Sugar Free Chocolate-Hazelnut Stuffed Brioche
I was planning out upcoming recipes for the website recently, and I was struck by something that probably shouldn’t surprise me, but somehow I hadn’t noticed before: most of my sweet recipes contain chocolate.
For anyone who knows me, this will not exactly come as a shock. I adore chocolate. I always said that I would only lower my sugar intake if I still had the possibility of eating chocolate regularly.
So I guess it is normal that I have spent much of my life since quitting sugar coming up with ways of having low sugar desserts that revolve around chocolate!
When we go on holiday with my family, I can pretty much guarantee that at some point, my mum will make a “tresse” (braid). This plaited Swiss brioche is sweet, pretty to look at and delicious to eat. I love it and look forward to eating it when we see them.
The bread is yummy served warm topped with butter or nut butter or just on its own dipped in tea or coffee. It’s not overly sweet so is even nice with savoury toppings. But back in France and Switzerland, I know what my pre-sugar-detox topping choice would have been every time: Nutella. Or any form of spreadable chocolate!
With Easter coming up, I couldn’t not share a selection of some chocolate-y low sugar favourites with you, and this sweet bread felt like the perfect start. Perfect for a weekend brunch or even a dessert in its own right.
So this is my chocolate-filled homage to my mother’s “tresse” bread. And it turns out, stuffing it with homemade hazelnut-chocolate spread in sugar free weekend treat style was the best idea I’ve had in a while. Because, let’s face it, everything tastes better with chocolate!
A delicious sweet braided bread that makes a perfect weekend treat. Filled with gooey homemade easy, almost-instant "Nutella", this brioche is pretty, simple and yummy, but also sugar free!
- 250 ml (1 cup) full-fat milk, slightly warm (about 20 secs in the microwave should do it)
- 50 g (1/4 cup) xylitol
- 1 tsp rice syrup, optional but will help the yeast work a bit quicker
- 2 tsp dry/fast action yeast
- 2 medium eggs, beaten + 1 extra beaten egg for glazing
- 500 g (3 and 1/2 cups) flour (you can use all plain/all-purpose or white bread flour, but I like to use 1 cup plain/all-purpose and the rest wholemeal bread flour)
- pinch of salt
- 3 tbsp (45g) unsalted butter, soft
- 120 g (1 cup) chopped roasted hazelnuts
- 1/2 tbsp xylitol + 2 drops vanilla liquid stevia
- 1 heaped tbsp cacao powder (or use cocoa powder)
- 1 tsp sugar free vanilla extract
- 125 ml (1/2 cup) double (heavy) cream
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First, make the dough: mix the warm milk with the xylitol, rice syrup (if using) and yeast in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl. Leave for 5 mins until starting to foam a little. Mix in the eggs, flour and salt and knead for 2-3 mins (by hand or with a stand mixer). Add in the butter bit by bit as you continue to knead, until incorporated, then knead for another 2-3 mins. Cover the bowl with cling film or a tea towel and leave to rise at room temperature for about 1 hour.
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Meanwhile, make the filling: warm the chopped roasted hazelnuts in the microwave for 1 min (this will help release the oils). Pour into a food processor and blitz until smooth (this will take 5-15 mins, depending on the power of your blender. Once you have a smooth nut butter (or leave it with a bit of texture if you like a teensy bit of crunch to it), add the xylitol, stevia, cacao powder and vanilla. Pulse to combine. Turn the mixer on and pour the cream through the spout until you have a nice creamy smooth chocolate spread.
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Split the risen dough into 3 equal parts and roll into a long sausage shape. Roll out each piece with a rolling pin to a long rectangle and spread each with about a third of the Nutella. Bring the long sides of each rectangle together to make a sausage shape again and pinch them together until they are well shut. Place seam side down on a lined baking tray and pinch the three strands together at one end. Braid together and pinch and tuck both ends in under themselves. Leave to rest for another 30 mins while you preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas 6.
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Brush the loaf with 1 beaten egg to glaze and bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 mins, until golden on top and cooked all the way through (if you tap the bottom of the loaf it should sound hollow). Allow to cool completely to ensure the loaf rests and is totally cooked. Serve cool or, my personal favourite, warmed slightly on its own or with a thin spread of salted butter.
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