Starting off October right with this autumn-inspired breakfast treat: Sourdough Hazelnut Swirls aka Filbert and Alice’s Nußschnecken. Sourdough (although you could also make this with a yeast brioche dough) and a caramelly-nutty (hazelnuts, but you could also use walnuts) filling. Not too sweet, a little bit of honey inspired. Delicious straight out of the oven. These are definitely on repeat!
Ingredients
for the dough
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (113 grams) ripe sourdough starter
1 cup milk, warmed to between 100-110F
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 egg, lightly beaten
for the filling
1 cup finely chopped hazelnuts (can also use walnuts or a combination)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup honey
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon corn starch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water
1 egg, slightly beaten
for baking and decorating
2 tablespoons milk, for milk wash
pearl sugar for decorating (optional)
Directions
Combine flour, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle. Heat milk and butter, combine with your sourdough starter, and pour into the well. Add egg and mix until fully combined. Turn out onto a well-floured counter and knead until you have cohesive dough. It should be fairly soft and supple. Set aside in a warm, draft free place for a couple of hours in a greased bowl until it has doubled in size.
In the meantime, make the filling. Combine nuts, milk, honey, salt and cinnamon in a saucepan. Cook over moderate heat until thick, stirring constantly, about 10 minutes. Add corn starch slurry and let come to a complete boil. Cool thoroughly before using.
Preheat oven to 400F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat.
Once the dough has risen, roll it out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/2-inch-thick rectangle. Spread the filling mixture evenly over the dough and roll it up jellyroll style. Using a serrated knife, cut the dough into slices and space the slices out on the prepared baking sheet, approximately 2 inches apart. Cover loosely with a clean dishtowel and let rise for an additional 20-30 minutes. Using a pastry brush, brush each swirl with the milk wash and sprinkle on some pearl sugar, if using. Bake for 20-24 minutes.
Remove the swirls from the baking sheet and transfer to a rack to cool.
