Nutella Swirl Bread

The warm smell of caramel and chocolate wafting from shop windows. The clomp of horses feet and the rattle of carriages. The brightly colored kites soaring over the little white houses with red flowers in the window boxes. Long bike rides along a shore of white rocks and bright blue, crystal clear water. A picnic of fudge on a grassy hill in the park overlooking a harbor full of sailboats.

I don't care if you live in Timbuktu, you are planning your vacation to Mackinac Island TODAY. You won't regret it. I promise.

The Mackinac Bridge

We went there last weekend to celebrate Beanie's 75th birthday party. After cake and presents, each one of the 40(ish) of us relatives stood up and said something they loved about our awesome Grandma. Her patience, her selflessness, her great hair, the way she says "samrich" instead of sandwich, her trademark coffee stains down her shirt, the fact that she is a role model to us all. 

Then we came home. I had another one of my famous post-vacation letdowns. I made bread. I added Nutella. I was happy.

The dough for this bread is pretty sticky, which makes it very moist, but a little difficult to work with. Don't worry though, the chocolatey goodness within makes it all worth it.


Nutella Swirl Bread

1 teaspoon yeast
1/2 cup hot water (I use hot from the tap, the temperature of a really hot hot tub)
1 1/2 cups warm water (a little warmer than room temperature)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1 jar Nutella (yes, use the entire jar. You know you want to)
A beaten egg (to brush on top)
Some demerara sugar or other coarse sugar (for the top)

In a large mixing bowl that fits in a stand mixer with a dough hook, combine the yeast and hot water. Let sit for about three minutes until dissolved. Add in the rest of the water, salt, oil, and flour. Mix with the dough hook just until combined.
Let sit for 20 minutes and then kneed for ten minutes (I just mix it with the dough hook, but you can kneed it by hand if you want).
Let it rise till doubled in a warm moist place. I boil some water in the microwave to create some humidity and then let it rise in there. It will probably take about 1 1/2 to 2 hours to double in size.
Lightly grease a cookie sheet and press the dough out till it just about covers the pan (I just use the pan because it's a good size. You can just do it on a clean counter top if you want). Warm up the Nutella in the microwave for about 20 seconds until it's spreadable and then spread it over the bread. Roll up the bread, starting on the shorter end, as tightly as you can. Pinch the edges together and then set your rolled up log in a well greased 10 inch loaf pan.
Let your bread rise again in a warm moist place for about an hour. Preheat the oven to 450º. Brush the top of the bread with a beaten egg and sprinkle with the demerara sugar. Bake for 20 minutes at 450º and then lower the heat to 375º and bake for about 18 more minutes. If the sugar starts getting brown, you'll want to cover the top with tin foil.
Let cool before you cut.

submitted to yeastspotting

"We always have fun, and we always will!" -Beanie