Dark Chocolate Stuffed Blood Orange Cream Buns


Ingredients:
  • 3 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 3 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/3 cup lukewarm cream or half & half
  • 1/3 cup warm lukewarm water
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup fresh Bella Nonnas Blood Orange Olive Oil
  • 1 teaspoon fresh grated orange zest
  • 16 - 1" chunks of dark chocolate or 5-6 dark chocolate morsels for each bun
  • 1 egg beaten for glazing the buns

Sweet Orange Glaze
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) confectioners sugar
  • 1 tablespoons half and half
  • 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice

Cooking Instructions:
  • Follow the directions for your bread machine, or place the warm water, half and half, eggs, sugar, olive oil, and yeast in bowl of standing heavy-duty mixer; stir until yeast dissolves.
  • Fit mixer with dough hook.
  • Add flour, zest, and salt to bowl and mix on low speed just until flour combined, about 10 seconds.
  • Scrape down the sides of the bowl and increase the speed to medium and beat until dough comes together, about 3 minutes.
  • Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise at room temperature until almost doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
  • Gently deflate the dough and cover bowl with plastic; chill dough overnight.

  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Divide dough into 4 equal pieces.
  • Make a short log from each piece and cut each log into 4 equal pieces.
  • Roll each piece into a bun.
  • Gently push a 1/2" piece of dark chocolate in the center of each bun and pinch the bottom of each bun to seal securely.
  • Arrange the buns about an inch apart, pinched side down on the prepared sheet pan and allow to rise, covered, for 1 hour.

  • Preheat oven to 375F.
  • Gently brush top of the buns with the beaten egg glaze.
  • Bake until buns are golden brown and fragrant, about 25 minutes.

  • Allow the buns to cool for 5 minutes.
  • For Sweet Orange Glaze, mix together the orange juice, half and half, and confectioners sugar. Brush each bun with glaze.
  • Serve warm while the chocolate is still molten in the center.

Cooking Time: 25 min
Servings: 16