I’ve been playing around with a recipe that sits somewhere between a healthy breakfast and a really good chocolate-filled pastry. These rolls are basically my answer to that. They’re super soft because of the mashed bananas and kefir, and I used avocado oil instead of butter to keep the crumb light and moist without making them feel too heavy. The best part is definitely the chocolate. I don't use neat little chocolate chips; I just roughly chop up a bar so you get these big, melty pools of dark chocolate hidden inside the dough. The kefir is really the secret weapon here. The acidity makes the dough much more tender than regular milk ever could. When you combine that with overripe, spotty bananas, you get a natural sweetness and a bread that doesn't dry out the next day. These aren't dense like a muffin; they’re true bread rolls. Stretchy, pull-apart, and pillowy. One thing to keep in mind is that the dough will be a little sticky because of the fruit. Try to resist the urge to dump in extra flour while you're kneading, or you'll lose that fluffiness. I usually just oil my hands a bit while shaping them to make it easier. You should place them on the tray so they’re almost touching. When they rise and bake, they’ll join together, which is how you get those soft, pale sides that are so satisfying to pull apart. Don't skip the egg wash at the end. It’s what gives them that deep, toasted brown color that looks so good when they come out of the oven. You're looking at about 20 minutes of active work, a couple of hours for the dough to rise, and about 20 minutes in the oven at 180°C. This should give you around 12 to 15 rolls depending on how big you want them.
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Prep Time
2 hr 30 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
2 hr 50 min
Servings
12
12 servings
Mash the bananas until smooth. Mix in the kefir and avocado oil.
Mix the lukewarm water with the dry yeast. 11g of dry yeast can be subsituted with 50g of fresh yeast.
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In a large bowl, whisk the bread flour and salt. Pour the banana/kefir mix and the yeast water into the flour.
Mix by hand or machine for about 8-10 minutes. It will be sticky! If it's impossible to handle, add just a bit of flour.
Cover the dough and let it sit in a warm spot for 1 to 1.5 hours until it has doubled in size.
Chop the chocolate roughly. Punch the air out of the dough. Fold in the chocolate bits.
Divide into 9-12 equal balls. Roll them tight and place them on a parchment-lined tray so they are just touching slightly.
Cover the tray and let them rise again for 45-60 minutes. This is where they get that "cloud" texture.
Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Whisk one egg with a splash of water and brush it generously over the buns. Bake for 18-22 minutes until they are deep golden brown.