Black Sesame and Lemon Honey Rolls

Ingredients

• 600 g Manitoba flour (strong bread flour)
• 80 g powdered sugar (zucchero a velo)
• 7 g dry yeast (or 25g fresh yeast)
• 300 ml milk (warmed to approximately 30°C)
• 100 g butter (softened)
• 1 tbsp sugar
• salt (a pinch)
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp honey
• 0.5 lemon zest (from half a lemon)
• 70 g black sesame seeds (previously toasted)
• 50 g whole cane sugar (zucchero di canna integrale)
• 50 g butter (melted)
• 2 tbsp honey
• 0.5 lemon zest (grated from half a lemon)
• 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder (cacao amaro)
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil (plus more as needed for consistency)
• 1 egg yolk (for egg wash)
• milk (as needed for egg wash)
• 30 g sugar (for glaze)
• 70 ml water (for glaze)
• 40 g honey (for glaze)
• 0.5 lemon juice (from half a lemon)

Steps

1. 1

   Prepare the dough by combining the Manitoba flour, powdered sugar, dry yeast, warm milk (30°C), softened butter, 1 tablespoon of sugar, a pinch of salt, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of honey, and the zest of half a lemon.

2. 2

   Knead the mixture until a smooth, elastic dough forms.

3. 3

   Place the dough in a bowl and let it rise until doubled in size. This can be done in an oven with the light on (about 30°C) for approximately 2 hours, or in the refrigerator overnight.

4. 4

   Prepare the filling: In a blender or food processor, blend the toasted black sesame seeds well.

5. 5

   Add the brown cane sugar, melted butter, 2 tablespoons of honey, lemon zest, cocoa powder, and 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the blended sesame seeds. Blend until combined. If the consistency is too hard, add a little more oil to loosen it.

6. 6

   Roll out the risen dough into a rectangle, spread the sesame filling evenly over the surface, and roll it up tightly.

7. 7

   Cut the roll into individual slices to form the rolls and place them on a baking tray.

8. 8

   Let the formed rolls rise for a second time for about 1 hour.

9. 9

   Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) static.

10. 10

    Whisk the egg yolk with a little milk and brush the mixture over the rolls before baking.

11. 11

    Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. If they are not golden enough, increase the temperature to 190°C for the final few minutes.

12. 12

    While the rolls bake, prepare the glaze: In a small saucepan, combine 70ml water and 30g sugar. Bring to a boil until the sugar dissolves.

13. 13

    Add 40g of honey to the saucepan and continue to cook until the glaze becomes slightly dense. Remove from heat.

14. 14

    Stir in the juice of half a lemon.

15. 15

    Brush the warm glaze over the rolls immediately after they come out of the oven.

Notes

Storage tip: If you have leftovers, wrap them in a damp paper towel and microwave for 20 seconds to restore softness. They can also be frozen.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• breakfast
• rolls
• baking
• sweet bread
• black sesame
• lemon