Israeli Bakery Chocolate Rugelach with Glossy Syrup

Method

1. Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a bowl, pour in the lukewarm milk and bring it together. On the worktop, knead by stretching and folding, then add the soft butter and keep kneading, 8 min in total, until smooth and elastic. It is ready when a small piece stretches thin enough to see light through without tearing.

   Add in this stepPlain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting 180 gInstant dried yeast 4 gSugar (for the dough) 20 gSalt 1 pinchLukewarm milk (about 35 °C) 110 mlSoft unsalted butter (for the dough) 30 g

2. Shape the dough into a ball, put it in an oiled bowl, cover and leave somewhere warm for 1 h, until doubled and a finger dent springs back slowly.

3. Put the chocolate and filling butter in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water (low heat) and stir for 3 min until melted. Off the heat, whisk in the cocoa and icing sugar until smooth, then let it cool until thick enough to spread; hot filling makes the dough slump.

   Add in this stepDark chocolate (55–70% cocoa) 80 gUnsalted butter (for the filling) 30 gUnsweetened cocoa powder 2 tspIcing sugar 20 g

   low heat

4. Knock back the dough and roll it on a floured surface into a 30×28 cm rectangle (or rectangles), 4 mm thick. Spread the chocolate thinly right to the edges, cut into strips 15 cm wide along the 28 cm side, then cut each strip into long triangles with a 7 cm base, alternating direction (8 per strip). Roll each tightly from the wide end to the point and place point-side down on lined trays.

5. Cover loosely and prove for 40 min, until puffed to about one and a half times their size. Meanwhile heat the oven to 180 °C.

6. Put the syrup sugar and water in a small pan and boil on medium heat for 3 min, until the sugar has dissolved and it has thickened slightly. Turn off the heat; hot syrup burns badly, so keep fingers clear.

   Add in this stepSugar (for the syrup) 50 gWater (for the syrup) 40 ml

   medium heat

7. Brush with egg wash and bake in the oven, heated to 180 °C (oven), for 14 min, until deep brown. As soon as they come out, brush them generously with the hot syrup; brushed on hot, it soaks in and leaves them moist and glossy.

   Add in this stepEgg (for egg wash) 1

   oven