½ teaspoon yeast
1 cup warm water
2 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
½ cup Nutella
Cornmeal for dusting
1 egg, beaten with a tablespoon of water to use as an egg wash
In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in ¼ cup of the water. Let sit for 10 minutes to activate.
Meanwhile, combine flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. After add yeast and the remaining water, mix on low with a dough hook attachment. Turn speed up to medium, and knead dough for about 7 minutes.
Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap, and then set in a warm place. The dough is ready when doubled in size – about an hour.
On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to form a rectangle, roughly 12 x 15”. Spread Nutella in an even layer on the surface, leaving a ½ inch border of dough. (I found it helpful to heat the Nutella in a microwave-safe bowl for about 30 seconds. This makes spreading it much easier.) Roll tightly and place on a parchment-lined / silicon-lined baking sheet that’s been sprinkled with cornmeal. Cut the dough down the middle with a knife, leaving one end intact. Twist ends overtop each other, making sure to turn cut side toward the top. Cover dough loosely with plastic wrap and let sit 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush surface of the bread with the egg wash. Bake bread for 20 minutes. Raise temperature to 425°F and bake until lightly browned on top, about 5-7 minutes more.* Remove from oven, and let cool before serving.
*My bread got a little bit darker then I would have liked. Keep a close eye on your bread when you increase the temperature.
