Nutella & Peanut Butter Swirl Loaf

Seeing as it's World Nutella Day - I thought it necessary to whip up a baked Nutella recipe. I've seen this one a few times, and fancied giving it a go myself. The result was good - the loaf looks quite complex and relatively impressive, but it's extremely easy to make. A great culinary addition to the upcoming weekend, this loaf should satisfy your chocolate and carbohydrate cravings.

Just look at it there, on a trendy wooden board in all of its glory. This has got to be one of the best ways  to celebrate World Nutella Day - if anybody actually does.

Ingredients

• 210g of plain flour
• 25g of caster sugar
• 60ml of milk
• 60ml of warm water
• 30g of unsalted butter
• 2 x tablespoons of Nutella
• 2 x tablespoons of smooth peanut butter
• 1 x 7g packet of fast action yeast
• Pinch of salt

Method

1. In a small bowl, pour in the measured out warm water and add the yeast and  1 teaspoon of the sugar and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the flour, the rest of the sugar and the salt with a wooden spoon. 
2. Melt the butter in a pan on a gentle heat or in your microwave (be careful, butter has a tendency to explode when microwaved) and add it to the flour mixture, along with the milk and yeast mixture. Mix well with a wooden spoon and, once it becomes difficult, get in there with your hands, making sure you pick up every loose bit of flour. Once you have a rough dough ball, turn it out onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes or until smooth and relatively elastic. Pop into an oiled bowl, cover with cling film and allow it to rise for 1 hour. 
3. Once risen, turn your dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knock back. Form into a rough rectangle and, using a rolling pin, roll it out. You want it to be about 30cm lengthways and 15cm widthways. 
4. In a small bowl, fold together the Nutella and peanut butter, empty on top of your rolled out dough and, using the back of your spoon, spread it out evenly - stopping about 1cm away from the edge. 
5. Once done, roll the dough up tightly (like a roly-poly) and, with a very sharp knife, cut down the middle lengthways, so you are left with two long strips of folded dough, oozing with Nutella-peanuty goodness. Combine the two strips in a braid, making sure to pinch the ends to stop them from separating. Place on a grease-proof lined baking tray, cover and set aside for 30 minutes.
6. Whilst you wait, preheat your oven at 180C fan (200C without) and, after half an hour, pop your swirl in for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Once ready, take out and place on a cooling rack for 45 minutes.
7. Dig in and salute World Nutella Day the traditional way (?)

Just look at it there, isn't it pretty impressive? So easy to make too - if I can make something look pretty, anybody can. The wonderful aspect of this loaf is that it isn't overly sweet - the peanut butter tones down the ever so slight sickly side of the Nutella whilst adding a flavour of its own. The bread is great too - the exterior is relatively crusty, holding in a fluffy, soft and sweet bread. It truly is a wonderful loaf. But let's face it, anything with Nutella in it is wonderful.

Happy World Nutella Day!