Easy Chocolate Hazelnut Swirl Sourdough Bread Recipe
This chocolate hazelnut swirl sourdough bread recipe is a delicious and visually appealing variation of traditional sourdough bread, infused with the rich flavors of chocolate and hazelnuts. The swirls of chocolate and hazelnut create pockets of gooey richness and a slightly denser, more luxurious texture in some areas.
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Servings: 0
Equipment
- Kitchenaid Mixer or stand mixer
- Dough hook attachment or paddle attachment
- Bread pan
- Sharp knife
- Mixing bowl
- Plastic wrap, tea towel, beeswax wraps, or a fitted bowl cover
- Sheet of parchment paper for baking (optional)
- Dough scraper (optional)
Ingredients
- 500 grams of flour or bread flour 4 cups
- 85 grams unsalted butter softened, cut into cubes (6 tbsp.)
- 50 grams sugar ¼ cup
- 10 grams fine sea salt 1 ½ teaspoons
- 100 grams bubbly active sourdough starter (½ cup)
- 240 grams warm water 1 cup
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 egg lightly beaten egg wash, or water
Add-In
- ¾ cup hazelnut spread Nutella Hazelnut Spread
Instructions
The Night Before
- Combine the flour, active starter, butter, salt, sugar, vanilla, and water in bowl of the stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment or the dough hook, knead the dough on low speed until it is stretchy, about 5-10 minutes with the stand mixer.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl to remove the dough from the mixer and roll it into a tight ball.
- At this point the dough can be transferred to a glass bowl or a ceramic bowl for the bulk fermentation, or for best results, you can proceed to the following recommendation of two stretch and folds which will help with gluten development and lift your bread creating an amazing crumb.
Stretch and Fold (OPTIONAL)
- Start the first set of stretch and folds about 30 minutes into the bulk rise, followed by another set 30 minutes later (for a total of 2 sets).
- To perform the stretch and folds, grab the right side of the dough, stretch it out, and fold it over to the left side of the center.
- Rotate the bowl 90 degrees, stretch the right side again, and fold it to the left.
- Repeat this process two more times.
- After completing the stretch and folds, prepare the dough for its first rise.
- Place the dough, smooth side up, in a glass bowl coated with olive oil.
- Cover the bowl with a damp towel, plastic wrap, or a tightly fitting lid, and let it rise overnight or for at least eight hours in a warm place on your countertop.
- This is where the dough will rise and develop its flavor.
The Next Day
- On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out into a large rectangle until it is about ½” thick.
- Spread the chocolate hazelnut spread evenly onto the shaped dough.
- Starting from one side, roll the dough up tightly and pinch in the ends.
- Transfer the dough into a greased loaf pan, and allow it to at least double in size, which usually takes about 2-4 hours. The rise time also depends on the temperature of your kitchen; it will take longer in a cooler environment and less time if it’s warm.
- When the dough has risen, preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
- Brush the top of the dough with a lightly beaten egg or with plain water. This will help the bread get a beautiful golden brown color.
- Bake the bread for 70 minutes. (In my oven, the bread took 70 minutes to bake. To keep the top from becoming too dark I placed a piece of foil over the top of the bread and baked for an additional 10 minutes or until the bread reached an internal temperature of 190 degrees.)
- Let the bread cool in the loaf pan for 10 minutes before moving it to a cutting board.
- Chocolate hazelnut swirl sourdough can be enjoyed warm or at room temperature.
- Enjoy your loaf of bread!
Notes
When bread bakes, steam develops inside the dough. Since this loaf isn’t scored on the surface (to preserve the cinnamon swirl), there’s no outlet for the steam to escape. Consequently, the steam may create gaps between the cinnamon swirl and the bread. To help remedy this, I brush the outer half inch edges with water prior to rolling the dough. An egg was is another method used for this issue, however I have found both ways to be a hit or miss.