Soft, buttery, and filled with rich chocolate, these twisted buns are a lovely alternative to cinnamon rolls. The dough is rolled, filled, folded and twisted to create beautiful chocolate swirls, then baked until golden. Perfect with a morning coffee or as an afternoon treat.
For the dough
- 500g strong white bread flour
- 7g fast-action dried yeast
- 60g caster sugar
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 250ml whole milk, lukewarm
- 75g unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg
For the chocolate filling
- 100g dark or milk chocolate
- 75g unsalted butter
- 50g light brown sugar
- 20g cocoa powder
- Pinch of salt
For finishing (optional)
- 1 egg, beaten, for glazing
- 30g caster sugar
- 30ml water
Method
1. Make the dough
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Add the lukewarm milk and egg, mixing until a rough dough forms.
Gradually work in the softened butter and knead for 8–10 minutes, until the dough becomes smooth, soft and elastic. It should be slightly tacky but manageable.
2. Leave to rise
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover with a damp tea towel.
Leave somewhere warm for 1–2 hours, or until roughly doubled in size.
3. Prepare the chocolate filling
Gently melt the chocolate and butter together in a saucepan over low heat or in short bursts in the microwave.
Stir in the brown sugar, cocoa powder and salt until combined.
Leave to cool until thick and spreadable. You don’t want the filling too runny, otherwise it’ll escape when shaping the knots.
4. Roll and fill
Tip the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a large rectangle, roughly 40 × 30cm.
Spread the chocolate filling evenly over the surface, leaving a small border around the edges.
5. Fold the dough
Fold one third of the dough towards the centre, then fold the opposite third over it, creating three layers of dough with chocolate between them.
Gently roll the folded dough to around 30 × 25cm, being careful not to squeeze out the filling.
6. Cut and shape the knots
Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into 10–12 long strips.
Take each strip and gently stretch it slightly, then twist it several times.
Wrap the twisted strip around two fingers to form a loose knot, tucking the ends underneath.
Don’t worry if they look a little messy. The irregular twists and exposed chocolate layers are part of their charm.
7. Second rise
Place the knots onto a baking tray lined with parchment, leaving enough space between them to expand.
Cover loosely and leave for 30–45 minutes, until noticeably puffy.
8. Bake
Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan).
If using an egg wash, gently brush the exposed dough with beaten egg.
Bake for 18–22 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.
Keep an eye on them towards the end, as the chocolate filling can catch if baked for too long.
9. Glaze (optional)
While the knots bake, gently heat the sugar and water in a small saucepan until dissolved.
Brush the syrup over the knots immediately after removing them from the oven.
This gives them a lovely glossy finish and helps keep the dough soft.
10. Cool and serve
Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool slightly. They’re particularly good served warm while the chocolate is still soft.
Optional Variations
| Variation | What to change |
|---|---|
| Chocolate orange | Add the finely grated zest of 1 orange to the filling |
| Chocolate hazelnut | Replace the filling with 200g chocolate hazelnut spread |
| Chocolate cinnamon | Add 1 tsp ground cinnamon to the chocolate filling |
| Dark chocolate & sea salt | Use 70% dark chocolate and finish with a pinch of flaky salt |
| Chocolate almond | Add 40g finely chopped almonds to the filling |
| White chocolate & raspberry | Use 150g white chocolate spread and 40g thick raspberry jam, spread thinly |