Delicious and fluffy Nutella rolls. They’re sweet and stuffed with loads of Nutella. Inspired by our cheese garlic knots, we wanted to make a sweet version of this.

Making brioche and sweet breads has been SO fun for us, so we are experimenting with different shapes and flavors.

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This recipe doesn’t call for any difficult-to-find ingredients; most of them you will find in your house or in your local grocery store. You can choose to use another chocolate spread instead of Nutella.

Granulated sugar: It will sweeten the dough and also help feed the yeast. Adding sugar to your dough gives it a beautiful golden-brown color.
Active dry yeast: always make sure it’s fresh and not old. We don’t want to use any expired or old yeast, as it will affect the texture and final result.
Flour: We are using all-purpose flour for this recipe
Milk: we need it warm but not hot, as it can kill the yeast.
Eggs: use room temperature eggs. Remove them from the fridge one hour before you start with this recipe.
Salt: it enhances the flavor of the dough. If you use too much salt, the dough will not rise properly and will also be salty.
Butter: This is the last ingredient we add to the dough. In the last 10 minutes, we add it and continue kneading. This helps the bread to keep its structure.
Nutella: we will pipe it so it stays inside the knot.

Key points for this Nutella knots recipe

Proper kneading. Make sure you knead the dough for enough time without rushing it. Add the butter in the last 10 minutes of kneading.
Proofing. One of the most important steps without proofing the dough for enough time and at the right temperature, or it will turn out hard and dense.
Making sure most of the Nutella will stay inside the brioche. That’s why we use a piping bag and then seal the dough.

How to make the brioche dough

We start by preparing our sponge or yeast mixture. This step is very important, as if you use a yeast that is old or expired, it will show here. You want the mixture to have a foamy look on top, like a sponge.

The temperature of the milk is very important; if you touch it and it hurts, it burns, it will kill the yeast.

Ideal milk temperature to activate the yeast: 110F-115F (43C-46C). At this temperature, the yeast will be activated. It will feel warm to the touch, but it doesn’t burn.
Too cold: under 100F (38 °C), the yeast won’t be activated; it’s sleeping.
Too hot: at 120F (49 °C) the yeast will be killed. You will need to start from zero as the yeast is not going to be active.

We knead the dough for 15 minutes; it’s ideal to use a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment (speed: medium-low). The dough is sticky.

After 15 minutes, you can add the soft butter and knead for 10 more minutes; the dough will become less sticky and easier to handle.

Proof the dough

If the temperature in the environment is too cold, the dough will not proof or will take longer than expected, that’s because it needs to be in a warm environment to work.

If the temperature is too hot, be careful, the dough will grow too fast and have a funny, sour smell/taste. It has happened to us so many times during summer when we didn’t have a dough proofer.

To have better control over the temperature when making Nutella knots, I use a dough proofer machine, which is an investment worth making if you love making dough. I set the temperature to about 80F (27C) and let it proof without having to worry about wind or cold weather.

This recipe needs the dough to be proofed twice, once after kneading and then another one after it’s been shaped and filled with Nutella to create the Nutella knots.

Best tips to make Fluffy Nutella knots

Add the butter at the right time, don’t rush it. It’s best to add it in the last 10 minutes of kneading.
We use a piping bag to add the Nutella inside so we don’t make a mess like we would do if we added it with a spoon. It’s important to try to keep as much Nutella inside as we can.
Egg wash is ideal to help the dough have a nice golden brown color.
After a brioche is baked, ideally, you would brush butter so it has a shiny look. In this case, we brush it with butter and then add some powdered (icing) sugar on top.
Don’t rush the proofing times. This dough needs to be proofed twice, once after we knead the dough, which is the longest time, it takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes, and another time after we shape it, which takes about 30 minutes. When we proof the dough, we want to see the dough growing in size; it will become soft to the touch and airy.
Proofing temperature matters. I proof my doughs always from 26° C (78.8F) to 30 °C (86F), depending on what I am making. The dough grows beautifully every time

Grab the right tools!

This Nutella Knots recipe calls for a stand mixer, but you can knead the dough by hand if you don’t have one. If you don’t have piping bags, you can make one by folding parchment paper into a cone, then cutting the tip and twisting the top so the Nutella doesn’t escape.

Mixing bowl or the stand mixer bowl: this is where you will prepare the dough and the yeast mixture. You can use the same stand mixer bowl to avoid washing more dishes. Use a mixing bowl if you don’t have a stand mixer, and then switch to a clean, lightly floured surface
Rolling pin: we will need it to roll out the dough.
Scale: weigh the total weight of the dough and then divide it into 10 equal pieces so that all of the knots are about the same size.
Piping bag: we need it so we can add the Nutella into the dough, this way it will be less messy and we will have clean knots.
A baking tray: any tray or baking dish you have for the oven will work.
Parchment paper: makes cleaning much easier and faster, and it prevents the dough from sticking to the pan. You can use a Silpat if you want.
Brush: for the egg wash. You will need it to brush each knot.
Dough proofer: optional but very helpful.

How to shape a knot

Shaping each one is so easy, especially if you know how to tie a knot, but in this case the are adding Nutella inside.

First, separate the dough into 10 equal pieces.
Roll each one into a ball just to have a smooth dough to work with.
Shape it like a rope. Just a little, then with the rolling pin, roll out the dough into a long shape, not wide.
Add the Nutella inside, using a piping bag. Pinch the edges to seal the Nutella.
Tie the rope into a knot, being careful with the Nutella.

You can tuck the ends under or leave them on the sides, depending on what you like most!

Let them proof again, and then you’re going to brush them with the egg wash.

You can be creative and add chocolate chips if you’d like.

How to store and enjoy

We all know homemade enriched doughs are not the same as the days go by. The first day, it’s super soft and pillowy. The next day, it’s drier and just not soft. If you reheat it properly, you can have it taste fresh every day. As someone who has to reheat everyday bread, I have become an expert.

I personally recommend you freeze it. Any leftover brioche rolls you have, freeze them and then microwave them from frozen to defrost. This is my favorite way of reheating any doughy dessert, brioche, donuts, rolls, or bread. It always tastes just like fresh.

If you choose to store it in the fridge, it’s good to enjoy it for up to 4 days. Make sure to reheat them every time before you eat the Nutella roll so it has the best flavor and texture.

*Any food you freeze needs to have a date and a name added to the container or freezer-safe bag. Make sure you are storing it in a bag or container made to go to the freezer so it can stay safe.

How to freeze brioche

You can freeze the Nutella knots individually, so it makes it perfect to grab one when needed. They’re already portioned, so that’s something you don’t have to do to be able to freeze.

Place them in a tray lined with parchment paper. Freeze for 2-4 hours until it’s slightly hard. The reason why I like to quick freeze first in a tray is so they are not stuck together and break when I try to remove them from the freezer bag.

Place them in a freezer-safe bag or inside a freezer-safe container. I like to do both at the same time, the bag inside the container, only to be extra careful. You want to add the name of the food and the date of the day you made it. Day/month/year or month/day/year.

They’re safe in the freezer for 2-3 months. After that, they might get freezer-burnt or have a weird freezer taste, which we all hate.