Nutella Christmas tree pull-apart bread

Tip: tap a step to mark it as done.

1. Make the dough

   Mix the flour, sugar, active dry yeast, and salt in a bowl. Add the melted butter, lukewarm milk, and egg yolks, and mix to form a dough. Turn out onto a work surface and knead for about 10 minutes, until smooth and supple.

2. Let rise

   Grease a bowl with the oil and turn the dough in it to coat. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for about an hour, until doubled in size.

3. Build the layers

   Divide the risen dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll the first piece into a thin triangle about 30 cm tall, transfer it to parchment paper, and spread with slightly warmed Nutella. Repeat with the second and third pieces, stacking them and spreading each with Nutella. Place the fourth layer on top without Nutella.

4. Shape the tree

   Trim the edges with a sharp knife to form a Christmas tree. Cut diagonal strips about 2 cm wide into both sides, leaving an uncut strip down the center for the trunk. Twist each strip twice.

5. Bake

   Brush the tree with the sugar dissolved in water, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C (350 °F) for about 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Tip: Warm the Nutella slightly before spreading so it spreads thinly without tearing the dough. Pull the branches off by hand while the bread is still warm.

This recipe was translated from the Slovak original: Vianočný stromček z kysnutého cesta s nutellou