Chocolate Hazelnut Sweet Rolls with Banana Caramel
Chocolate Hazelnut Sweet Rolls with Banana Caramel
Equipment
- 9-inch x 13-inch aluminum baking pan
- Rolling Pin
- Food Processor
- Candy Thermometer
- Stand Mixer with Dough Hook Attachment
- Kitchen Scale (optional but HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR ALL YOUR BAKING)
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)
Homemade "Nutella" Filling
- 16 oz hazelnuts, blanched and toasted
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 16 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped (Valrhona recommended)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (1 stick)
- 1 cup heavy cream, room temperature
- 1 tsp kosher salt (or 1/2 tsp table salt)
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Banana 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 banana, very ripe and smashed
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- t tsp Kosher salt (1/2 tsp table salt)
Instructions
Make the Banana Caramel
- 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.
- 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.
- Add the smashed banana 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 while preparing the sweet roll dough.
Make the Sweet Roll Dough:
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, yeast, salt, and baking soda and whisk for a full minute until well combined. Set aside.
- 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.)
- 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:
- 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 Homemade "Nutella"
- While the dough is proofing: Melt the chopped chocolate in a microwave safe container on 75% power for 1 minute. Stir and repeat for 30 second increments, stirring well each time, just until the chocolate is completely melted.
- Add the granulated sugar and 10 oz of the hazelnuts to the food processor and blitz until a fine powder. It's ok if there are little chunks here and there. Add the melted chocolate and butter and blitz until combined.
- With the food processor on, slowly drizzle in the heavy cream. Add the salt and vanilla and blitz once more to combine. You should have a smooth, shiny paste that will become more firm as it sets. Cover and set aside.
Assemble the Sweet Rolls
- Line a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Spray parchment with a nonstick cooking spray. Pouring 1 cup of the banana caramel directly on the parchment and spread it evenly. Coarsely chop 6 oz of the hazelnuts and sprinkle evenly over the caramel. Set aside. (The rest of the caramel can go in the fridge for use when the rolls are baked.)
- Once the dough has proofed, roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a 13-inch square. Spread the "Nutella" over the entire surface of the dough, taking care to spread evenly. Roll the dough into a log, ending with the seam side down.
- Depending on the softness of the "Nutella," you may want to refrigerate the dough roll for 30 minutes just to make it easier to slice. Divide the log evenly into 2 pieces. Cut each piece into 6 slices for a total of 12 rolls. Place into the baking pan, directly on top of the caramel and hazelnuts, cover with foil, and refrigerate overnight or up to 48 hours.
Bake and Glaze the Rolls
- 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, then turn out of the pan onto a cooling rack. They should be all in one piece (as pictured) with the hazelnuts all crispy and caramelized. Pull them apart and drizzle with slightly warm banana caramel. Serve immediately!
I got the idea for these rolls where I get many of my baking ideas: By staring vacantly at the contents of my fridge/freezer and trying to imagine new desserts out of leftover odds and ends from previous baking projects. A deli container of homemade “nutella” had been taking up freezer space for months so that’s where I started. Nutella loves banana so that led me to the banana caramel…like I need an excuse to make caramel.
As with the Black Sesame Sweet Rolls with Miso Caramel, I went right to Stella Parks’ Homemade Cinnamon Rolls from BraveTart: Iconic American Desserts. Stella’s recipes are the formulas of a chemist and at the same time so straightforward that even a novice baker will find success. Her sweet roll dough is simple and luxurious, gives a good rise, and bakes up tender and buttery. For my take, I subbed the “nutella” for the cinnamon filling and the banana caramel for the cream cheese frosting et voilà!: Pillow-y, bittersweet rolls topped with a crackly, crumbly layer of hazelnuts and a whisper of banana caramel sauce–you don’t need much of the caramel to strike the perfect sweet/salty balance with these guys.
If you’ve a yen for sweet rolls but find yourself short on prep time, make a short cut. Buy a jar of Nutella and concentrate your effort on that dough and practicing your caramel game. Do be aware that your rolls will be sweeter with store-bought Nutella–but I’m guessing your family and friends won’t mind. 😉 These are great to put together on Friday evening, let them rise in the fridge overnight, and bake up for Saturday morning breakfast. No one will complain.
