Israeli Chocolate Rugelach
Sweet buttery yeasted dough filled with chocolate and rolled into crescent -shaped pastries.
Servings 24 rugelach
Ingredients
The Dough
- 4 Cups Unbleached all-purpose flour (480g)
- 1/4 Cup Sugar (50g)
- 2 1/4 teaspoons Instant yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 2 Large Eggs at room temperature
- 3/4 Cup Lukewarm milk (180ml)
- 6 Tablespoon Unsalted soft butter (85g)
- 1 Egg For egg wash
Chocolate Filling
- 3/4 Cup Unsalted soft butter (180g)
- 1/2 Cup Cocoa powder (45g)
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1 Cup Powdered sugar (120g)
- 1/4 Cup Melted dark chocolate (45g)
Simple Syrup
- 1 Cup Sugar (200g)
- 1 Cup Water (240ml)
Instructions
Make the Dough
- Place the flour, sugar, yeast, salt, and eggs in a bowl of a standing mixer.
- Using the paddle attachment, mix the ingredients on low while you drizzle in the milk.
- Mix until you have a shaggy mass, then replace with the dough hook.
- Mix at medium-low speed for 2-3 minutes. You should have a ball of dough that is not smooth and slightly dry.
- Increase speed to medium, then add the butter, one piece at a time, waiting for the butter to be incorporated before adding the next piece.
- Mix the dough until the butter is fully incorporated, the dough is smooth, and the sides and bottom of the bowl are clean.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in a warm spot to double in size, about 90 minutes.
Make the Filling
- Mix all of the ingredients until smooth. You can use a hand mixer or a stand mixer.
shaping
- Divide the dough into two equal parts. Roll each part over a clean work surface dusted with flour into a 19x13-inch rectangle.
- Spread half of the chocolate filling over the dough, leaving a one-inch border around the edges.
- Gently lift the wider side of the rectangle and fold it in half.
- Gently roll the rectangle into a 19x8 rectangle.
- Using a sharp knife or a pizza wheel, mark the dough every two inches along both wide sides.
- Cut the dough diagonally from the first mark closest to you, moving toward the opposite corner and back in a straight line.
- Gently roll each triangle from the wide end toward the tip, stretching the dough with your opposite thumb.
- Place the pastries over a baking pan lined with parchment paper.
- Brush the pastries with an egg wash and place in a warm spot to rise for 60-90 minutes.
- As the pastries rest, make the simple syrup by bringing the water and sugar to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for five minutes.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, at 350F (180C) preheated oven, or until a thermometer reads 180F from the center of the pastries.
- Remove from the oven and brush with the simple syrup.
Notes
- All of the ingredients should be at room temperature.
- Use three teaspoons of active yeast, or 1 1/2 tablespoons of cake yeast.
- Combine the yeast, one tablespoon of sugar, and warm milk. Set aside for 10 minutes until a layer of foam forms on top.
- If you want to prepare the dough a day ahead, reduce the yeast to 1 1/4 teaspoons. Let it rest at room temperature for about an hour before refrigerating.
- When cold, the dough is easier to handle, so chill it in the refrigerator for about an hour. Cold temperatures slow down the fermentation process, so allow the dough to rise for about 90 minutes before chilling.
- Use a ruler or measuring tape to cut the dough into equal parts for an even-sized Rugelach. It's normal for the dough to shrink slightly as you slice.
- Use different spreads and fillings for a variety of flavors.