First, heat the milk until lukewarm. Add the yeast to the milk and stir, then set aside for 10 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and sugar. Add the milk, melted butter, and egg yolk to the dry ingredients. Knead in the bowl until the dough forms a ball. Transfer the dough to the work surface and knead for 7-8 minutes. Transfer the smooth dough ball to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm place for about two hours. Coarsely chop the dried fruit. Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Take the dough and roll it out on parchment paper, using a rolling pin, into a rectangle 40 cm long, about 30 cm wide, and 1/2 cm thick. Cover the entire rectangle with the hazelnut cream;

Distribute the dried fruit evenly over the cream, setting aside a little to decorate the braid;

Roll the dough onto itself, starting from the long side, until you obtain a loaf;

Leaving a margin of about 2 cm at the top, divide the dough into 3 strips with a smooth-bladed knife;

Take the strips and alternately overlap them to form a braid, repeating along the entire length;

Tuck the two ends under the braid and transfer to a loaf pan for baking;

Decorate with the dried fruit as desired and bake at 175°C (350°F) for 50 minutes. Remove from the oven when golden brown and, while still warm, brush with syrup*;

Let it cool, slice, and serve as a snack or breakfast. *Turn on the heat and let the sugar dissolve completely over very low heat for a few minutes (about 2 minutes after boiling). Remove from the heat, pour the sugar syrup into a jar, cover with a lid, and let it cool completely.