Gluten Free Nutella Breakfast Twist Bread

Sandi’s Pick:

There is everything to love about this recipe!

• The texture is perfectly fluffy and nobody will know it is gluten-free!
• It can easily be made dairy-free!
• Vary the flavor by swapping Nutella for fruity jam, cinnamon sugar, lemon curd…the sky is the limit!

See the Frequently Asked Questions below for directions on how to make this recipe dairy-free.

Ingredient Notes:

For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.

• Gluten-Free Flour Blend – I tested this recipe with the Authentic Foods blend listed above. It is the best. If you plan to try another blend, here are important things to know. 1.) This blend needs a lot more liquid than other blends. 2.) If you use another blend, you will need to cut back on the liquids. 3.) Many 1:1 blends do not work in yeast recipes. You can read more about which flour blends work in which types of recipes for more information.
• Xanthan Gum – If you use a different flour blend, make sure it contains a binder. Steve’s GF Bread Blend has a binder, but some bread blends don’t. If you don’t see xanthan gum, guar gum, or psyllium husk listed, add 3/4 of a teaspoon of xanthan gum. Binders are what help hold your baked goods together. See the Related Reading section below to learn more about gluten-free baking binders.
• Yeast – I used rapid yeast in this recipe. Always check to be sure the yeast you use is gluten free! Red Star Platinum is NOT gluten free!
• Butter – I used unsalted butter. If you use salted butter, omit adding any additional salt.
• Milk – Use regular or dairy-free milk. Both work well in this recipe.
• Eggs – I used size large eggs.
• Nutella – I prefer chocolate hazelnut spreads that are more natural without corn syrup.

Steps 1 and 2: Prepare the Wet Ingredients

• Add the eggs and sugar to a stand mixer bowl. Attach a paddle attachment and blend to mix them.
• Partially melt the butter and add the milk and butter to the stand mixer bowl.
• Mix the wet ingredients for 30 seconds until they are blended.

Step 3: Make the Dough

• Add gluten-free flour, rapid yeast, and salt in a mixing bowl. Use a whisk to mix the dry ingredients. I like to mix the dry ingredients before adding them to the mixer. This way, the yeast gets evenly distributed in the flour mixture.
• Slowly add the dry ingredients to the mixer. Mix on low speed until the flour is mixed in, then add more until all the dry ingredients are mixed in. Start on low speed so the flour doesn’t puff out of the bowl.
• Note that every gluten-free flour blend has a different grain-to-starch ratio. This will greatly affect the moisture. If you use a flour blend I haven’t tested, a good rule of thumb is if the dough is wet, add more flour. If the dough is dry and crumbly, add more liquids.

👀 Sandi Says: Don’t forget you only get one good rise with gluten-free dough. Roll and shape the dough before the rise. This will ensure the dough rises high.

Step 4: Form and Roll The Dough

• Take the dough out of the mixer bowl. Slightly dust gluten free flour on a silicone mat and place the dough on the mat. If you’re using Steve’s Bread Blend, the dough is firm enough to roll without dusting. For other blends, lightly flour the surface as needed.
• The dough should be soft and pliable, but not sticky or wet. It won’t feel like traditional wheat dough, but it should hold together well for shaping.
• Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a long rectangle about 1/2 an inch thick.

Step 5: Spreading the Filling

• Spread Nutella over the dough. If the Nutella is cold and not spreadable, you can warm it for 10 seconds in the microwave oven. Evenly spread it, leaving 1/4 of an inch around the edges.
• Sprinkle ground cinnamon over the Nutella. Use as much or as little ground cinnamon as you like.

Step 6: Roll the Dough

• Carefully roll the dough lengthwise, as you would when making cinnamon rolls. You want to roll it slightly tight, but not so tight the dough can’t rise.

Steps 7 and 8: Cutting and Opening the Roll

• Use a sharp knife to cut down the roll lengthwise. You may need to pull the knife out and wipe it on a paper towel if it becomes too full of the Nutella spread.
• Carefully open the roll. You should be able to see a lot of layers of Nutella.

Step 9: Twist the Dough (in a circle as I show or any other shape you want!)

• Push the two halves close together.
• Start at one end and carefully twist the two pieces together so that they are intertwined.
• This can be a little messy because of how sticky Nutella is, but it is so worth it!

Step 10: Rise the Dough

• Spray a cake pan or large cast iron skillet with gluten free baking spray. Please note that PAM Baking Spray is not gluten-free.
• Carefully lift the twist by one end and place it in the center of the baking pan.
• Loosely cover the pan with plastic wrap to prevent the dough from drying out. Place in a warm oven (175º F or less with the oven turned off) or in a warm spot to rise. If it is cold in your home, the rising time can take a lot longer. The dough should double in size in around 45 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350º F.

Step 11: Bake the Bread

• After rising, remove the plastic wrap and place the pan into the oven to bake.
• Bake the bread for 30 minutes, and then check to see if it is finished baking. The top of the bread should be slightly golden in color and firm to the touch.
• Remove the bread from the oven and set it on a cooling rack.
• Do not cut open the bread until it is fully cooled. The bread will set more as it cools. Slicing hot bread will affect the texture of the bread and make it crumblier.

Frequently Asked Questions:

More Gluten Free Bread Recipes:

• Pull Apart Gluten-Free Monkey Bread – Sweet and delicious!
• Gluten-Free Bunny Rolls – Make them any shape; they taste like a glazed donut!
• Czech Gluten-Free Poppy Seed Roll – A cross between cake and bread.
• Gluten-Free Cruffins – A cross between a muffin and croissant.