Bread dough
1/3 cup whole milk, room temperature
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons dry yeast
4 3/4 cups flour
1 cup water, room temperature
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 1/2 teaspoons flake sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 egg whisked with 1 teaspoon milk, for egg wash
Chocolate cinnamon filling
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (70%)
3 ounces butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 egg white, whisked slightly
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon flake sea salt
Melt the chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler until smooth, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, egg white, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside to cool.
Mix together the milk, sugar and yeast and allow to rest for 5 minutes. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine the milk mixture, flour, water, sugar, orange juice, orange zest, salt, vanilla extract, and cinnamon at low speed until the dough just barely comes together. Add the butter in thirds, mixing well after each addition. Continue mixing until a soft smooth dough forms and the dough pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl, forming a smooth solid mass of dough around the hook, about 5 minutes. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, cover, and let it rise for 45 minutes at room temperature out of direct sunlight. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2 minutes. Divide it into three equal parts. Pat out each part into a rough rectangle shape and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 90 minutes. Take one of the rectangles of dough and roll it out into a roughly 24 x 8-inch rectangle. Spread it with 1/3 of the chocolate mixture, then roll it up along the longest edge as you would if you were making cinnamon rolls. Cover the roll in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator. Repeat with the remaining two rectangles of dough, and allow the rolled-up dough cylinders to chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Take one of the cylinders and roll it on a flat clean working surface, lengthening it with your hands until the cylinder reaches about 34 inches in length. Cut it in half lengthwise and set the two long strips aside. Repeat with the other two cylinders.
To learn how to form the bread, go to Adventures in Cooking.
Lightly brush the bread with the egg wash and bake it in the oven for 25 minutes. Remove it, cover lightly with foil, and bake another 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 5 to 10 minutes more, uncovered, until the exterior of the bread is deeply golden and a thermometer inserted into the bread reads at least 190 degrees Fahrenheit.
Recipe courtesy of Adventures in Cooking, adventuresincooking.com