Pain Au Lait With Espresso, Cardamom, & Chocolate

Total Time: 8 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 8 hrs Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 1 (7 g) package instant yeast
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 4 cups bread flour (i use king arthur bread flour)
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup room temp butter
• 1 cup milk
• 8 -10 whole cardamom pods, crushed
• 2 tablespoons ground espresso or 2 tablespoons other strong coffee
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or 1 cup good quality chocolate bar, broken into small pieces
• 1 egg, beaten with water, for egg wash

Recipe

• 1 in a small sauce pan add the milk, crushed cardamom pods, and ground espresso. heat on low setting for approximately 30 minutes, to fully infuse the espresso and cardamom in the milk.
• 2 while the milk is steeping measure flour into a stand mixer mixing bowl. once the milk has finished steeping strain through cheese cloth or a coffee filter in a strainer. let milk cool down to warm but not hot. add the yeast, sugar, and salt to the warm milk and let it sit for 5-10 minutes or until the yeast begins to activate and become foamy.
• 3 add the milk mixture to the flour and let mix on stand mixer with dough hook, until all the ingredients come together, about 3-5 minutes on med-low speed. the mixture will be dry and possibly crumbly, do not add more milk. now, add the egg and let mix for 5 minutes. add a few teaspoons of flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking to the sides of the bowl so badly, it tends to be a sticky mess once the egg goes inches next, add the 1/2 cup (1 stick) of room temperature butter and let mix again for approximately 5 minutes. adding a few teaspoons of flour as necessary to help with sticking. by now the dough should be a tan color from the espresso and moderately soft and springy.
• 4 place the dough in a large, well oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a dish towel and set aside to rise in a warm, draft-free area for approximately 60-90 minutes, or until the dough has doubled in size. lightly press the down on the dough in the bowl to release some of the air trapped inside. recover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator for at least 4-6 hours, and up to overnight.
• 5 remove dough from the refrigerator and let sit on the counter for at least an hour, to get back to room temperature. once dough has warmed up, cut into 3 pieces. take each piece and press it into a rectangle or oval shape and spread the some of the chocolate chips or chocolate bar pieces in a line down the center, keeping the chocolate and inch away from the edges. pinch the outside edges closed and shape into a small loaf. repeat with the 2 remaining pieces of dough. place loaves, seam side down, on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and a dish towel and let rise until they are 1 1/2 times in size.
• 6 take the remaining egg and a splash of water and beat thoroughly, brush the egg wash on the 3 loaves and decoratively cut or slash the loaves to your liking with a lame or serrated knife. i used kitchen shears to make spiky snips on mine. bake in a 400 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, turning occasionally, until crust is shiny and deeply colored. or until the bottom of each loaf sounds hollow when tapped.
• 7 let the loaves cool on metal cooling racks until no longer warm to the touch. room temperature is best. if you try to eat them hot, just be aware that the chocolate will be liquidy and quite hot. it is best to let them sit at least 2-3 hours after baking. enjoy these incredibly fragrant and soft coffee rolls with coffee, espresso, or a good, strong black breakfast tea.