This braided loaf is almost too pretty to eat. Almost. It combines the richness of chocolate and hazelnut with our basic dough for a treat that’s perfect for breakfast or dessert.
Nutella Crunch Braid
Makes 1 (10-inch) braid
Ingredients
- Basic Pull-Apart Bread Dough
- ½ cup chocolate-hazelnut spread*
- ½ cup (57 grams) toasted hazelnuts, skins removed and finely chopped
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
Instructions
- Spray a 10-inch round cake pan with cooking spray.
- On a lightly floured surface, turn out dough. Punch dough down, and gently shape into a ball. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Roll dough into a 16x14-inch rectangle. Spread chocolate-hazelnut spread onto dough, leaving a ½-inch border on all sides. Sprinkle with toasted hazelnuts. Starting with one long side, roll up dough jelly-roll style, and press edge to seal. Place dough, seam side down, on a cutting board, and cut in half lengthwise. Carefully twist dough pieces around each other, and form into a circle. Place in prepared pan, cut sides up. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place (75°F) until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Brush top of loaf with lightly beaten egg.
- Bake until golden brown and a thermometer inserted in center registers 190°F, 45 minutes to 1 hour, covering with foil halfway through baking time to prevent excess browning, if necessary. Let cool in pan for 20 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate.
Notes
*We used Nutella.
The instructions don’t say how to use the beaten egg – is it as a wash on the pastry or mixed with the nutella?