Chocolate Cinnamon Bread Wreath
Christmas morning will seem even more magical if you serve a gorgeous chocolate cinnamon bread wreath! These wreaths make marvelous holiday gifts and are something your family will ask for year after year.
We have certain traditions we honor each year to make the holidays special. Advent calendars, Elf on the Shelf, Visiting a local Light Show, Cookie Exchanges, Christmas Eve Service…
One of those traditions is to serve piping hot fresh-made bread on Christmas morning.
Last year after all the presents had been open, we sat around in our fuzzy jammies and ate hot sticky Drunken Monkey Bread with a cream cheese scramble and grapefruit mimosas.
This year I have something else in mind.
Something with chocolate-cinnamon layers and yeasty dough twisted into delicate folds.
Something that looks lovely sitting out on the table…
A Chocolate Cinnamon Bread Wreath.
This cinnamon bread variation, not only looks lovely, its tastes divine. Similar to Pain au Chocolat with a softer texture and zesty spices layered throughout, it is a wonderful celebration bread!
Because bread needs times to rise, you could make this a day ahead and rewarm on Christmas morning. Or, you could make it several days (even weeks) ahead and freeze before the second rise. Then place it in the fridge to thaw the night before serving, and give it a few more minutes to rise on the counter before baking, for fresh-out-of-the-oven bread.
This recipe calls for all purpose flour, not bread flour, so the layers stay nice and tender. Yet anytime I’m making bread I use Gold Medal Flour, because I’ve found the consistency is always right on the money. Gold Medal’s super-fine milled flour helps the bread rise into fluffy loaves.
To Make a Chocolate Cinnamon Bread Wreath
Prepare the bread dough and let it rise until double in size.
Roll in out, spread with Nutella, and sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Then roll into a giant log.
Cut the log down the middle and “braid” the two pieces into one log twist.
Shape into a circle and tuck the ends under.
This is where you would freeze, if you were making this chocolate cinnamon bread wreaths ahead.
Freeze it uncovered for 2 -3 hours, then wrap well and refreeze until ready to thaw.
The ooohs and ahhhs on Christmas morning are well worth planning ahead for this one.
You could even make several to send to friends and neighbors for their Christmas breakfast!
More Christmas Breakfast Ideas
White Chocolate Glazed Gingerbread Muffins
Breakfast Stuffed Poblano Peppers
Corned Beef Hash with Creamy Horseradish Sauce
Chocolate Cinnamon Bread Wreath
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup whole milk scalded
- 1 packet dry active yeast 2 1/4 teaspoons
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups All Purpose Gold Medal Flour
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
- 3/4 cup Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon course sea salt
Instructions
- Scald the milk on the stove or in the microwave. Bring it to a boil, then remove from the heat and cool completely before using. You can place it in the fridge to bring the temperature down faster. (Don't skip this step, or you're bread may not rise properly.)
- Using an electric mixer with a bread hook, place the warm water (just barely over luke-warm, too hot will kill the yeast) and sugar in the mixing bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and let it foam for 10 minutes.
- Then turn on the mixer and add the cooled milk, egg and salt. Slowly add the flour. Once all the flour is in the bowl, add 4 tablespoons of melted butter. "Knead" the dough with the bread hook for 5-8 minutes.
- The dough will be smooth, but tacky. Oil the mixer bowl, then cover with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise in the bowl for 2 hours. Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and sea salt in a separate bowl and set aside.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, dump it out on a floured work surface. Roll the dough out into a large rectangle, 18x13 inches in size. Gently spread a thin layer of Nutella over the dough, leaving the dough bare around the edges. Then sprinkle the cinnamon mixture over the dough. Now starting on one of the long edges, roll the dough into a long cylinder.
- Use a large knife to cut the dough down the middle, length wise, and open it up to expose the layers inside. Then alternate crossing the pieces over each other to create a braid. Move the braid to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and shape into a ring. Fold the ends under each other, so they resemble the braid.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and allow the bread wreath to rise for at least 45 minutes. Then bake for 22-30 minutes, until brown and crispy on top. Cool at least 10 minutes before cutting.
Nutrition
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Gold Medal Flour. All opinions are my own.
I saw this on Pinterest and KNEW it had to be you! It’s so beautiful – can’t wait to try it!
I think I just swooned out loud…pretty sure people in my office heard me. :)
Lol! Girl, I just love you. ;)
Beautiful! Reminds me of chocolate babka, which I find irresistible!
This looks amazing! But I have the first of 3 batches of dough that I made ready, and it is really loose. Did you need to incorporate a lot of flour as you rolled it out? I ended up needing almost an extra cup just to get it to hold together enough to roll out. I’ve checked the measurements several times, and followed the directions to the letter…am I missing something? I’m hoping to give these to neighbors, so any help is appreciated! :)
Ellen, my deepest apologies! I think this is the first time this has ever happened, but somehow I managed to post this recipe with an inaccurate measurement. It should be 4 cups of flour. I’M SO SORRY!! I’m making adjustments to the official recipe right now, but you should be able to work extra flour in as you go. Please report back!
No worries! I could tell from your gorgeous pictures what it should look like, so I worked it up until it held. The first loaf seems to have turned out just fine, second is in the oven, and third one is rising as a wreath right now. :) I stopped after those, but I’ll do my next ones with the 4 cups. Thanks so much for replying and solving it for me!
Whew!!! I was so worried! I’m glad they are turning out and thanks for being so gracious. Merry Christmas!
This bread looks very beautiful! This is the kind of thing to make when you want to impress your guests!! Thanks for sharing :)
It’s so beautiful and sounds delicious too!
This is so lovely.
Chocolate pairs well with cinnamon and the
presentation is primo!
This looks dreamy and with nutella–yes please!
Oh my goodness, cinnamon and Nutella?? This is so gorgeous Sommer!!
I absolutely need this bread for Christmas morning!
So gorgeous, not to mention delicious!!
Can this be made with refrigerated bread dough?
Hi Penni. Most definitely! It just won’t have the same tender texture as this bread dough. But I bet it would still taste great!
This bread is perfect to start a Christmas morning – I love traditional and memorable holiday treats like this one! It’s braided beautifully, and with the layers of Nutella spread over the dough, this bread would definitely be favorite with adults and children alike!
This looks amazing Sommer!
You have mad baking skills, Sommer! This would be the perfect treat to have on Thanksgiving!
Such a brilliant wreath, and I love the cutaway, too. I added grapefruit mimosas to my Christmas morning list. Divine!
That looks amazing!
It’s gorgeous! …and added to my must-make list for Christmas. :)