Decadent, pillow-soft, and overflowing with three rich chocolate variations, Nutella, White Chocolate & Dark Chocolate Buns are the ultimate indulgence for chocolate lovers. These golden brioche-style buns are swirled with creamy Nutella and packed with pockets of melted white and dark chocolate chips, creating a heavenly balance of sweet creaminess and deep cocoa flavor.
At inasrecipes.com, we take sweet yeast doughs to the next level. Treat your family to bakery-quality brioche and recipe secrets with this step-by-step guide, and master soft-dough baking and recipe customization for any occasion!
Chocolate Tiramisu Pastry Tarts
Table of Contents
Culinary Science: Gluten Elasticity, Lipid Distribution & Melting Profiles
Achieving tender, airy buns loaded with three distinct chocolates requires balancing fermentation and fat chemistry:
- Enriched Dough Structure & Gluten Network: Brioche dough relies on milk, eggs, and butter to soften the gluten matrix. The lipids coat glutenin and gliadin proteins, yielding a soft, tender crumb structure rather than a chewy, rustic bread texture.
- Differential Melting Points of Chocolate: White chocolate contains cocoa butter with a low melting point ($32^\circ\text{C}$ to $34^\circ\text{C}$), melting rapidly into sweet, creamy pockets. Dark chocolate ($50\text{\%}$–$70\text{\%}$ cocoa solids) has a higher melting threshold, providing firm, rich chunks that hold their shape better during baking.
- Nutella Viscosity Control: Nutella contains palm oil and hazelnut oil. When baked inside a sealed dough roll, the fats expand slightly without evaporating, maintaining a moist, gooey swirl center without drying out the surrounding bread crumb.
Masterclass Recipe: Nutella, White Chocolate & Dark Chocolate Buns
Prep time: 20 min | Proof time: 1 hr 30 min | Bake time: 20-22 min | Yields: 12 buns
Ingredients
For the Brioche Dough:
- 3 ½ cups (440 g) Bread flour or all-purpose flour
- 1 packet (7 g / 2 ¼ tsp) Instant active dry yeast
- ¾ cup (180 ml) Whole milk, warm ($40^\circ\text{C}$)
- ⅓ cup (65 g) Granulated sugar
- 2 large Eggs (at room temperature)
- ⅓ cup (75 g) Unsalted butter, softened
- ½ tsp Fine sea salt
For the Triple Chocolate Filling:
- ¾ cup (200 g) Nutella hazelnut spread
- ½ cup (90 g) White chocolate chips or chunks
- ½ cup (90 g) Semi-sweet dark chocolate chips
- 1 Egg + 1 tbsp milk (for egg wash)
Instructions
1.Knead the Dough:10 mins.
In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the warm milk, yeast, and sugar. Add the flour, eggs, and salt. Knead on low speed for 3 minutes, then gradually add the softened butter piece by piece. Knead for another 7-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
2.First Proofing:1 hour.
Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let it rise in a warm spot for 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.
3.Roll and Fill:10 mins.
Punch down the dough and roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a $30 \times 40\text{ cm}$ rectangle. Spread the Nutella evenly over the dough, leaving a 1 cm border. Sprinkle the white chocolate chips and dark chocolate chips over the Nutella.
4.Shape and Second Proof:30 mins.
Roll the dough tightly from the long edge into a log. Cut into 12 equal slices using a serrated knife or dental floss. Place the rolls into a parchment-lined $23 \times 33\text{ cm}$ baking pan. Cover and let proof for 30 minutes until puffy.
5.Bake to Perfection:20-22 mins.
Preheat oven to $175^\circ\text{C}$ ($350^\circ\text{F}$). Brush the tops lightly with egg wash. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes until golden brown on top. Cool for 10 minutes before serving warm and gooey!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What are the ingredients for Nutella chocolate bread?
The core ingredients for Nutella chocolate bread include:
- Dough Base: Flour (bread flour or all-purpose), yeast, warm milk, sugar, butter, eggs, and salt (unsweetened cocoa powder can also be added for a double-chocolate dough).
- Filling: Nutella hazelnut cocoa spread, often paired with additional chocolate chunks, nuts, or cinnamon.
Is Nutella a type of dark chocolate?
No, Nutella is not dark chocolate. Nutella is a sweetened hazelnut cocoa spread. Its main ingredients are sugar, palm oil, hazelnuts ($13\text{\%}$), skimmed milk powder ($8.7\text{\%}$), and fat-reduced cocoa solids ($7.4\text{\%}$). Because it contains milk powder and a high ratio of sugar and oil, it has a sweet, creamy hazelnut profile rather than the rich, bitter, high-cocoa characteristics of dark chocolate.
What are some interesting facts about Nutella?
- Post-War Innovation: Pietro Ferrero created the precursor to Nutella in Italy after WWII when cocoa was heavily rationed. Adding local Piedmontese hazelnuts stretched the limited cocoa supply.
- Original Form: It was originally sold as a solid block called Giandujot, which mothers sliced onto bread, before evolving into a spreadable cream (Supercrema, later renamed Nutella in 1964).
- Global Obsession: A jar of Nutella is sold somewhere in the world every 2.5 seconds.
- World Nutella Day: Fans celebrate World Nutella Day globally every year on February 5th.
- Massive Hazelnut Consumption: Ferrero buys approximately $25\text{\%}$ of the entire world’s hazelnut supply every year to produce Nutella.
Why is there white stuff in Nutella?
The “white stuff” or white spots occasionally seen on top of Nutella are caused by fat bloom. This occurs when the palm oil or cocoa fats separate from the spread due to temperature fluctuations (such as storing the jar in a cold pantry or refrigerator) and solidify at room temperature. It is harmless and safe to eat; simply let the jar sit in a warm room or float the closed jar in warm water and stir to melt the oils back together.
Print
Nutella, White Chocolate & Dark Chocolate Buns
- Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 individual tarts 1x
Description
Elegant individual chocolate pastry tarts filled with creamy mascarpone tiramisu filling, coffee-soaked ladyfingers, and finished with cocoa powder and dark chocolate shavings.
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups (150 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (25 g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
- ⅓ cup (40 g) powdered sugar
- ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1–2 tbsp ice water
- 8–10 Savoiardi ladyfinger biscuits
- ¾ cup (180 ml) freshly brewed espresso or strong coffee, cooled
- 1 tbsp dark rum or Kahlúa, optional
- 1 cup (225 g) mascarpone cheese, cold
- ¾ cup (180 ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
- ⅓ cup (40 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting
- 50 g dark chocolate shavings
Instructions
- In a food processor or stand mixer, combine the all-purpose flour, Dutch-process cocoa powder, and powdered sugar. Add the cold cubed butter and mix until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add the egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of ice water. Mix just until a dough forms, adding the remaining ice water only if needed.
- Shape the dough into a disc, wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Roll the chilled dough out on a lightly floured surface and cut into 6 portions. Press each portion into an individual tartlet mold, trimming away any excess dough.
- Prick the pastry bases lightly with a fork and bake for about 15 minutes until set. Allow the shells to cool completely.
- Combine the cooled espresso or strong coffee with the dark rum or Kahlúa, if using. Quickly dip or brush the Savoiardi ladyfinger biscuits with the coffee mixture without soaking them excessively.
- In a bowl, beat the cold mascarpone, heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth, thick, and creamy.
- Break the coffee-soaked ladyfingers into pieces and arrange them inside the cooled chocolate pastry shells. Spoon or pipe the mascarpone cream over the top.
- Refrigerate the individual tarts for at least 2 hours to allow the filling to set and the flavors to develop.
- Before serving, dust generously with unsweetened cocoa powder and finish with dark chocolate shavings.
Notes
Keep the pastry shells completely cool before adding the mascarpone filling. Dip the ladyfingers quickly in the coffee mixture so they absorb the tiramisu flavor while keeping some texture.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Au Four
- Cuisine: Italienne
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tart
- Calories: 560
- Sugar: 28g
- Sodium: 180mg
- Fat: 36g
- Saturated Fat: 21g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 51g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 125mg