If you’ve never tried Nutella Babka, this lightly textured, hazelnut chocolate-flavored bread recipe is utterly delicious! A Nutella babka is a sweet, rich braided cake-like bread made with brioche dough layered with Nutella chocolate spread.
About This Recipe
What is Babka? A babka is a sweet braided bread baked in a loaf tin, layered with cinnamon, sugar, or chocolate. It’s impossible to say no to a slice of soft, chocolate-rich babka. I used Nutella instead of chocolate in this recipe, I think the result was great, exactly what I expected!
What Do You Need To Nutella Babka?
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour for this recipe.
- Instant dry yeast: Leavening agent, which makes the dough light, fluffy and airy.
- Butter: The butter in the dough helps to create the tender and light texture of the bread.
- Sugar: We need granulated sugar to add sweetness to the dough and activate the yeast.
- Milk: Milk gives the dough a rich and soft texture.
- Salt: Add a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness.
- Eggs: Eggs in the dough also act like leavening agents and help with rising.
- Nutella: In this recipe, the bread layers are filled with Nutella, which gives it a rich taste of chocolate and hazelnuts. You can also add some chopped hazelnuts to the Nutella filling.
Pro Tips to Make Nutella Babka
- I highly recommend using a stand mixer as you will be dealing with a sticky dough. Even without that, you can knead the dough by hand. Just be careful not to add more than the amount of flour specified in the recipe. As you knead the dough, it will start to get a smooth consistency and its initial stickiness will decrease.
- You transfer the dough to a lightly floured counter and roll it in a rectangular shape. With the help of a spatula apply a layer of Nutella and then roll it up. After you cut it lengthwise braid the dough loosely together to form one loaf.
- With the number of ingredients in this recipe, you can make two Babka loaves. Give one of them as a gift to a friend or loved one.
- When mixing, the dough may stick to the rim of the bowl. In that case, stop the mixer, scrape the part of the dough sticking to the container with the help of a spatula, combine it with the main dough and continue the kneading process from where you left off.
Can I Make the Dough by Hand?
Yes! You’ll need to knead the dough for about 10 minutes with a stand mixer. But if you don’t have a mixer, knead the dough by hand for about 15 minutes. Just be careful not to add more than the amount of flour specified in the recipe.
Did you like the Nutella babka recipe? Try my Nutella mug cake recipe as well! Leave your comment below and If you make this recipe, be sure to tag your photos #yummynotes 
Ingredients
- 4¼ cup (595 g) all-purpose flour
- 100 g butter + more for the pans
- 2½ teaspoon instant dry yeast
- 3/4 cup + 3 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup Nutella
Instructions
Step 1
Mix the flour and yeast in a large bowl (in the mixing bowl of the mixer with a paddle attachment).
Step 2
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the milk, sugar, and salt. Stir gently with a whisk until the sugar dissolves, remove from heat and let cool for about 10 minutes until it comes to room temperature.
Step 3
Add the eggs to the milk mixture and whisk until incorporated.
Step 4
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix with a spatula until the flour pieces are completely moistened.
Step 5
With the paddle attachment, beat the dough at medium speed for about 10 minutes until it is well blended and the gluten begins to develop and the dough begins to come off the bottom and sides of the bowl. You will get a smooth and somewhat sticky dough.
Step 6
It will be difficult for you to work with a sticky dough, but if you want to knead by hand, do not add extra flour, instead add 5 minutes to the kneading time.
Step 7
Grease another large bowl with a small amount of butter, and scrape the dough into it.
Step 8
Cover it tightly with cling film and leave it in a warm corner of your kitchen for 60-75 minutes until it doubles in size. Then transfer the covered dough into the refrigerator for 30 minutes to make it easier to roll out.
Step 9
Grease 2 rectangular loaf tins, 23×14 cm in size and 7 cm in depth, with a small amount of butter, and sprinkle a small amount of flour in them.
Step 10
To roll out the dough, flour an area of 60×40 cm on the counter and transfer the dough by scraping it to the middle of the floured area. Punch down the dough to release any air bubbles. sprinkle a small amount of flour both on the bottom and on the top.
Step 11
Roll out the dough into a rectangle the size of the floured area, using a rolling pin. Spread a layer of Nutella onto the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch gap on all four sides of the dough.
Step 12
Starting at the longest end, roll the dough tightly and slowly. Continue to roll the dough until it has been all rolled up.
Step 13
Cut into 2 equal halves(2 rolls of 30 cm length). Transfer the rolls to a baking tray lined with parchment paper and refrigerate for 5-10 minutes until firm enough to cut open.
Step 14
Place the rolls one by one on a cutting board and cut in half lengthwise with a sharp and large knife.
Step 15
Working with two pieces of dough at a time, place the dough side by side on the counter with the chocolate layers facing up.
Step 16
Place the top end of the left piece diagonally over the top end of the right piece. Fix the two pieces at the top by twisting the top of the left piece over the right piece and squeezing it between your fingers. Twist the two together.
Step 17
Fix the ends down by pinching them between your fingers. Curl the fixed ends under the twist and place the dough in the tin you oiled and floured. Do the same for the other two parts. Cover the molds with cling film and leave them in a warm corner of your kitchen for 1 hour.
Step 18
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). In a small, wide bowl, whisk 1 egg yolk until smooth.
Step 19
Brush the babka loaves with egg yolks.
Step 20
Bake for 45 minutes or until babka is golden brown on top.
Step 21
Take the baked babkas out of the oven, put them on a wire rack, and let them cool in the loaf tin for 10 minutes. Transfer the babka loaves to serving plates and serve while still hot.
