Breads (Sourdough) - Soft Buns/Rolls
Chocolate Soft Sourdough Buns – Fluffy, Rich and Naturally Leavened
August 08, 2021
| Recipe by Bake with Paws
Last Updated on July 24, 2025
By Bake with Paws
Chocolate Soft Sourdough Buns
Naturally leavened | Fluffy | Chocolate lover’s dream
My Story Behind These Buns
I’ve always loved chocolate in every form—from rich brownies to soft cakes. One day, I had a craving for something chocolatey yet soft and bready, so I decided to develop a chocolate bun using my sweet stiff sourdough starter. To make them even softer, I incorporated the Yudane method—a Japanese technique that adds extra moisture and tenderness to bread. After a few experiments, I created these Chocolate Soft Sourdough Buns, which are now one of my personal favourites. Fluffy, rich in cocoa, and naturally leavened—they're everything a chocolate lover could wish for!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Extra Soft & Fluffy: Thanks to Yudane, the crumb is pillowy and moist
- Naturally Leavened: Made with sweet stiff starter—no tang, just flavour
- Rich Chocolate Flavour: Deep cocoa taste with just the right sweetness
- Stays Fresh Longer: Yudane method helps retain softness for days
- Healthier Option: No artificial yeast or additives
How to Make Chocolate Soft Sourdough Buns
Ingredients (Yields:12 Buns)
Yudane Dough:
70g bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour)
70g boiling water
Sweet Stiff Starter:
60g sourdough starter (100% Hydration), use at its peak
180g bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour)
75g water
30g sugar (I used organic brown sugar)
Main Dough:
70g bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour)
All stiff starter (above)
All the yudane dough (above)
15g - 30g brown sugar (I used 15g organic brown sugar)
1 tsp salt
30g milk powder
20g cocoa powder (Valrhona cocoa powder)
45g egg, whisked (from 1 medium egg)
45g water (reserve 15g and slowly add in if you feel needed. I used total 45g). The amount of liquid depend on the flour use.
35g butter, room temperature
Filling:
12 pieces of Dulcey 35% Valrhona Chocolate
Egg Wash:
1 egg + 1 tbsp water, whisked
Some white sesame seeds
Utensils:
6-cup non-stick muffin pan (7.5 cm size) X 2 units
12 cupcake cases
Step-By-Step Instruction
- Yudane:
- Add bread flour in a bowl, pour the boiling water and mix well with spatula or spoon until no dry flour.
- Cling film and leave on the counter for at least 4 hours or overnight in the fridge. I prepared the night before.
- Take out from the fridge 30 minutes before using to return to room temperature.
- Sweet Stiff Starter:
- In a bowl of stand mixer, dilute starter with water, stir in sugar and add in bread flour. Mix with paddle attachment until well mixed and all come together. It can be done by hand mixing too.
- Cover and let it ferment until tripled. I prepared a night before and leave it in aircond room (approximately 24 - 25C room temperature) overnight until tripled. It took about 8 - 9 hours depending on your starter. It should take around 4 - 6 hours to get triple at room temperature at 28C - 30C.
- Main Dough:
- Put all ingredients (except butter), including all the stiff starter and yudane dough into a bowl of stand mixer.
- Slightly combine the mixture by hand with the paddle attachment before turning on the machine so that the flour will not splash out. Using the paddle attachment, mix for 2 minutes or until all incorporated. This step is critical to prevent an uneven mixed dough as the stiff starter is rather hard and a dough hook may not be able to mix it well enough.
- Change to hook attachment and knead for another 3 minutes or until the dough comes together. Add in butter and continue knead for 10 - 12 minutes or until reach window pane stage. The whole kneading process, I stopped few times to scrape down the dough from the hook to be sure it is evenly kneaded and also to prevent the motor from overheating.
- 1st Proofing/Resting:
- In the same bowl, let the dough rest for 15 - 60 minutes. Keep it covered with clingfilm or use a lid. This dough I rested for 30 minutes and the dough rose slightly in 30 minutes. (I did not find any big differences between 15 minutes to 60 minutes rest. So, please follow your schedule).
- Shaping:
- Line the muffin pans with cupcake cases.
- Transfer the dough to a clean floured surface then divide dough into 12 equal portions (approx. 61g - 62g each for mine). Please use a kitchen scale if you want to be exact.
- Form each portion to a ball. Flatten the dough into a flat circle, side is slightly thinner than the centre. Place one Valhona Dulcey Chocolate (cut into 2) in the centre, wrap and seal.
- Place bun into the prepared muffin pan. Continue with the rest of the dough.
- Final Proofing:
- Let the buns proof at a warm place until the dough rise 80% in size. This one took approximately 1.5 hours at at room temperature of 29 - 30C. The duration of proofing depends on your ambient temperature and starter.
- Baking:
- Preheat oven at 180C (top & bottom heat) or 160C (fan-forced) for 10 - 15 minutes.
- Brush with egg wash, wet the tip of your index finger. That will help you pick up the sesame seeds to be transfer onto the buns. Lightly press on the centre of the buns.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 12 - 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Remove buns from oven and let them cool on rack.
Note:
- This recipe is also suitable to bake as pull-apart buns in 8" square pan, arrange 3 X 3 (9 buns) or 4 X 4 (16 buns) as you like.
YUDANE DOUGH
SWEET STIFF STARTER
Tips for Success Chocolate Soft Sourdough Buns
- Sourdough Starter:
- A healthy starter is essential for successful bread baking. To ensure your bread rises well, it's important to feed your starter regularly and use it (the levain) at its peak. A consistently fed starter will be more active and reliable. If the mother starter isn’t strong, the dough may still struggle to rise properly, even if the levain is used at its peak. For more information, click the links: "How To Make Sourdough Starter" and "Sourdough Maintenance".
- Gluten Development:
- Essential for soft, airy bread, gluten is created when flour hydrates. To develop it, use techniques like autolyse or kneading. The windowpane test checks readiness—dough should stretch thin without tearing. From my experience, high hydration dough with high percentage of fat will be easy to stretch and achieve a paper thin windowpane stage.
- Kneading:
- Please regard the timing provided as an indication only. It is only meant as a guide. Times vary by flour and mixer type. For higher fat dough, knead longer (18–20 minutes).
- Flour & Hydration:
- Use high-gluten flour for optimal texture. Always reserve some liquid to adjust dough consistency for best results. If dough is too dry, add the reserve liquid one tablespoon at a time until the right consistency.
- Dough Temperature:
- Maintaining the right dough temperature during kneading is crucial for a fine crumb. If the dough becomes too warm, the crumb will become too big and uneven. To prevent this, use cold water, milk, or eggs, and chill your mixing bowl or hook attachment in the freezer. Knead at low speeds, and if your kitchen is warm, rest the dough in a cooler spot. Proper dough temperature ensures a soft, fluffy bread with a fine, even crumb.
- Proofing:
- Proofing time depends on your environment. Use the finger poke test to gauge readiness. To check dough readiness, lightly press the side with your finger:
- If it bounces back instantly, it’s under-proofed and needs more time.
- If the indentation stays, it’s over-proofed.
- If the indentation slowly bounces back, it’s ready to bake.
- There’s also a final rise called oven spring when the dough bakes, which adds to the bread’s height.
- Wrinkle Top or Shrinking:
- If your bread collapses or develops wrinkles on top after baking, it might be over-proofed during the second rise. Aim for the dough to rise to 80-90% of its final size or just below the rim of the pan to prevent this. Over-proofing leads to weaker structure, causing the bread to lose shape.
- Baking & Oven Temperarate:
- Do also note that the baking temperature and timing provided are what works for my oven and should also be regarded as a guide only. Every oven behaves a little differently, so please adjust accordingly for your oven.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What is Yudane and why is it used here?
A: Yudane is a Japanese method where flour is scalded with hot water. It gelatinizes starches, leading to improved moisture retention, softness, and shelf life.
Q: Can I use tangzhong instead of Yudane?
A: Yudane and tangzhong are similar, but Yudane gives a slightly chewier texture. You can try substituting, but need to adjust the liquid amount accordingly. This recipe is suitable for Yudane Dough.
Q: Why my bread sour?
A: Using a weak or unrefreshed liquid starter to build the stiff starter or using the sweet stiff starter past its peak.
Q: Why are my bread/buns dense and not rising much?
A: This could be due to:
- Inactive or weak starter – Ensure your sweet stiff starter is at its peak (doubled in size and bubbly).
- Under-kneading – Inadequate gluten development can result in tight, dense crumb.
- Overproofing or underproofing – Watch proofing times closely and use the poke test.
- Cold environment – Low temperatures slow down fermentation; proof in a warm spot around 28–30°C.
Q: Is the bun sweet enough for dessert?
A: It’s lightly sweet. You can add chocolate chips or increase sugar if you prefer a more indulgent bun.
Q: Can I make this dough by hand?
A: Yes, but it requires more time and effort to knead until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.
How to Store
Store buns in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2–3 days. For longer storage, freeze the buns individually wrapped in cling film and place in a ziplock bag. Thaw at room temperature or microwave on low for a soft, fresh texture.
More Soft Sourdough Buns You Might Like
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Labels:
Breads (Sourdough) - Soft Buns/Rolls,
Love your blog and recipes. This is definitely something I would like to try baking. However, I do not have a sourdough starter. How can I convert this recipe to an instant yeast based recipe? Many thanks :)
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for reading this post. I have shared a yeast based recipe on the above post. Please look out for this on the above:
DeleteIf you like to bake this recipe but do not have sourdough starter, you can use this yeast recipe Chocolate Soft Bread (Yudane Method) and shape into buns.
Cheers :)
Hello!! I have been trying this recipe and I have been having issues with my yudane dough as I have small lumps all over my final dough. Can I ask if you have any tips and tricks to solve this?
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for trying this recipe. Please make sure the flour is fully mixed with the boiling water during yudane dough preparation. It is advisable to use paddle attachment at the beginning stage to mix the dough as sometimes the hook attachment may not be able to mix well.
DeleteJust FYI - This recipe is not suitable for breadmaker machine as the hook at the bread maker is too weak or small.
Please slightly tear the yudane dough too.
Cheers:)
Hi, if I don't have milk powder, can I replace with milk in liquid inside the 45g ( main dough)
ReplyDeleteHi, thank you for your interest in this recipe!
DeleteYes, you can omit the milk powder and use milk in the main dough. We typically replace water with milk at a ratio of 1.2 times. For example, if the recipe calls for 45g of water, you can use 54g of milk instead. However, be sure not to add it all at once—reserve at least 10g and incorporate it gradually.
Cheers :)
Hi! I just discovered your blog and gave this recipe a try with my 2 month old starter. I'm so happy this recipe worked out so well and the level of sweetness was perfect!!!! I baked cold dough straight from the fridge so I extended the baking time by 10 mins. Thank you for this ❤️
ReplyDeleteHi Deanna,
DeleteThank you for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback—it really means a lot to me! 😊
Did you mean that your final proofing was done in the fridge? That’s interesting!
Cheers! 😊
Not sure what I did wrong but my dough was quite sticky and difficult to shape into a ball. T_T but thank you sooo much for ur detailed recipes. I will keep trying!
ReplyDeleteHi, thank you for trying this recipe and sorry to hear that your dough quite sitcky. It could be the flour need less water or not enough kneading. Cut down water or try to knead till the dough very smooth like I shown on the above diagram.
DeleteKeep trying ya and Happy Baking.
Cheers :)