Tsoureki Rolls (Vanilla & Chocolate Filled) (2024)

Soft mahlepi flavored sweet rolls filled with delicious custard or chocolate!

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These soft and fluffy tsoureki rolls are filled with vanilla and chocolate and are almost like baked doughnuts. If you’ve never had tsoureki, it’s Greek Easter bread that has the aroma of vanilla, orange, and mahlepi. It’s sweet, delicious, and perfect with a cup of coffee at Easter. These rolls take the bread to the next level since they’re filled with chocolate or pastry cream and topped with preserves, almond slices, and vanilla glaze. The vanilla rolls taste like a cross between a doughnut and a Danish, and the chocolate rolls almost taste like a Boston cream doughnut. You’re not going to want to miss this one!

Why these rolls will be a favorite

• Soft fluffy mahlepi flavored doughnut-like rolls
• Creamy custard or smooth chocolate filling
• Sweet preserves
• Soft and delicious chocolate and vanilla filled tsoureki rolls topped with preserves that everyone will love!

What you need

For the starter:

• Milk –lukewarm temp is essential to activate the yeast
• Active dry yeast
• Sugar –feeds the yeast
• All-purpose flour

The Dry Ingredients:

• Bread flour –or all-purpose flour. Use a kitchen scale to measure this if possible for the most accurate measurement.
• Granulated sugar
• Ground mahlepi –this gives the tsoureki its characteristic flavor, so don’t leave it out
• Salt
• ​Ground mastic gum (optional) –finely ground

The Wet Ingredients:

• Lukewarm milk –just like in the starter, you need this to be lukewarm for the yeast to activate and proof easily
• Large eggs –beaten and room temperature so it doesn’t cool the milk
• Zest of an orange -zest before juicing
• Pure vanilla extract –good quality and not much more than this to avoid an alcohol flavor
• Unsalted butter –softened at room temperature to mix in well
• ​Egg wash: 2 egg yolks plus 2-4 tablespoons of milk

For the Cream:

• Whole milk
• Corn starch
• Granulated sugar -white or pure cane
• Salt
• Egg yolks -save the whites for meringue
• Heavy whipping cream -to make the custard thick and creamy
• Pure vanilla extract
• Fruit preserves or jam as a topping for the custard-filled rolls

For the Chocolate filling:

• Chocolate hazelnut spread (Nutella) or ganache

For the Glaze:

• Confectioner’s sugar
• Milk
• Pure vanilla extract

The mahlepi

I suggest getting the mahlepi whole and grinding it in the food processor or using a mortar and pestle. That way, it’s nice and fresh. I don’t recommend substituting anything for the mahlepi in this recipe because it’s what gives tsoureki its distinct flavor. You should be able to find it in any Middle Eastern store or online. However, if you really don’t want to get it, you can use a little extra vanilla, orange zest, or even anise seeds.

How to make Vanilla and Chocolate Filled Tsoureki Rolls

Make the Dough:

• Whisk the starter ingredients in the bowl of a tabletop mixer and set aside for 10 minutes to activate the yeast. It is ready when a puffy cloud forms above the mixture.
• ​In another bowl, combine the flour, sugar, orange zest, salt, mahlepi, and mastic gum and mix well.
• Once the yeast is activated, add all remaining ingredients to the mixer’s bowl and turn the mixer on low. Knead for 10 minutes.
• Add the softened butter, increase the speed to medium (4 on the Kitchen aid), and knead for 2 minutes.
• ​Place some oil in the bottom of a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl.
• Toss around to coat and form a ball.
• Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place until doubled in volume –about 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours. Depending on your house’s temperature, it could take up to 4 hours. (See proofing options)
• Punch down the dough to remove the air and cut it into 12 equal portions.
• Then, roll each portion into a ball.
• Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper and place the balls on the trays.
• Use your fingers to create an indentation for the pastry cream at the center of each ball.
• Cover with plastic wrap or a clean towel and set aside for 30-40 minutes or until puffy.
• The dough balls should not double in size this time.

Make the Pastry Cream:

• Preheat the oven to 350 °F, 180 °C.
• Combine the milk and half of the sugar in a saucepan.
• Then, add the salt and cook over medium heat until steaming hot.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining sugar, egg yolks, cornstarch, and heavy cream until smooth.
• Add a small amount of the hot milk to the egg mixture while whisking to temper the eggs.
• Then, pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan while whisking constantly and cook over medium heat until thickened.
• Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract.
• Cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming on top.
• Then, press the center of the dough balls down again to create space for the cream.
• Make the egg wash by whisking the yolks and milk together and brush the dough with the egg wash.
• Add a tablespoon of vanilla pastry cream or chocolate hazelnut spread to the center of the dough balls, and add a dollop of preserves or jam on top of the cream.
• Sprinkle sliced almonds around the cream.
• Then, bake for about 25 minutes, and allow to cool for 15-20 minutes.
• To make the glaze, combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk together until smooth.
• Drizzle the glaze on top of the cooled rolls and serve.

Proofing Options

The dough for tsoureki is dense, so it takes a while for it to double in size while proofing. If your house is cold, it could take as much as five hours. So, I’ve got two tricks to help with proofing.

Proof overnight –Store it in the refrigerator overnight to slow rise after covering your dough with plastic wrap. Pull the dough from the fridge about an hour before using it to warm up to room temperature.

Quick proofing –My favorite place to quick-rise dough is in the dryer. This trick usually cuts 30 minutes from the rise time. Here’s what I do:

Serving and Storing

These tsoureki rolls come out soft and golden brown. The crispy almonds provide the perfect amount of texture to the soft roll. Serve with a hot cup of coffee for a mid-day treat or dessert. Store them in an airtight container and refrigerate if you have any leftovers. Toast in the oven for 5 minutes before serving. Kali Orexi!

The Ultimate Tsoureki Baking Guide

Tsoureki Rolls (Vanilla & Chocolate Filled)

Yield: makes 12 rolls

Ingredients

For the starter:

• 1/2 cup milk, lukewarm
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

The Dry Ingredients:

• 4- 4 and 1/2 cups (720 grams) bread flour
• 1 cup (240 g) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground mahlepi
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ​1/4 teaspoon ground mastic gum (optional)

The Wet Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup (177 ml) lukewarm milk
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• zest of an orange
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 ounces unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• ​ The egg wash: 2 egg yolks plus 2-4 tablespoons milk

For the Cream:

• 2 cups whole milk
• 4 tablespoons corn starch
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• fruit preserves or jam as a topping for the custard filled rolls

For the Chocolate filling:

• chocolate hazelnut spread (Nutella) or ganache

For the Glaze:

• 1 cup confectioner's sugar
• 2-3 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Make the Dough:

Combine the starter ingredients together in the bowl of a tabletop mixer. Whisk and set aside for 10 minutes to activate the yeast. It is ready when a puffy cloud forms above the mixture.
​In another bowl, combine the flour, sugar, orange zest, salt, mahlepi, and mastic gum together. Mix well to combine.
​Once the yeast is activated, add all of the remaining ingredients to the mixer's bowl. Turn the mixer on low and knead for 10 minutes.
Add the softened butter and increase the speed to medium (4 on the Kitchen aid) and knead for 2 minutes.
​Place some oil in the bottom of a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl. Toss around to coat and form a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place until doubled in volume. About 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours. It could take up to 4 hours depending on the temperature of the house.
​Quick Rise Tip: My favorite place to keep the dough so that it rises quickly is in the dryer. Here is what I do:
​1) I put 3-4 clean bath towels in the dryer and turn it on (high heat setting) for about 5-6 minutes.
​2) I place the bowl with the dough into the dryer (on top of the warm towels) and close the door.
3) Make sure the dryer is OFF!!
​4) Remove from the dryer when it has doubled in volume.
​This trick usually cuts 30 minutes from the rise time.
Punch down the dough to remove the air. Cut into 12 equal portions.
Roll each portion into a ball.

Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper and place the balls on the trays.

Use your fingers to create an indentation for the cream at the center of each ball.

Cover with plastic wrap or with a clean towel.
​Set aside for 30-40 minutes or until puffy. They should not double in size this time.
Preheat the oven to 350 °F, 180 °C.

See Also

Sourdough Discard Dumplings -

Make the Pastry Cream:

Combine the milk and half od the sugar in a saucepan. Add teh salt and cook over medium heat until steaming hot.

In a mixing bowl, combine the remaining sugar, egg yolks, cornstarch, and heavy cream. Whisk together until smooth.

Add the hot milk to the egg mixture and whisk together. POur the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat until thickened. Whisk it continuously.

Remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract. Whisk together and cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming on top.

Press the center down again to create space for the cream.

Make the egg-wash by combining the yolks and milk together. Brush the dough with the egg-wash.

Add a tablespoon of vanilla pastry cream or chocolate hazelnut spread to the center and add a dollop of preserves or jam on top of the cream.

Sprinkle sliced almonds around the cream.

Bake for about 25 minutes. Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes.

To make the glaze, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together until smooth.

Drizzle the glaze on top of the cooled rolls and serve.

Kali Orexi!

Notes

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated. Toast in the oven for 5 minutes before serving.

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