Soft Italian Breakfast Buns

Homemade Chocolate flutes are an irresistible treat! Growing up my daughters loved these soft Italian breakfast buns for a breakfast treat or snack! Known as flauti in Italy, we always chose the flauti alla cioccolato but you can fill the flutes with any cream or jam or even Nutella.

The buns are made with an enriched brioche dough containing both egg and butter that helps them stay soft for days, if they last that long (they never did in our house)! Chopped chocolate or hazelnut spread, spread on the dough adds a velvety texture that makes them mouthwatering. I love making soft leavened breads around Easter and other favorites include these brioche bread bunnies and traditional Italian Easter bread.

Why I Love This Recipe

- Sweet bread treat: Just like my Nutella pull apart bread and Italian angelica cake, these homemade chocolate flutes are made with a soft leavened brioche dough!

- Fun and festive: These soft Italian breakfast buns are perfect to serve for the holidays. For an Easter brunch, they are a great alternative to my sourdough Easter bread.

Ingredient Notes

- Milk: For a rich brioche use whole milk that is lukewarm. If warming milk the stove, ensure that the milk is not boiling before using it the yeast mixture or the hot milk will kill the yeast.

- Yeast: I prefer to use active dry yeast. Instant yeast could be used but the buns will rise faster.

Many Italians bake with brewers yeast; this could be used but the rising time might take longer. I have not tested this bread with fresh sourdough starter.

- Granulated sugar: Adds a sweet taste to the leavened dough and helps feed the yeast. - Vanilla extract: Adds another layer of savor to this sweeter brioche dough.

- Egg yolk: Adds additional moisture to the enriched dough. - Butter: Softened butter sliced into 3 or 4 pieces is best.

I used salted butter, if you use unsalted butter gain the salt to ½ teaspoon. - Dark chocolate: Be sure to use a good quality chocolate or you could use Nutella, if you have time, homemade Nutella really adds a special touch to the buns. Feel free to use your favorite jam instead of chocolate hazelnut spread.

- Powdered sugar: The finishing touch to the soft chocolate flutes! This makes them melt-in-the-mouth.

How to Make Soft Italian Breakfast Buns

Start by dissolving the yeast in the lukewarm milk let it sit until bubbly then mix together. Next, in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook add the flour, sugar, vanilla, egg and yeast mixture and knead.

Add the room temperature butter in increments and continue kneading. Add the salt and knead until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Form dough into a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm draft free area until tripled in size. I often place my dough in the oven (not turned on) with only the light on. Once the dough has tripled in size, move to a lightly floured surface and using a roll pin, roll into a large rectangle then using a sharp knife cut the dough into 6 pieces.

On the end of each rectangle, cut a few flute strips ensuring that you don’t cut all the way up the dough. Add the chocolate or hazelnut spread to the side of each piece of dough that is not cut into strips then roll up the dough gently starting from the filled part, sealing the edges and ensuring the cut strips are facing up.

Place the brioche flutes on a parchment lined baking pan then cover again and let rise for about an hour. Brush with milk then bake until golden brown.

Move buns to a wire rack to cool completely then dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Flauti alla Cioccolato Tips

- Knead dough until smooth: Knead the dough until it is smooth and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

The dough should feel elastic and not sticky. - If the dough gets too warm: If the dough starts to get too warm while rolling, cutting and filling the buns, place in the refrigerator for a bit to chill.

- Do not overfill the flutes: Otherwise the filling will spill out and there will be chocolate everywhere! - Two different rise times: Note that there are two rise times for these Nutella brioche rolls.

The first rise will take 2-3 hours and the second rise one hour. - Egg wash: For a glossier look to the Italian breakfast buns, instead of brushing with just milk, whisk together one egg with whole milk or heavy cream and then brush on top.

- Other fillings: For a different flauti, try pistachio cream, pastry cream, any flavor of jam, an apple filling, white chocolate or any of these fast easy fillings. - Store: These soft breakfast buns can be stored for two or three days in an airtight container. - Freeze: You can as well freeze baked flauti all Nutella.

Cool completely then wrap each bun in plastic wrap then in foil to prevent freezer burn. Store in the freezer in a freezer safe bag for up to two months. I hope you enjoy these Soft Italian Breakfast Buns as much as we did!

Soft Italian Breakfast Buns

- ½ cup milk (whole) lukewarm

- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast - 2 cups all purpose flour - 3½ tablespoons granulated sugar

- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract - 1 large egg yolk (room temperature)

- 3 tablespoons butter (softened) - 3½ ounces dark chocolate (good quality) (or you could fill them with Nutella) - 1-2 tablespoons milk (for brushing)

- 2-3 tablespoons powdered sugar - In a small bowl add the milk and sprinkle the yeast on top, let sit 10 minutes, stir to combine.

- In the stand mixer add the flour, sugar, vanilla, egg and yeast mixer, knead for 3 minutes, add the butter in 3-4 additions, continue to knead add the salt. - Form into a ball and place in a lightly butter bowl, cover with plastic and let rise in a warm draft free area until tripled close to 2-3 hours. - Move to a lightly floured flat surface and roll into a rectangle 14×10.5 inches / 36x27cm , cut into 6 parts, using a pizza wheel or sharp knife, cut strips halfway down on each rectangle, add a strip of chocolate or Nutella or even your favourite spread to the part without strips and roll up gently.

Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Cover and let rise 1 hour.

- Pre-heat oven to 350F/180C. - Brush with milk then bake 15-18 minutes or until lightly golden.

Move the buns to a wire rack to cool, dust with powdered sugar before serving.

How to store the breakfast buns

- Store: These soft Italian breakfast buns can be stored for two or three days in an airtight container.

You could as well warm them in the oven before consuming. - Freeze: You can as well freeze baked flauti all Nutella.

Cool completely then wrap each bun in plastic wrap then in foil to prevent freezer burn. Store in the freezer in a freezer safe bag for up to two months.

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