Sweet Rolls Two Ways

I currently seem to have a mild obsession with flavouring breads in as many ways as I can think of and this week my thought turned to sweet. The weather here has been horrid with all the seasons each hour and comfort food has been high on my list. I wanted to create something that would be lovely for an afternoon tea but would also work as a slightly naughty breakfast treat and these fit the brief perfectly. The combination of cranberries and almonds is a firm favourite of mine while chocolate and raspberry is always going to be a winner. The rolls were supposed to be a little more dainty but anyone who knows me can voucher for the fact that portion control isn't one of my strong points! Each of these rolls started out with my basic bread recipe then the flavours have been kneaded into the dough.

Ingredients:

500g strong white bread flour
1 tsp fast action yeast
1.5 tsp salt

25g butter - I use dairy free
340ml lukewarm water


1 pack tesco free from giant buttons  - or 120g of equivalent, broken into chunks
150g fresh raspberries
2 cups flour
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp cinnamon
caster sugar to sprinkle on top

3 tbsp flaked almonds
5 tbsp dried cranberries
2 tsp almond extract
caster sugar to sprinkle on top


Method:

To make the raspberry and chocolate rolls, pop the flour, yeast, salt, butter and cinnamon into a bowl and rub together, add in the vanilla and water and knead to form a dough. Tip the dough out onto a well floured surface and knead for at least ten minutes until the dough is soft and pliable. The dough should feel like the lobe of your ear and when stretched you should be able to see strands of gluten through it before it tears apart. Alternatively, if you have a stand mixer, pop all the ingredients into the bowl, attach the dough hook and mix on medium for ten minutes until the correct consistency is achieved.

Place in a clean bowl with a teatowel over the top and leave in a warm place for at least an hour to prove.

Once the dough has proved, tip it out onto a really well floured surface and knock the air out. Create a dip in the centre of the dough and tip in the raspberries and chocolate chunks. This is where it gets messy... gently knead the dough to incorporate the rasperries and chocolate, adding flour as you go to soak up the juice from the raspberries. The dough should feel light and smooth and the raspberries and chocolate should be evenly distributed.

Form a long sausage from the dough and cut into as many rolls as you wish, take each roll and turn it in your hands, tucking the edges under to create a smooth ball. Place these on a floured baking tray and set aside to prove for another 20 minutes. Sprinkle the tops with sugar just before placing in the oven.

Preheat your oven to 210c fan, and bake the rolls for 15 minutes until they sound hollow when tapped. Remove from the baking tray and pop onto a cooling rack and try to leave alone for at least 5 minutes as they will be incredibly hot. I would also recommend washing the baking tray instantly if possible to stop melted sugar and chocolate sticking.

For the almond and cranberry rolls, repeat the recipe as above swapping the almond extract for the vanilla and the almonds and cranberries instead of the raspberries and chocolate. Because these ingredients don't produce additional moisture, you will not need to add the extra flour.

Enjoy!

When you make these, please take a picture and tag me using #diaryofadefectivehousewife