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Chocolate Hazelnut Bread ~ a simple yeasted loaf of fluffy sweet bread, loaded with chunks of bittersweet chocolate and toasted hazelnuts. Serve with a slathering of Nutella for a wonderful treat!
There’s something about making a loaf of yeast bread that is a totally satisfying kitchen experience, when it turns out great, of course. This is one of those times. The soft fluffy texture, the crisp sweet crust, big bites of bittersweet chocolate and toasted hazelnuts – yes … totally satisfying and easy too!
The only thing difficult about this bread is trying to decide if you eat it for breakfast or dessert. Save yourself the trouble and don’t decide 😉
I have baked this loaf in a small Dutch oven, pictured above, and a square glass casserole dish. Both loaves came out beautiful.
Don’t count on this being around the house for a long time, it disappears like magic! Good thing it’s so easy to make.
Don’t cut corners and use chocolate chips. The hand chopped bittersweet chocolate chunks melt into the fiber of the bread giving you bursts of rich chocolate flavor. The Nutella doesn’t hurt either!
Thanks for Pinning!
Chocolate Hazelnut Bread
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: 12
Course: Bread
A simple yeasted loaf of fluffy sweet bread, loaded with chunks of bittersweet chocolate and toasted hazelnuts. Serve with a slathering of Nutella for a wonderful treat!
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, divided
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar, packed tightly
- 1 package active dry yeast (¼ oz.) or approximately 2 ¼ teaspoons
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup evaporated milk
- 5 tablespoons butter, cubed in ½” pieces
- ¼ cup water
- 2 eggs, divided
- 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (about 1 heaping cup)
- ½ cup toasted hazelnuts, rough chopped
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar, if desired
- Nutella spread, optional for serving
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups of the flour, the brown sugar, yeast, and salt. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan combine the evaporated milk, butter and ¼ cup of water. Heat until the butter is almost melted and the mixture reaches 105°-110°F on an instant read thermometer. Add the warm milk mixture to the flour mixture and add one of the eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. This will be a very sticky, shaggy dough. Stir in the chopped chocolate and hazelnuts.
- Now add some of the remaining flour stirring with a wooden spoon until the dough is soft, but still sticky. I used the remaining 1 ½ cups, but no more. Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place until it doubles in size (about 1 hour).
- Grease a 2-quart round or square baking dish. Punch down the dough and transfer to the prepared pan. Cover and let the dough rise again in a warm place until double in size (about 1 hour).
- Preheat oven to 350°F. In a small bowl beat the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water until blended. Brush the egg mixture on the top of the bread then sprinkle with the turbinado (or coarse) sugar.
- Bake for 50 minutes or until the loaf sounds hollow when lightly tapped. Cover the bread with foil after the first twenty minutes of baking to prevent over browning. Cool in the dish for about 10 minutes then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Serve with Nutella if desired.
Recipe Notes
- Make sure the butter and milk mixture is not too hot. Anything above 120-130 degrees will kill the yeast.
- Baking time may vary depending on the size of the pan used to bake the bread. If the loaf is not very thick, check at the 30 minute interval. For a thick loaf, bake 45-50 minutes.
- If baking in a glass pan, be sure to reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees.
- Recipe adapted from Better Home and Gardens January 2012
Nutrition
Calories: 310kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 184mg | Potassium: 230mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 97IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 3mg
Recipe originally posted on May 27, 2013. Photos and recipe updated.
If you love the chocolate and hazelnut combination, don’t miss our fabulous Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse Cake! It is so much easier to make than you would think and it’s so pretty too. Sue from The View from Great Island recently posted an amazingly simple, rich and creative recipe for Drinkable Nutella. If you were wondering what to do with leftover Nutella and evaporated milk, be sure to try her recipe! For the holidays I want to try these Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch Truffles ~ from Sally’s Baking Addiction. And don’t miss this Flourless Chocolate-Hazelnut Cake Recipe from Epicurious. It looks amazing!
Thanks so much for stopping by and hope you have a great week!
Tricia
Rachita
Can I substitute the evaporated milk with something else? I have all the other ingredients and would love to make it today.
Tricia Buice
Hi Rachita. Yes, you can use use regular milk or half and half if needed. If you have powdered milk, mix it with water and use that instead. Great question! Enjoy
Jim Zahniser
Virtually all of the comments gushed about how the bread looked great, how it looked so simple and they should try it. Congrats on the photography. But no one said they followed the recipe and it worked. Ifollowed the recipe and it didn’t work for me. And how they love Nutella!!! Posh posh. Pinterest posts… ehhh.
Tricia Buice
Sorry the bread did not work out for you Jim. I’ve made it many times and each was a success. You didn’t say what was wrong with the bread. Hope you’ll try again sometime. I find Nutella addictive and can eat it by the spoonful.
Marie
Breakfast and dessert, I say. This looks beautiful 🙂
Tricia Buice
Thanks Marie – so easy too!
cheri
Wow! Is this bread fabulous Tricia, nothing like a hazelnut and chocolate combo!! It’s amazing how beautiful this turned out in your Dutch oven, pinned!
Tricia Buice
It’s so worth the splurge Cheri 🙂 Love my little Dutch oven – small but mighty!
Robyn
Oh my gosh, Tricia, this sounds so delicious and I’m completely captivated by your photos! I need this for breakfast right now. Beautiful!
Tricia Buice
Thank you Robyn!!! Chocolate and hazelnuts are the perfect pair 🙂
Paola
Hello! Could you letnme know how much does a package of yeast contains? In ounces or grams. I am in Mexico and sometimes the packages do not contain the same amount.
Thanks!
Paola
Tricia Buice
Hi Paola – sorry about that – and thanks for the great question. I will update the recipe to show: 1 package yeast = (1/4 oz.) or approximately 2 1/4 teaspoons. Thanks and enjoy 🙂
Liz
I can’t imagine a better vessel for Nutella! Fabulous plain but even better with a thick smear of Nutella!!!
Tricia Buice
Yes indeed Liz – this is a delicious combo 🙂
John/Kitchen Riffs
I’d definitely have this both for breakfast and dessert. And snacks — let’s not forget snacks. 🙂
Tricia Buice
Never forget snacks! A great anytime bread for sure John!
Karen (Back Road Journal)
I can certainly see why it would disappear quickly, especially with a smear of Nutella….yum.
Tricia Buice
Thanks Karen – hope you’re doing well!
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers
Well I am going to be all over this one! Love hazelnut and chocolate and together in a bread is just … perfect 🙂
Tricia Buice
I thought of you when I made this recently Jennifer. Baking is such fun, especially with chocolate 🙂
Angie@Angie's Recipes
Definitely my kind of treat, Tricia. Hazelnut and chocolate are simply amazing together. This bread is a keeper.
Tricia Buice
Great combo Angie – thank you!