fridge until you’re ready to go.
10 - Once the buns aren’t warm, slice them nearly in half. Scoop or pipe the whipped cream inside, then smooth it out with a spatula or knife.
11 - Dust the tops with powdered sugar lightly, dig in, and enjoy.

# Notes:

01 - Only fill the buns you’ll eat soon, because the cream needs to be chilled, and the bread can dry out in the fridge. Store extras in a sealed container without filling.
02 - Switch it up by adding things like jam, pieces of fruit, berries, or chocolate chips to the filling.

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