coolbaker.ch

25.09.2026

coolbaker.ch

Sunday Chocolate-Hazelnut Braid

Name: Sunday Chocolate-Hazelnut Braid
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 4 h
Cuisine: Schweizerisch
Ingredients: 500 g wheat flour Type 550; 70 g sugar; 10 g salt; 20 g fresh yeast; 220 g milk, lukewarm; 2 pieces eggs; 100 g butter, softened; 120 g chocolate drops; 80 g hazelnuts, coarsely chopped; 1 piece egg yolk; 1 tbsp milk for brushing

⏱ a cozy half day (direct method)

Buttery, soft, and wonderfully tempting: this braided brioche with chocolate drops and hazelnuts makes Sunday brunch special.

Ingredients

Adjust quantity:

500 g wheat flour Type 550
70 g sugar
10 g salt
20 g fresh yeast
220 g milk, lukewarm
2 pieces eggs
100 g butter, softened
120 g chocolate drops
80 g hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
1 piece egg yolk
1 tbsp milk for brushing

Preparation

Mix flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Dissolve the fresh yeast in the lukewarm milk.
Add the yeast milk and 2 eggs to the flour and knead slowly for 5 minutes. Then gradually incorporate the softened butter and knead for another 8–10 minutes until a smooth, soft, and elastic dough forms.
At the end, briefly and evenly knead in the chocolate drops and chopped hazelnuts.
Cover the dough and let it rise at room temperature for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until it has noticeably increased in size.
Place the dough on a lightly floured surface, divide it into 3 equal pieces, and shape each into long strands.
Braid the 3 strands together and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Loosely cover the braid and let it rise again for 45–60 minutes until it has visibly puffed up.
Mix the egg yolk with 1 tbsp of milk and gently brush the braid with it.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C (356 °F) top/bottom heat for 30–35 minutes until golden brown. If it browns too quickly, loosely cover with parchment paper.
Remove the finished braid from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or completely cooled.

✨ Sensory Profile

The Aroma Synthesizer for this Recipe

Decoded according to the Swiss Bread Aroma Matrix. Click on an aroma for the sensory video and biochemical background.

Cookie / Waffle / Butter

Light crust (Zopf/Brioche). Must not exceed 180°C in the oven.

Vanilla

Degradation of the dense grain husk (lignin). An exclusive whole grain phenomenon.

Rose / Honey (Floral)

Only develops with high-end 24h cold fermentation. Light extraction flour is mandatory.

Mild Yogurt

Warm management (>28°C) and soft dough: Homofermentative lactic acid for a mild fermentation quotient.

🔬 Swiss Master Baker Knowledge

The Baking Science Behind this Recipe

The physical foundations of this recipe. Click on a process for the master baker video and scientific background.

1.08 The Fat Paradox

Fat initially blocks gluten formation (shortcrust pastry). Added later, it coats the dough layers smoothly and keeps the pastry moist for a long time.

1.09 Milk & Lactose

Yeast cannot break down lactose. It remains as pure capital in the dough and causes deep dark turbo-browning in the oven.

3.03 The Windowpane Test

The only way to check if the dough is properly kneaded: can it be stretched thin and translucent without tearing?

5.06 Braiding (Braid Architecture)

Targeted braiding leads to uniform longitudinal and transverse stretching. The braid does not tear uncontrollably but opens gracefully under elegant bulge formation.

7.02 Steam (Condensation)

Water vapor condenses on the cooler dough surface. This keeps the crust extremely elastic for magical oven spring and creates a mirror-like shine.

7.03 Oven Spring

Rapid thermal expansion of air and alcohol in the cells up to 50°C (the dough volume skyrockets).