Easter Chocolate Braid

If baking a traditional potica seems too daunting for you, you can try making this wonderful braided bread for the holidays. When placed on the table, it will attract everyones attention, and once you taste it, you wont stop at just one slice. The combination of soft and tender dough with a rich chocolate and nut filling is a true delight, and this dessert pairs perfectly with a cup of warm drink or a glass of sweet white wine.

Details

  • Preparation Time: 170 minutes
  • Cooking Time: 35 minutes
  • Difficulty: 3
  • Spiciness: 0
  • Number of Servings: 12

Ingredients

Dough

  • 1 bag Yeast, dry

  • 200 ml Milk, whole milk

  • 60 g Sugar, white

  • 450 g Flour, Wheat, bread flour

  • 50 g Butter, unsalted

  • 1 piece Egg, fresh

  • 2 piece Egg, egg yolk, fresh

  • 2 pinch Salt, table

Filling

  • 115 g Butter, unsalted

  • 1 piece Apple, fresh

  • 115 g chocolate, dark

  • 100 g Nuts, almonds

  • 200 g Walnuts

  • 60 g Sugar, white

  • 80 g Honey

  • 1 teaspoon Spices, cinnamon, ground

  • pieces Orange, shell

  • 1 pinch Salt, table

  • pieces Nuts, almonds, blanched

Premaz

  • 1 piece Egg, egg white, fresh

Steps

  1. First, prepare the dough. Pour the milk into a bowl and mix it with dry yeast (or crumbled fresh yeast) and a tablespoon of sugar (taken from the total measured amount of sugar for the dough). Let it sit for 5-10 minutes to allow the yeast to activate.

  2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small pot over low heat. Let the melted butter cool until it's lukewarm, then mix it with the egg, egg yolks, remaining sugar, and salt. Sift the flour into a bowl and make a well in the center. Pour the activated yeast into the well, add the egg-butter mixture, and knead the ingredients into a smooth, soft, but compact dough. Let it rise in a warm place until it doubles in size.

  3. While the dough is rising, prepare the filling. Melt the butter in a small pot over low heat. Peel the apple and grate it coarsely (using a grater with large holes). Finely chop the chocolate. In a bowl, mix the ground hazelnuts and almonds. Add the remaining ingredients (brown sugar, grated apple, ground cinnamon, honey, chopped chocolate, melted butter, grated orange zest, and salt) and mix well until you get a thick but spreadable filling.

  4. Once the dough has doubled in size, place it on a floured cloth and roll it out into a long rectangle. Spread the prepared filling evenly over the rolled-out dough, then roll it up tightly to form a long roll (similar to a potica).

  5. Trim the ends of the roll, then cut it lengthwise into two long halves. Braid the two halves together to form a braid, then shape it into a wreath or circle. Press the ends of the braid together firmly where they meet.

  6. Carefully transfer the braided wreath to a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Cover it with a clean cloth or plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for another 30 minutes before baking.

  7. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Before baking, brush the risen braid with egg white on top and sides, and optionally sprinkle with almond flakes. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes. After 20-25 minutes, check to ensure the braid isn't browning too much on top, and cover it with a piece of aluminum foil if necessary.

  8. Remove the baked braid from the oven. Let it cool, then serve it on a beautiful plate or platter.

Nutrition Information (Per 100g)

  • Calories: 416.72 kcal
  • Fat: 23.92 g
    • Saturated Fat: 8.06 g
  • Carbohydrates: 42.52 g
    • Sugars: 16.9 g
  • Protein: 8.12 g
  • Fiber: 3.01 g