Melt the chocolate and cream: Place the chopped dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Pour the heavy cream into a small saucepan and heat over low heat until small bubbles form around the edge (do NOT boil).

Combine and mix: Pour the warm heavy cream over the chopped chocolate. Let it sit for 1 minute to soften the chocolate, then stir with a silicone spatula until smooth and fully combined.

Freeze to set: Pour the chocolate-cream mixture into a small ice cube tray or a silicone mold (each portion about 15–20g). Freeze for at least 1 hour (or overnight) until completely solid—this ensures the filling stays intact while shaping the dough.

Mix dry ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl if using hands), add high-gluten flour, sifted cocoa powder, granulated sugar, active dry yeast, and salt. Use a whisk to stir evenly for 1 minute.

Add wet ingredients (except butter): Pour the milk into the dry mixture. Attach the dough hook to the stand mixer and knead on low speed for 3–4 minutes until a rough dough forms.

Knead in butter: Add the softened butter to the dough. Increase the mixer speed to medium-low and knead for another 5–7 minutes. Stop occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Check for “glove membrane”: To test if the dough is ready, take a small piece of dough and stretch it gently. It should form a thin, transparent membrane (like a glove) without breaking easily—this means the gluten is well-developed, and the bread will be soft. If it breaks, knead for 1–2 more minutes.

First rise: Grease a large bowl lightly with oil. Place the kneaded dough into the bowl and turn it to coat with oil (prevents sticking). Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let it ferment in a warm place (about 28–30°C/82–86°F) for 1–1.5 hours until it doubles in size.

How to check fermentation: Poke the dough gently with a floured finger—if the indentation stays and doesn’t spring back quickly, it’s ready.

Degas and rest: Punch down the fermented dough with your fist to release excess air. Transfer it to a lightly floured surface and divide it into 6 equal portions (each about 50–55g). Roll each portion into a smooth ball, cover them with a damp kitchen towel, and let them rest for 10 minutes (this relaxes the gluten, making the dough easier to shape).

Fill and seal: Take one rested dough ball and flatten it gently with your palm (about 8cm in diameter). Place one frozen chocolate lava portion in the center of the dough. Pull the edges of the dough up around the filling, pinching tightly at the top to seal—make sure there are no gaps (otherwise, the filling will leak during baking).

Shape into cups: Place the sealed dough, seam-side down, into a greased muffin tin (or 6 small cupcake molds). Gently press the top of each dough ball to slightly flatten it (this helps it take the shape of the mold).

Second rise: Cover the muffin tin with plastic wrap and let the dough ferment again in a warm place for 30 minutes until it rises to the edge of the molds (the dough will be puffy and soft).

Make the snowy top mixture: In a small bowl, add cake flour, condensed milk, egg white, and milk. Stir with a whisk until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps (it should have a thick, pipeable consistency—if too thick, add 1–2g more milk; if too thin, add a pinch more cake flour).

Pipe the snowy top: Transfer the snowy top mixture into a piping bag fitted with a round tip (or a plastic bag with a small corner cut off). Once the dough has finished the second fermentation, pipe a spiral pattern on top of each bread (start from the center and work your way out).

Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 165°C (330°F) for 5 minutes (ensure it reaches the target temperature for even baking).

Bake: Place the muffin tin in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes. Halfway through baking, rotate the tin 180°(356°F) to ensure all breads bake evenly. The breads are done when they turn a deep chocolate color and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Decorate: Let the breads cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool slightly (about 10 minutes). Before serving, dust the top of each bread lightly with unsweetened cocoa powder for a “snowy” finish.