This easy, super impressive braided Nutella pastry is sure to wow your guests! With a buttery texture and layers of smooth Nutella, this dessert is sure to please them all!
It was a hot and humid 90+ degree day when I wanted to bake some bread. Of course. Why I couldn’t get a desire to make some ice cream instead, I don’t know. But bread it was, and it had to include chocolate.
I saw this beautiful Nutella pastry that resembled a snowflake, so I was sold. That was the way I could feel slightly cooler on the otherwise miserably hot day. Surprisingly, this pastry was very easy to make, despite the impressive presentation.
The dough is divided into 4 equal parts. You’ll roll each piece out into a circle and then layer them on top of each other like a stack of pancakes. Then you’ll slice the dough, twist them together and bake. Easy as that.
My husband saw this come out of the oven and was very impressed. He wanted to dive right into it, but I told him that it would burn his tongue. Although the finished pastry was a bit dry, the Nutella definitely made up for it. If you make this, I’d recommend using a different recipe for the dough since this one wasn’t quite as soft and fluffy as I would have wanted.
Braided Nutella pastry
Ingredients
- ¾ cup milk of choice
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 and ½ cups all-purpose flour plus more for sprinkling
- 1 and ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
- ⅓ cup of sugar
- pinch of salt
- 2 egg yolks save the egg whites for brushing the pastry
- about 1 cup of Nutella
Instructions
- In a small measuring cup, heat up the milk and butter in the microwave for about 1 minute. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, whisk together the flour, yeast, sugar and salt on low speed. Add the yolks and the milk mixture and turn the mixer to medium speed to knead (alternatively, you can knead by hand if you don't have a stand mixer). Knead for about 5-7 minutes or until you achieve a soft dough. Transfer to a large oiled bowl and cover for at least 40 minutes or until doubled.
- Punch down the dough and separate into 4 equal parts. Work with one piece at a time and cover the remaining dough pieces.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Roll out the dough into a 10-inch circle. Place onto a baking sheet topped with parchment paper or a silicon mat. Spread a layer of Nutella onto the dough, making sure to leave at least a 1-inch border around the circumference.
- Roll out the second piece of dough in the same manner. Place it on top of the other piece of dough (like you're stacking pancakes) and brush with Nutella. Repeat with the 3rd dough ball. Roll out the 4th dough ball and place on top of the 3rd layer.
- Using a plate as a guide (or eyeball it like I did), trim away any excess dough so you have a perfect circle. Using a sharp paring knife, cut the dough into 16 equal slices, leaving a 3-inch wide circle in the middle (I used the top of the Nutella container as my guide).
- Taking two adjacent sections at a time, twist them in opposite directions and then pinch the ends together. Work your way around the circle. You'll end up with 8 "arms." Brush the tops with the reserved egg whites.
- Bake in your preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden. Allow the pastry to cool before serving.