Nutella And Hazelnut Buns

The recipe, step by step

These Nutella and hazelnut buns are soft, fluffy and wonderfully chocolatey, filled with my homemade Nutella and finished with a rich chocolate glaze and roasted hazelnuts.

Think of them as a chocolate-hazelnut version of cinnamon rolls: tender enriched dough wrapped around a generous swirl of Nutella, baked until golden and then drizzled with chocolate icing.

They are also completely vegan, dairy-free and egg-free, using plant-based milk and oil in place of the ingredients normally found in this type of enriched dough.

Better still, you can prepare the buns the evening before and leave them in the refrigerator overnight, then prove and bake them fresh the following morning.

Recipe Highlights

• Easy to intermediate: Straightforward to make, although a little confidence with yeast dough is useful.
• Vegan: Completely dairy-free and egg-free.
• Flavour: Rich chocolate and hazelnut with a soft, lightly sweetened dough.
• Texture: Soft, tender and slightly chewy with sticky Nutella swirls.
• Make ahead: Shape the buns the evening before and refrigerate overnight.
• Quantity: Makes 12 buns.
• Time: 30 minutes preparation, 1 hour 30 minutes proving and 20–25 minutes baking, approximately 2 hours 25 minutes total at the shortest proving time.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Dough

• Non-dairy milk: Use 250 g, choosing almond, oat, rice or soy milk. It provides the liquid for the dough while keeping the recipe dairy-free.
• Yeast: Use 15 g fresh yeast or 5 g dried yeast.
• Neutral-tasting oil: Use 50 g. Vegan butter, coconut oil, vegetable oil or sunflower oil can also be used.
• White bread flour: Use 450 g. Bread flour provides the gluten needed to give the buns their soft, elastic structure.
• Caster sugar: Use 60 g, approximately 4 tablespoons, to lightly sweeten the dough.
• Fine sea salt: Use ½ teaspoon. The salt balances the sweetness and brings out the chocolate and hazelnut flavours.

Filling

• Vegan Nutella: Use 130 g vegan chocolate-hazelnut spread or make my homemade Nutella.

Chocolate Topping

• Icing sugar: Use 40 g, sifted.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder: Use 100 g for the chocolate icing.
• Non-dairy milk: Use 2 teaspoons, adding it gradually to achieve the required consistency.
• Roasted hazelnuts: Use 20 g, chopped, for the final topping.

How to Make Nutella & Hazelnut Buns

1. Warm the milk and oil: Place the plant-based milk and oil in a small saucepan and heat gently until they reach approximately 37°C / 98°F, around body temperature. It should feel comfortably warm rather than hot.

2. Add the yeast: Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the yeast. Set aside while you prepare the dry ingredients.

3. Combine the dry ingredients: Place the flour, caster sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl and stir together.

4. Form the dough: Make a well in the centre and pour in the warm milk mixture. Using a wooden spoon or electric mixer, combine until everything comes together into a rough dough.

5. Knead by hand: Turn the dough onto an unfloured work surface and knead for approximately 10 minutes. It may feel sticky at first, but avoid adding extra flour as this can make the finished buns dry. Continue until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.

6. Alternatively, use a stand mixer: Knead the dough using a stand mixer until it becomes smooth and elastic.

7. First prove: Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and leave somewhere warm for approximately 1–2 hours, or until doubled in size.

8. Prepare the baking dish: Grease or line a 30 × 20 cm (12 × 8 inch) baking dish.

9. Knock back the dough: Once doubled in size, turn the dough onto a work surface lightly dusted with flour. Knock it back and knead briefly.

10. Roll the dough: Roll into a rectangle measuring approximately 30 × 40 cm (12 × 16 inches).

11. Add the filling: Spread the 130 g Nutella evenly over the dough. Avoid adding an excessively thick layer, as too much filling can escape when the dough is rolled.

12. Roll up the dough: Starting from one of the longer edges, roll the dough tightly into a long log.

13. Cut into buns: Using a very sharp knife or a piece of cotton thread, divide the log into 12 equal buns. When using thread, slide it beneath the log, bring the ends up and cross them over one another to cut cleanly through the dough.

14. Arrange the buns: Place the buns cut-side down in the prepared baking dish. Arrange them fairly close together so that, once proved, their sides touch. This helps prevent the exposed sides from becoming dry and tough.

Same-Day Second Prove

15. Prove again: Cover the buns with a damp tea towel and leave them to prove for 30 minutes.

Overnight Method

15. Refrigerate overnight: Once the shaped buns are arranged in the baking dish, cover and refrigerate them overnight.

16. Prove the following morning: Remove the buns from the refrigerator. Set the oven to its lowest setting, ideally around 30°C / 86°F, and place the buns inside for 20–25 minutes to help them prove.

17. Remove the buns: Take them out of the oven once proved and set them aside while the oven comes up to baking temperature.

Baking

18. Preheat the oven: Preheat to 200°C / 180°C fan / 400°F / Gas 6.

19. Bake: Place the buns in the preheated oven and bake for 20–25 minutes.

20. Protect the tops: Cover the dish loosely with foil for the first 10 minutes of baking to prevent the buns becoming too dark.

21. Cool in the tin: Leave the baked buns in the tin for 30 minutes.

22. Transfer to a rack: Carefully lift them from the tin and transfer them to a wire cooling rack.

23. Make the chocolate glaze: Sift the icing sugar and cocoa powder into a small bowl. Gradually add the plant-based milk and stir until you have a thick but pourable chocolate icing.

24. Decorate: Drizzle the chocolate icing over the cooled buns and scatter over the 20 g chopped roasted hazelnuts.

Nigel’s Recipe Tips

Do not overheat the milk. Aim for around 37°C / 98°F. Liquid that is too hot can damage or kill the yeast and prevent the dough rising properly.

Avoid adding extra flour while kneading. The dough may initially feel sticky, but it will become smoother and more elastic as you knead it.

Give the first prove enough time. Temperature makes a significant difference to yeast dough. Rather than relying entirely on the clock, wait until the dough has approximately doubled in size.

Do not overfill the buns. Too much Nutella can squeeze out as you roll the dough and make shaping difficult.

Roll from the long side. This gives you a longer log and allows you to cut 12 evenly sized spirals.

Use thread for neat buns. Cotton thread cuts through soft rolled dough without squashing the spiral in the way a blunt knife can.

Arrange them fairly close together. The buns should expand until their sides meet during proving. This helps keep the edges soft.

Do not overbake them. Yeast buns quickly become dry when baked too long, so begin checking towards the end of the stated cooking time.

Cool before glazing. Adding the chocolate icing while the buns are very hot will cause it to melt and disappear into the surface.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Make Nutella and Hazelnut Buns Overnight?

Yes. Shape and cut the buns, arrange them in the baking dish and place them in the refrigerator overnight.

The following morning, allow them time to prove before heating the oven fully and baking.

Can I Make These Without a Stand Mixer?

Absolutely. Knead the dough by hand for approximately 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.

Why Is My Dough Sticky?

A slightly sticky dough is normal at the beginning of kneading. Avoid adding extra flour immediately, as doing so can make the finished buns drier.

As the gluten develops, the dough should become smoother and easier to handle.

How Do I Cut the Buns Without Squashing Them?

Use a very sharp knife or a length of clean cotton thread. Thread is particularly useful because it slices cleanly through the dough without compressing the spiral.

Can I Use Shop-Bought Vegan Nutella?

Yes. You can use any suitable vegan chocolate-hazelnut spread or make my homemade Nutella.

Tools You’ll Need

• Large mixing bowl
• Small saucepan
• Wooden spoon
• Stand mixer, optional
• Rolling pin
• 30 × 20 cm (12 × 8 inch) baking dish
• Baking parchment
• Sharp knife or cotton thread
• Wire cooling rack
• Small bowl for the icing
• Sieve
• Digital kitchen scales

Storage and Freezing

Storing

These buns are best on the day they are baked, while the dough is particularly soft and the filling is fresh.

Once completely cool, keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

To refresh them before serving, warm an individual bun briefly so that the bread softens and the chocolate-hazelnut filling becomes slightly gooey again.

Freezing

For the best result, freeze the buns without the chocolate icing and hazelnut topping.

Once completely cool, wrap them well or place them in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months.

Defrost at room temperature, then warm briefly if desired before adding the freshly prepared chocolate glaze and chopped hazelnuts.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 bun (1/12 of the recipe)

Calories: 332.2 kcal · 17% DV
Total Fat: 10.8 g · 15% DV
Carbohydrates: 50.3 g · 19% DV
Sugars: 14.2 g · 16% DV
Protein: 8.2 g · 16% DV
Sodium: 115.3 mg · 6% DV
Fibre: 3.7 g · 13% DV

% Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.

Nutritional information is provided as an estimate and may vary depending on the exact ingredients, brands and serving size used.

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