My first post back is an ode to my mum. Back when we lived in Melbourne, my mum’s favorite indulgence was - after a stroll through center city - to enjoy a fresh coffee scroll. Traditionally Australian, these scrolls are generally unheard of beyond Down Under. Think cinnamon rolls but with an uncanny twist — warm, soft, and succulent brioche-like dough gently kneaded with raisins and filled with a swoosh of butter, a sprinkle of sugar, a dash of cinnamon, brushed with syrup, and topped with a sweet coffee-infused frosting. One whiff, and you’re in a baker’s dream. One bite, and you’re in melt-in-your-mouth heaven. Everything about a coffee scroll reminds me of mum, Melbourne, and some of the best days I lived. And if you’re making this today, I really really hope it fills you with goodness and warmth :)
Ingredients:
For the dough
1 cup milk, warmed
2 tbsp yeast
60 g butter (just over half a stick), melted
1/2 kilo all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
3 tbs sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup raisins
For the filling
1/2 cup melted butter
3 tbs almondmeal
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 heaped tbs cinnamon
1/2 tsp instant coffee powder
For the syrup:
2 tbs sugar
2 tbs boiling water
For the topping
2 tbs softened butter
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4-1/2 cup strong coffee
Pinch of salt
Method
Add the milk, yeast and sugar to a large bowl and mix. Leave to foam for about 10 minutes.
Pour in butter, eggs, and salt, and beat with a spoon or fork until combined.
Gradually add the flour, and mix well after each addition. Your dough should be slightly sticky, and not too tough. Knead in raisins at this point.
Roll it out onto a floured surface. Knead gently for a few minutes. If its super-sticky, drizzle with a bit more flour (just note that the dough needs to be soft, and as you knead it, the dough it will become less sticky — so be careful and don’t overcompensate with more flour or your scrolls will be too dry).
Douse your hands with some oil and knead a few more times, then transfer to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and leave it in a warm place to proof for about a hour.
Create your filling my mixing all the ingredients into a paste.
Once the dough has proven, roll it out onto a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle. Spill the filling out onto the rectangle and with a spatula, spread across the dough.
Start rolling from the edge until you have one large log.
Cut the dough in the centre of the log, then again in each centre, then again from each side until you have about 9 scrolls (more if you want them smaller, less if you want them huge!)
Place them into a prepared baking tray, cover, and leave in a warm place to double in size. Pre-heat your oven in the meantime, at 180.C.
Once the scrolls have doubled, bake until they turn a deep golden brown. This takes anywhere between 20 to 30 minutes.
While your scrolls are baking, make the topping by mixing all the ingredients together.
Also prepare the syrup, by dissolving the sugar in the boiling water
When the scrolls are done, remove them from the oven and brush with your simple syrup while they’re still hot. Then, drizzle some of the topping on and allow to cool. Drizzle the rest of the topping over each bun, and serve warm.
