Made with yeasted dough, these homemade cinnamon chocolate rugelach are delicious Jewish pastries that taste delicious and look amazing.
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What is Rugelach?
Rugelach is a traditional Jewish pastry that originated in Eastern Europe. Its name, derived from Yiddish, translates to "small twists" in English. This treat is often served during Jewish holidays, such as Hanukkah, but can be enjoyed year-round.
I love Rugelach for its adaptability. Bakers often use different fillings to experiment with flavors. Apricot jam, raspberry preserves, or even savory options like cream cheese and herbs can be added as fillings to rugelach.
The difference between yeasted rugelach and rugelach made with cream cheese
The difference between yeasted rugelach and cream cheese-based rugelach lies in their dough. Cream cheese rugelach relies on a dough enriched with cream cheese, yielding a buttery and flaky texture. This type of rugelach is commonly found in Eastern Europe.
In contrast, yeasted rugelach (common in Israel) incorporates yeast into the dough, resulting in a more bread-like consistency with a flaky crust on top. This variation may offer a lighter and airier bite compared to the dense, tender texture of cream cheese rugelach. Ultimately, the choice between the two hinges on individual preferences for texture and taste.
Ingredients you will need
For the yeasted dough
- Flour – You will need all-purpose flour to make this easy rugelach recipe.
- Yeast – You can use instant yeast or the same amount of active dry yeast (don’t forget to activate it in warm milk before combining it with the flour).
- Sugar
- Salt
- Eggs
- Milk – Use lukewarm whole milk, or replace it with lukewarm water.
- Unsalted butter – The butter should be at room temperature so it mixes easily with the rest of the dough.
For the filling and sugar syrup
- Chocolate – I use semi-sweet chocolate, but milk chocolate will work too in this traditional rugelach recipe.
- Ground cinnamon
- Unsalted butter
- Sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Water
Cooking tips
- Roll out the initial slab as precisely as possible. The better you shape a rectangle from your dough, the easier the working process will be further in cutting triangles for your rugelach.
- Roll the dough as thin as possible. When you add the filling and fold the dough, you need to roll it out as thin as you possibly can without tearing the dough apart. You should be able to see the dark chocolate filling through the dough. That’s how thin you should roll out the slab.
- Shape your rugelach pastry like croissants. Shape-wise, rugelach is identical to croissants but smaller. So, if you feel like you need more information on how to roll your rugelach, check out my Croissant recipe as well.
Looking for more chocolate desserts? I've got you covered! Try this Chocolate roll, these Chocolate crinkle cookies or this Chocolate Bundt cake.
How to make rugelach recipe
Making the dough
- In a stand mixer fitted with a hook attachment, add the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Mix to combine.
- Add the milk and eggs. Knead on medium speed for 5 minutes or until homogeneous in consistency.
- Add the butter in 4 parts and knead each part until it’s completely incorporated. When done, knead the dough for 7-10 minutes. The dough should be very soft, smooth, and not sticky.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it to proof for 1 to 2 hours, or until it doubles in volume.
Preparing the chocolate filling and the sugar syrup
- In a microwave-safe bowl, add all filling ingredients and heat in the microwave in short increments, mixing in between until the chocolate has melted. Set aside to cool down.
- In a saucepan, add all sugar syrup ingredients.
- Heat over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture simmers.
- Pour into a bowl to cool down a bit.
Shaping and baking rugelach
- Roll out the dough on a floured surface into an 18“ x 22” (45cm x 55cm) rectangle.
- Spread the filling on top.
- Fold the dough slab in half.
- Roll the slab with the filling inside as thin as you can so you can see the filling through the dough.
- Trim the edges. Then, cut the slab into 28 triangles using a pizza cutter.
- Take one triangle and gently elongate it by tugging its long, pointy tail. Then tug the short tails of the triangle outwards a bit and roll it from the short side of the triangle towards the tail. The crescent should be rolled tight but not to the point that the layers are squeezed.
- Place the crescent on baking sheets lined with parchment paper so the pointy tail is precisely under the crescent body. Repeat with the rest of the triangles.
- Cover the crescents with plastic wrap and place them in a warm, draft-free space to proof for 30-60 min or until they are puffed up.
- Preheat the oven to 350F (175C).
- Brush the crescents with egg wash and bake one tray at a time in the middle of the oven for 20 – 25 minutes or until deep golden brown.
- Brush freshly baked rugelach with warm syrup and serve!
Possible variations
Cinnamon roll filling – Use a blend of light brown sugar, cinnamon, and softened butter instead of traditional chocolate filling, or use the recipe for this type of filling from my Cinnamon rolls recipe.
Jam – Add a fruity twist to your rugelach by experimenting with various jams, from apricot to fig or orange marmalade.
Add spices into the dough – You can incorporate aromatic spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom directly into the dough. This variation adds a warm and complex depth to each pastry.
FAQ
Place them in an airtight container and store them at room temperature for up to a week. I recommend reheating rugelach in the microwave for 5-10 seconds before serving.
Arrange the unbaked rugelach on a tray or baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Make sure they are not touching each other to prevent sticking. Put the tray in the freezer and allow the rugelach to pre-freeze for a few hours. This helps prevent them from sticking together when stored for an extended period. Once the rugelach are pre-frozen, transfer them to airtight freezer bags or containers. If you're stacking them, place a layer of parchment paper between the layers to prevent sticking.
More recipes you may like
Recipe card
Rugelach
Equipment
- Digital kitchen scale
- Stand mixer with a hook attachment or a hand mixer with hook attachments
- Pastry brush
- Rolling Pin
- Parchment paper
- Saucepan
Ingredients
For the dough
- 500 g all-purpose flour
- 7 g yeast
- 50 g sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 175 ml whole milk lukewarm
- 2 large eggs
- 100 g unsalted butter
- Egg wash whisk together 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of water
For the filling
- 50 g unsalted butter
- 150 g semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the syrup
- 50 g white granulated sugar
- 50 g water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
For the dough
- In a stand mixer fitted with a hook attachment, add the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Mix to combine. You can also knead the dough by hand or use a hand mixer with hook attachments.
- Then, add the milk and eggs. Knead on medium speed for 5 minutes or until homogeneous in consistency.
- Add the butter in 4 parts and knead each part until it’s completely incorporated (the dough can look like it’s disintegrating but will come back together eventually). When done, knead the dough for 7-10 minutes on medium until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl, and you can stretch a small piece of it into a square, creating a film thin enough for light to pass through (windowpane test). The dough should be very soft, smooth, and not sticky.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it at room temperature to proof for 1 to 2 hours, depending on how warm it is in your kitchen until it doubles in volume.
For the filling
- In a microwave-safe bowl, add all filling ingredients and heat in the microwave in short increments, mixing in between until the chocolate has melted. Set aside to cool down for 10 minutes.
- Shaping and baking rugelach
- Punch down the dough and place it on a floured surface. Dust with flour on top of the dough.
- Roll out the dough into an 18” x 22” (45cm x 55cm) rectangle.
- Spread the filling on top, leaving thin borders untouched.
- Take one of the short sides of the rectangle and fold the dough slab in half.
- Roll the slab with the filling inside as thin as you can so you can see the filling through the dough. Keep the shape of your slab rectangular.
- Trim the edges using a long sharp knife or a pizza cutter. Then, cut the slab into 28 triangles. You can adjust the amount of rugelach you make by cutting out larger or smaller triangles.
- Take one triangle and gently elongate it by tugging its long, pointy tail. Then tug the short tails of the triangle outwards a bit and roll it from the short side of the triangle towards the tail. The crescent should be rolled tight but not to the point that the layers are squeezed.
- Place the crescent on baking sheets lined with parchment paper so the pointy tail is precisely under the crescent body. Gently press on top of the crescent to secure the position. Repeat with the rest of the triangles.
- Cover the crescents with plastic wrap and place them in a warm, draft-free space to proof for 30-60 min or until they are puffed up.
- Preheat the oven to 350F (175C).
- Brush the crescents with egg wash and bake one tray at a time in the middle of the oven for 20 – 25 minutes or until deep golden brown.
For the syrup
- In a saucepan, add all sugar syrup ingredients.
- Heat over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture simmers.
- Pour into a bowl to cool down a bit.
- Brush freshly baked rugelach with warm syrup and serve!
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