Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Sweet Dough
- 240 ml whole milk, warm (approx 40°C)
- 7 g active dry yeast
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 75 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 500 g all-purpose flour
- 5 g fine sea salt
Filling
- 60 g unsalted butter, very soft
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 10 g ground cinnamon
- 100 g dark chocolate chips, 70% cocoa recommended
Churro Coating
- 40 g unsalted butter, melted
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 5 g ground cinnamon
Topping
- 150 g dulce de leche, warmed
- 2 g flaky sea salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 435 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbohydrates
- 64 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 28 g
- Sodium
- 288 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 11 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 53 mg
- Potassium
- 176 mg
- Calcium
- 72 mg
- Iron
- 2.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 21 mg
- Phosphorus
- 106 mg
- Zinc
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin A
- 125 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 2 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.2 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.9 mg
- Vitamin K
- 2 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.43 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.33 mg
- Niacin
- 2.9 mg
- Folate
- 96 mcg
- Water
- 31 g
- Caffeine
- 1 mg
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine warm milk (approx 40°C/105°F), 1 tablespoon of the sugar, and yeast. Let stand for 5-10 minutes until foamy.
Add the melted butter, egg, remaining sugar, salt, and half the flour. Mix until combined. Add remaining flour gradually until a soft, slightly tacky dough forms.
Knead the dough on a floured surface or with a dough hook on medium speed for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. It should spring back when poked.
Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, about 1 to 1.5 hours.
Punch down the dough and turn out onto a floured surface. Roll into a 30x45cm (12x18 inch) rectangle.
Spread the softened butter over the dough, leaving a small margin at the top edge. In a small bowl, mix the filling sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle evenly over the butter. Scatter the chocolate chips on top.
Tightly roll the dough up starting from the long edge. Pinch the seam to seal. Cut into 12 even scrolls using dental floss or a serrated knife to avoid squashing the layers.
Place scrolls into a greased baking dish. Cover and let rise again for 30-45 minutes until puffy.
Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Bake the scrolls for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 88°C (190°F).
While scrolls are baking, mix the coating sugar and cinnamon. Immediately upon removing scrolls from oven, brush the tops generously with melted butter and sprinkle heavily with the cinnamon sugar mixture to create the 'churro' crust.
Warm the dulce de leche until pourable. Drizzle over the warm scrolls and finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt.
Chef's Notes
- To get the most authentic churro texture, do not skip the post-bake butter and sugar coating step; this mimics the fried exterior of a traditional churro.
- If using store-bought dulce de leche that is very thick, microwave it in 10-second intervals to reach pouring consistency.
- For a deeper flavor profile, brown the butter used in the filling before cooling it back to a softened state.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in airtight container; reheat to restore texture.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze baked or unbaked. Thaw overnight in fridge if unbaked.
Reheating: Warm in microwave for 20 seconds or oven at 150°C/300°F for 5 minutes.
Troubleshooting
Dough did not rise
Cause: Yeast was old or the milk was too hot (killed the yeast)
Fix: Cannot be fixed. Must restart dough, but filling ingredients can be saved.
Prevention: Ensure milk is comfortable to the touch (approx 40°C) and check yeast expiration date.
Cultural Context
This recipe bridges the gap between the Spanish-origin churro, popular throughout Mexico as a street food, and the European tradition of laminated sweet rolls. The use of dulce de leche (cajeta in Mexico when made with goat's milk) anchors the flavor profile in Latin American confectionary tradition.
