Chocolate Swirl Buns (vegan)

Name: Chocolate Swirl Buns (Vegan)
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 25 min
Ingredients: 25 g (3 Tablespoons) white bread flour; 140 ml (½ cup + 4 teaspoons) unsweetened non-dairy milk (I use soy); All of the tangzhong; 130 ml (½ cup + 2 teaspoons) unsweetened non-dairy milk (cold); 50 g (¼ cup) caster sugar; 1 teaspoon salt; 350 g (3 cups) white bread flour; 7 g (1 sachet) fast action yeast; 50 g (¼ cup) vegan butter (softened); 130 g (4 ½ oz) dark chocolate (finely chopped); 70 g (5 Tablespoons) vegan butter; 50 g (¼ cup) caster sugar; 20 g (2 packed Tablespoons) cocoa powder; 3 Tablespoons unsweetened non-dairy milk (I use soy); 1 Tablespoon maple syrup; 1 Tablespoon unsweetened non-dairy milk (I use soy)

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Chocolate swirl buns - These chocolate filled bread roll twists are easier to make than you might think but they look very impressive!

They consist of super soft and fluffy yeasted dough made using the tangzhong method, filled with a rich dark chocolate filling. Perfect as a pick me up with a hot drink; and they are vegan too!

Vegan chocolate swirl buns on a sheet of baking paper.

These vegan chocolate swirl buns are soft, gooey, rich but not too sweet and utterly moreish! They are made using the tangzhong method which helps to make them extra soft and squishy.

The twisted coil shape of the buns is easier to do than it looks, though you may have to shape a couple before you get the hang of it. These buns are perfect as a mid-morning or afternoon snack with a cup of tea or coffee, and because of the tangzhong they stay soft for a couple of days, though they are best when gently warmed before serving.

I originally published this recipe back in 2016 but have since updated and veganised it.

What Is Tangzhong?:

Tangzhong is basically where you take a portion of the flour and liquid of the recipe and mix them together like a roux, then cook it until it forms a thick, pudding-like texture. This mixture is then cooled and added to the bread dough.

This technique pre-gelatinises the starches in the flour which means that they can absorb more water. In fact, flour will absorb twice as much hot water or milk as it does the lukewarm water or milk you would usually use in yeasted doughs.

Not only does the starch in the flour absorb more liquid; since heating the starch with water creates structure, it is able to hold onto that extra liquid throughout the kneading, baking, and cooling processes. Because the bread retains more water during baking, it will be softer and more moist and stay fresh for longer.

A labelled photo of the ingredients needed to make chocolate swirl buns in bowls.

Ingredient Details:

Bread flour: White bread flour helps to give these chocolate swirl buns their soft, fluffy, chewy texture. Plain (all-purpose) flour will also work though the texture isn’t quite the same. I don’t recommend using wholemeal flour as that will make the buns too dense.

Instant yeast: I always prefer to use instant yeast when making bread as it can just be added straight to the flour and doesn’t need to be activated first.

Salt: You simply cannot make good bread without salt. Don’t omit it.

Non-dairy milk: Soy milk is always my favourite for baking as it has the highest protein content so most closely resembles dairy milk. Any variety of non-dairy milk will work however, but go for an unsweetened one if you can, and definitely soy milk if you have it.

Vegan butter: While in most cases I only recommend using a block butter for baking, in this case a tub variety is fine as well (but not one of the low-fat ones!). I used Flora Original.

Sugar: Use caster or granulated sugar. Light brown soft would also be fine but do not swap it for liquid sugars or sweeteners.

Chocolate: Use a vegan friendly dark chocolate, around 60-70% cocoa solids is ideal.

Cocoa powder: Either dutch processed or natural is fine.

Maple syrup: Usually these buns would be glazed with beaten egg before baking to make them shiny; to keep them vegan I use a mixture of maple syrup and soya milk instead. You could use agave or just aquafaba instead.

A vegan chocolate swirl bun sliced in half.

How To Make Chocolate Swirl Buns:

(Full measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page)

Step 1: To make the tangzhong, place the flour in a saucepan and gradually whisk in the milk.

Place the pan over a medium/low heat and whisk constantly until the mixture has thickened to a paste/pudding-like consistency.

Step 2: Scrape the tangzhong into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook and pour the cold milk on top.

Add sugar, salt, flour and yeast. Stir until it forms a rough dough then set the stand mixer to a medium speed and mix until the dough is smooth and stretchy.

Add the softened vegan butter and knead for about another 5 minutes until it is fully incorporated and the dough is smooth, elastic and no longer feels greasy.

Step 2, a 4 image collage of making the dough.

Step 3: Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and place in a warm spot to rise for 1-2 hours.

Step 3, a two image collage of the dough before and after rising.

Step 4: To make the filling, heat the butter, sugar, cocoa powder and milk in a pan until melted, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate and stir until melted.

Step 5: Roll the dough out into a large rectangle, spread over the filling evenly then fold the dough into thirds, like a business letter. Chill for 20 minutes.

Step 5, a 4 image collage of rolling out the dough, adding the filling and folding it up.

Step 6: Pat the dough out width-ways a little so that you end up with a 30 x 20 cm rectangle. Cut length-ways into 10 strips, each about 2cm wide.

Step 7: Twist each strip from either end into a spiral.

Step 7, one of the strips twisted into a spiral.

Step 8: Coil the twisted strip up, then pass the end over the top and tuck it underneath the other side.

Step 9: Place the buns well spaced apart on a couple of lined baking trays, cover and leave to rise until puffy.

Step 9, a 2 image collage of the buns before and after rising.

Step 10: Brush the buns with a mixture of maple syrup and milk and bake for 25 minutes.

Top Tips:

As with all of my baking recipes I really do recommend using the metric measurements with a digital scale rather than the cup conversions. Cups are a wildly inaccurate measuring system and you will get far better, more consistent results using a scale, not to mention that it is also easier and less messy than cups!

Make sure that your yeast isn't out of date! Old yeast can lead to dough that doesn’t rise.

The rising time of the dough will vary depending on how warm it is; on hot days it will rise much faster than on cold ones.

If you want, you can give the dough it’s first rise overnight in the fridge rather than at room temperature. This breaks up the workload and gives the bread an even better flavour.

These vegan chocolate swirl buns are best eaten on the day they are baked but will still be good for a couple more days, especially if you warm them up a bit before serving.

If you prefer you can simply coil the strips of dough up as if you were making a traditional cinnamon roll.

If you want really shiny buns like the ones in the photos then you will need to brush them with the maple syrup mixture a second time, about 5 minutes before they are done baking.

FAQ's:

How should I store them?

Store the buns in an airtight container at cool room temperature for up to 2 days.

Can I knead the dough by hand?

This is a soft, sticky dough so it is easiest made in a stand mixer. You absolutely can knead it by hand if you don't have one, just be prepared to get a bit messy.
When kneading, you shouldn't flour the surface as you will end up incorporating too much flour and making the dough too dry. Instead, if the dough is sticking too much, you can lightly oil the worksurface and your hands to help, or just be prepared to get a bit sticky!
A bench scraper is incredibly handy when kneading dough by hand to unstick the dough from the surface.

Can I freeze them?

Yes, the baked chocolate swirl buns can be frozen once they have cooled completely. Freeze them on the day they are baked to preserve freshness.
They should be frozen in an airtight container or individually wrapped to protect from freezer burn. Allow them to defrost at room temperature then refresh in a low oven for 5-10 minutes or in the microwave for 10-20 seconds before serving. I do not recommend freezing unbaked buns.

Can I make them gluten-free?

No, I’m afraid that you cannot use gluten free flour. Making gluten free bread is tricky and the entire recipe would need reworking. Gluten free baking is not my area of expertise so I cannot advise you. It is best to use a recipe that is designed to be gluten free rather than trying to adapt a non gluten free recipe.

More Sweet Bun Recipes:

Vegan chocolate swirl buns on a sheet of baking paper, one on a plate with a bite taken out of it.

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5 from 2 votes