Banana & Dark Chocolate Kefir Rolls
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.
