Chinese Five Spice Chocolate Chips Rolls

Mix together active dry yeast, 5 gram sugar, and lukewarm milk. Set aside to bloom, or until foamy and frothy, about 10 minutes.

In a mixing bowl, sift together all-purpose flour, sugar, and salt. Make a well, then add in egg yolks, butter, and yeast solution. Knead until smooth and soft, only adding a bit of flour if necessary. Kneading time is about 20-30 minutes.

Place bread dough in a bowl, cover with a wet kitchen towel/saran plastic. Set aside to proof until volume is almost doubled, about 1 hour in a warm kitchen.

Once the bread has finished proofing, punch down to remove air bubbles. Then transfer the bread to a lightly floured work surface. Knead for 2 minutes, then roll into a rectangle of about 8-inch by 14-inch.

Brush melted butter evenly over the dough, leaving only about 1/2-inch uncovered. Mix together sugar and Chinese five spice powder, then sprinkle evenly over the buttered surface. Scatter the chocolate chips evenly over the surface.

Starting with the short edge, roll into a log. Use a sharp knife and cut into 8 pieces. Arrange on a greased 9-inch round cake pan (mine has a 2-inch height). Cover the pan with a wet kitchen towel/saran plastic and proof again until the dough fill the pan, about 1 hour in a warm kitchen

Preheat oven to 180 Celsius (350 Fahrenheit). Bake the bread in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.

(Optional) If you love shiny looking bread, make the simple syrup by mixing together sugar with hot water. Once the bread is out from the oven, brush the top with simple syrup.