Croatian chocolate spread swirls

Ingredients

• 250g whole milk
• 50g butter
• 500g strong white bread flour
• 40g caster sugar
• 7g fast action dried yeast
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 150g chocolate spread at room temperature
• 2 tbsp caster sugar, plus extra to serve
• 2 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tbsp demerara sugar

Method

Warm the milk and butter in a saucepan until the butter melts. Beat with a fork to combine, then set aside to cool to body temperature.

Mix the flour, sugar, yeast and salt in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle, then add the beaten egg and lukewarm milk and butter. Combine with a spatula, then move the bowl to the mixer and use the dough hook to knead for 5-6 mins until smooth, shiny and slightly wet to touch. Gently shape the dough into a ball, place in a lightly floured bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave in a warm place to prove for 60 mins. It should double in size.

Lightly flour a clean surface and rolling pin. Tip the dough out, shape it into a rectangle, then use the rolling pin to push the dough to around 40cm x 30cm. It will take a bit of work, but you’ll get there.

Use a palette knife to spread the soft chocolate generously and evenly over the entire surface of the dough. Sprinkle with the caster sugar and ground cardamom – a sieve is useful. Roll the dough tightly along the long edge so that you have a roulade shape, then cut into 12 even pieces with a sharp knife.

You can now either place the swirls in a large muffin tin, or into another baking tin that just fits the swirls if they’re about 1cm apart. Cover with clingfilm and leave in a warm place to prove again for another 45-60 mins.

Heat an oven to 220C. Brush the swirls with the egg wash and sprinkle with demerara sugar. Bake for 25-30 mins, by when the swirls will be springy and golden. These are particularly good when fresh from the oven, sprinkled with a little more caster sugar, perhaps with apricot jam or even some more chocolate spread on the side.

Image: Ed Smith