There's nothing like a warm, hearty bread to fill your tummy on a cold winter day. And Nutella, that intoxicating hazelnut cocoa spread that seems to be infiltrating every dessert from cupcakes to s'mores bars, makes the perfect filling for a sweet and substantial bread dessert. It isn't just delicious -- it's really beautiful to look at, too. 

This Braided Nutella Bread would make the perfect Christmas morning breakfast -- but why wait that long to sample it? Let's get baking!

More from The Stir: 10 Surprising Ways to Use Nutella That Will Have You Going Hazel-Nuts

The wonderful thing about this unique dessert, which is featured on Goods Home Design, is that it requires so few ingredients -- most of which you'll already have in your pantry. The trick is, of course, shaping your dough so that it magically looks like a perfectly symmetrical star. This is so not something I can see myself doing with ease, which is why the video below, posted by someone who followed this recipe, is so helpful. 

Braided Nutella Bread

Ingredients:

1/2 teaspoon of yeast
1 cup of water
2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
Some Nutella
Cornmeal
1 egg

Start by dissolving yeast with a quarter of a cup filled with water, poured into a small bowl. Take another bowl, and while you let the yeast rest for 10 minutes, mix in -- with the use of a stand mixer -- flour, salt, and sugar. Add the yeast and mix at a low speed. Smoothly turn the speed to medium and keep turning for 7 minutes.

Get another bowl and lightly oil it and place the dough you recently made in there. Cover it with a plastic wrap, and in about an hour of sitting in a warm place, it will double in size.

Roll some of the dough in order to make a circle. Careful to leave enough dough because you’ll have to make another circle in a few minutes. Take the Nutella (be careful to take it out the fridge for a while so it will be easy to spread; you could also microwave it for 30 seconds to be sure) and pour an even layer on the surface, but leave half an inch of margin of dough all around.

The next step is to place another roll of dough (Nutella-free) on top. Afterward, place it on a parchment-lined or silicon-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle the sheet beforehand with cornmeal. Use a knife to cut the dough down the middle, but keep one end intact. 

By turning the cut side toward the top, twist the ends of the dough over top each other. Do this for every cut you make. For the next 20 minutes, let your future bread sit in a dry place, but make sure you cover it with plastic wrap. In the meantime, prepare the oven. Set it to 350°F. Before placing the dough in, brush it with some egg wash. Then bake at this temperature for about 20 minutes. To get that lightly browned look, raise to 425°F and bake for another 5 to 7 minutes. Let it cool before serving.

Scrumptious -- enjoy!


Image via YouTube