I wanted to make Nutella bread bombs because…I like bread.
Honestly that was the main reason.
THESE BREAD BOMBS WERE SO SOFT AND FLUFFY. Even without the Nutella they would be soooo good, but the Nutella in the centre was a very good addition.
Video Tutorial
Japanese milk bread
Japanese milk bread is my favourite kind of bread. In my personal opinion, it is the softest and fluffiest.
So for these bread bombs, I used a Japanese milk bread dough.
The milk bread dough that I make, I wouldn’t say it’s the most authentic because I add a few additional ingredients for more richness.
So I would say it’s more like a mix between milk bread and brioche, but it did start of as a milk bread dough, so that’s what I call it.
What is tangzhong?
One of the main part of most Japanese milk bread doughs is the tangzhong.
Tangzhong is just a mixture of flour and a liquid, that has been heated until it turns into thick paste. Then this is mixed into the dough.
THIS MAKES YOUR BREAD SO SOFT.
I like to add tangzhong to every dough I make, I don’t know the scientific reason as to why it makes bread softer, but it does make a huge difference.
It is an extra step, but it doesn’t take long and it makes the bread way better, so don’t try skipping it.
The Nutella
The first step in making these is to freeze dollops of Nutella.
I like to do this first because it makes it a lot easier to fill the buns when the Nutella is fully frozen.
Here’s a tip that you don’t have to listen to, but I think it’s best to not make your dollops too big. You want them to be around 1-2 tablespoons each.
On my first attempt at making this, I thought the more Nutella the better. But then the bread bombs just ended up flat, and it was all Nutella no bread.
To me, they didn’t taste that good, so I think 1-2 tablespoons dollops is best.
But I mean it is totally up to you, if you want more Nutella, do more. I just wanted to share my opinion.
Ingredients for the dough
Here are the ingredients you are going to need to make the dough:
- Bread flour – plain/all purpose flour can also be used, but bread flour gives the best results. I’ll talk more about this in the next section.
- Granulated sugar
- Salt – to enhance the flavours.
- Milk powder – this adds flavour and gives you softer bread.
- Instant yeast – I like to use instant yeast because I can add it straight into the dough. If you are using active yeast, you will need to activate it first. To do this, mix it with the warm milk, along with 1 tablespoon of your sugar, leave this aside for 10 minutes or until it goes foamy, then it is ready to use.
- Eggs – I used 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk. The extra egg yolk is going to add a lot of richness.
- The tangzhong – I have included how to make this in the recipe card below. Sometimes I make it and put it in my fridge to cool, then forget to use it. Please don’t be like me, your dough needs this.
- Whole milk
- Butter
- Chocolate chips – I used milk chocolate chips but any kind works.
Bread flour or plain flour
Let’s quickly talk about which flour is better.
The only difference between bread flour and plain/all purpose flour is the amount of protein in them. Bread flour has more protein in it.
In most baking, plain/all purpose flour is used. This is because in things like cakes, muffins, cookies, cupcakes etc, bread flour can give them a chewy tough texture. We don’t want this.
But when it comes to bread, bread flour is great to use…I’m assuming this is why it is called bread flour.
The extra protein gives your bread extra structure, which helps it hold its shape better in the oven. This leaves you with fluffier bread.
So I do recommend using bread flour for these.
With all that being said though, if you didn’t have bread flour, plain flour will work. The bread will be slightly less fluffier but it will still be great, so don’t worry about it too much.
Can I leave the milk powder out?
Yes, you could if you wanted too.
I felt like I should talk about this because whenever I used milk powder in anything, I get asked if it’s necessary.
Milk powder in bread does 2 things.
It adds additional flavour, and also it acts as a tenderiser, so it gives you softer bread.
If you are using it, use whole milk powder, skimmed milk powder doesn’t really do much.
But yes you could leave it out, it’s a nice addition but it’s not necessary.
Storing the bread bombs
This recipe makes around 10-12 bread bombs.
These do taste best fresh, I say gobble them all up immediately whiles they’re still warm.
But I have learnt that some people do care about their health, so you might not want to have them all at once.
So you can store them, it’s best to keep them in an airtight container. They’ll be good for about 4-5 days.
Here are few other recipes I posted recently, I think you should try these too:
Nutella Bread Bombs
Ingredients
Makes 10-12
A jar of Nutella
- For the tangzhong:
20g bread flour
100ml whole milk
- For the dough:
330g bread flour
60g granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
30g milk powder
12g instant yeast
1 egg
1 egg yolk
The tangzhong
120ml whole milk, warm (just heat it in your microwave for 30-60 seconds)
60g unsalted butter, softened
150g chocolate chips
- Extras:
1 egg, beaten (for an egg wash)
Some extra butter, melted (to brush on top of the baked bread bombs, this is optional)
Directions
- Start by adding 12 dollops of Nutella on a tray or plate, you want these to be around 1-2 tablespoon sized. Leave these in your freezer.
- Making the tangzhong:
- In a pot, add the bread flour and milk. Place this onto medium heat.
- Keep heating this, whiles constantly stirring, until this mixture turns into a thick paste. This happens quickly so don't walk away.
- Leave this in your fridge to cool for 10 minutes.
- Making the dough:
- In a large bowl, add all the ingredients for the dough except the butter and chocolate chips. DON'T FORGET to add the tangzhong you just made.
- Mix all this together until a dough forms, then add the softened butter and knead for 10 minutes. This is going to be a sticky dough, don't be alarmed.
- Add the chocolate chips and mix these in.
- Place this dough into a lightly greased bowl, then cover and leave to rise for 1-2 hours, or until doubled in side.
- Forming the bread bombs:
- Once your dough has risen, divide it into 80g pieces. Again this dough is sticky, so have some flour next to you to help.
- Get one piece of dough and flatten this down. Add a piece of frozen Nutella to the centre, then form this into a ball, making sure that the Nutella is fully frozen.
- Place this onto a large baking paper lined tray, then repeat with the rest of the dough.
- Cover these and leave to rest for an hour this time. They should look slightly puffier and feel softer after an hour
- Baking the bread bombs:
- About 10 minutes before you're ready to bake them, pre-heat your oven to 180c/350f.
- Once the dough balls have rested, lightly brush the tops of them with a beaten egg, then bake them for around 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown on top.
- As soon as they come out of the oven, I like to brush them with some melted butter. This is optional, it just adds some extra flavour and makes them look shinier.
- Now they're done, enjoy whiles warm!
What milk powder do you use and where do you get it? I’ve tried looking it up but it doesn’t seem to be a thing in my country. If we need to leave it out is there any substitution that would have the same effect?
Author
Most stores near me sell it, but if you can’t find it you can leave it out. It won’t make a huge difference!