I have this rolls in my mind already for some time. Since Lutz posted some pictures of his trip to alsacian bakeries, to be precisely.  One of this pictures shows a baguette roll with white chocolate. That sounded good, but I had immediately the idea that some poppy seeds in the dough would enhance the sweet flavour of the the white chocolate with its nutty taste. A counterpoint to the sweetness is the salty dough with a high amount of prefermented dough and olive oil. This makes the rolls to a delicate treat, which should be savoured only with a little bit of butter so the whole complexity of their flavour can be enjoyed.

An advice for chopping the chocolate: the chocolate should be chopped into rather small pieces, because big pieces tend to form small chocolate vulcanos on the surface of the rolls. The chocolate caramelize then, what tastes not bad, either, but looks quite ugly!

Poppy Seed Rolls with white Chocolate

yields 12 rolls

Pâte fermentée

• 250g flour Type 550
• 160g Water
• 15g olive oil
• 5g fresh yeast
• 5g Salt

Teig

• Pâte fermentée
• 250g flour Type 550
• 125g Water
• 20g Olive oil
• 5g fresh yeast
• 5g Salt
• 30g poppy seeds
• 125g chopped white chocolate

Mix all ingredients for the pâte fermentée and knead for 3 min, then ferment it for 1 hour at room temperature. Then put the dough into the fridge for  at least 12 hours.

The next day place flour, water, pil, yeast, salt and pâte fermentée in the bowl of the kitchen machine and knead for 5 min at slow speed, then add the chopped chocolate and poppy seeds and knead until incooperated.

Ferment for 1 hour.

Divide the dough into pieces of 80g each. Shape them to oval rolls. Allow them to relax for about 15min, press them down gently and cut them lengthwise very deeply, about 1/4 through the roll. Lay the cut together once again and turn the rolls on the cut. Proof for 40 min.

Preheat the oven to 250°C.

Turn the rolls, so that the cut side face upside once again, and place them on a paper lined baking tray. Mist with water and bake with steam for about 18-20 min at 250°C.