Black Sesame Sweet Rolls with Miso Caramel
Black Sesame Sweet Rolls with Miso Caramel
A pivot away from the American standard, these breakfast rolls are filled with black tahini paste and drizzled with white miso caramel sauce for just the right balance of salty and sweet.
Equipment
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9-inch x 13-inch aluminum baking pan
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Rolling Pin
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Food Processor
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Candy Thermometer
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Stand Mixer with Dough Hook Attachment
Ingredients
Sweet Roll Dough
- 3½ cups all-purpose flour (16 ounces)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (3½ ounces)
- 2 tsp instant dry yeast
- 1¾ tsp kosher salt (or 1 tsp table salt)
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick or 4 ounces)
- 1/2 cup milk (4 ounces)
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (8 ounces)
Black Sesame Filling
- 8 oz white chocolate (recommended: Valrhona Ivoire)
- 1/2 cup black tahini paste (black sesame paste)
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature (1/2 stick)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, room temperature
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt (or 1/2 tsp table salt)
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
White Miso Caramel
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup tap water
- 1 Tbsp glucose syrup (or corn syrup)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
- 1/2 cup white miso paste
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the Sweet Roll Dough:
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In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, yeast, salt, and baking soda and whisk for a full minute until well combined. Set aside.
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In a large saucepan, melt the butter over low heat, add the milk and yogurt, and heat to 80°F. The mixture will heat quickly so watch it closely. (It's important that the mixture not get above 120°F or the yeast will begin to die off.)
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Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir until the mixture is homogenous. Transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer and use the dough hook attachment to knead it on low speed for approximately 20 minutes. The dough should be smooth and elastic at this point. It should be stretchable without tearing too easily.
Proof the Sweet Roll Dough:
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Set the dough in a large bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and allow to proof for about 90 minutes, at room temperature, until the dough is doubled in size. Ideal room temperature is 70-75°F for proofing. If the dough still feels dense, allow it to proof for another 15 minutes.
Make the Black Sesame Filling
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While the sweet roll dough is proofing, turn the oven to 250°F and move a rack to the middle of the oven.
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Coarsely chop the white chocolate and distribute it on a large sheet pan in a single layer. Put in the oven for 10 minutes, then pull out and stir with a spatula, being careful to keep it distributed evenly across the sheet pan. Return to the oven and repeat the process another 3-4 times. You're looking for an even golden brown color but you want to be careful not to burn the chocolate. It may become chunky but don't worry about that, the chocolate will get smoothed out in the food processor.
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Once the chocolate is caramelized, add it to the bowl of a food processor. It will still be warm. Add the black tahini and the butter and blitz for 30 seconds to combine with the chocolate. Then, with the food processor on, slowly drizzle in the heavy cream. Add the salt and vanilla and blitz once more to combine. Set aside.
Assemble the Sweet Rolls
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Line a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
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Once the dough has proofed, roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a 13-inch square. Spread the black sesame filling over the entire surface of the dough, taking care to spread evenly. Roll the dough into a log, ending with the seam side down.
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Divide the log evenly into 2 pieces. Cut each piece into 6 slices for a total of 12 rolls. Place into the baking pan, cover with foil and refrigerate overnight or up to 48 hours.
Make the White Miso Caramel
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Please be careful when making caramel because you will be dealing with very hot sugar. Also make sure to have all the ingredients prepared as you will have to work quickly once the sugar is caramelized.
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In a medium saucepan, add the sugar, water, and glucose. Stir just until the sugar is moistened. Then, without stirring, cook the sugar mixture to a dark amber color, approximately 300°F on your candy thermometer. (You want the sugar to be well caramelized but you don't want to burn it. If the sugar starts to smoke, that's the sign to immediately remove it from heat.) Immediately remove the caramelized sugar from heat and carefully add the cream and butter, making sure to stand back as the mixture will sputter and steam and be very hot. Once the steam subsides, vigorously whisk the caramel, making sure to scrape the bottom and edges of a pan.
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Add the miso paste to the caramel and whisk to combine. Return the caramel to medium heat and allow to boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, mix in vanilla, and allow to cool. Caramel will keep in refrigerator for several months.
Bake and Glaze the Rolls
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the rolls, keeping them covered with foil, for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes, drizzle with slightly warm miso caramel, and serve immediately!
