Braided Nutella Bread

This was a recipe I was so glad to have my mom in town for. I am not a bread baker, but this recipe sounded so good, I couldn't pass it up. And thank goodness she was there, because part of the recipe was missing from the original site! She helped me figure it all out and bake this creation.

I must be honest, this recipe wasn't exactly what I was expecting. I was thinking it would be sweeter;  maybe along the lines of a pain au chocolat. However, it was just a little sweet; along the lines of Mexican sweet bread called conchas. It wasn't bad, and most of it was eaten at our family breakfast, but given the time it took to make it and the flavor, it wasn't my favorite. It does, however, look beautiful on a table (before everyone starts eating it).

• 1 lb bread flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tsp active dry yeast
• a pinch of salt
• 1 oz melted, unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup warmed milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup Nutella, at room temperature

Dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup warm water in a small bowl and let rest for 10 minutes. In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt and sugar. Beat till smooth. Add the yeast and mix at a low speed. Add salt, butter, milk, and both egg yolks (save the whites for the end of the recipe), slowly increasing the speed to medium for seven minutes. 

Lightly oil a separate bowl, and place the dough in it. Cover it with plastic wrap and set it in a warm place. Within an hour it should just about double in size. 

Split the dough into two equal parts. Roll half out on a parchment covered surface and shape into a 12-inch circle. You can sprinkle the sheet with cornmeal beforehand to help with the stickiness of the dough as well. Spread the Nutella evenly around the dough, leaving a half inch margin around the edges. If your Nutella is difficult to spread, microwave it for about 30 seconds and stir. 

Use the remaining dough to make another 12-inch circle. Place this circle on top of Nutella-covered circle and press the edges together to create a seal. Keeping the center in tact, use a knife to cut the dough into triangles or petals (see photo). 

Gently pick up each triangle section and twist twice, alternating the direction of the twist on each triangle.  Cover with plastic wrap and set your bread aside in a dry place for 20 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush each twist with the leftover egg whites with a little water mixed in. Bake for about 20 minutes. If you need to brown it more, raise the temperature to 425 degrees and bake for another 5-7 minutes. 

Serves 16

Prep Time: 30 minutes, plus 1 hour rising, 20 minutes resting

Total Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes

Recipe from GoodHomeDesign