This delicious chocolate babka is made with a rich brioche dough and is the perfect addition to any breakfast or brunch! With swirls of nutella and walnuts, this easy babka recipe is one you’ll want to make again and again!
I’ve baked this chocolate hazelnut babka at least three times in the past month! It’s made with a rich brioche dough that’s not only delicious, but super easy to work with! This sweet braided loaf is often associated with Eastern European Jewish heritage and has become increasingly popular in the past decade. My version of babka is filled with nutella and walnuts and is my idea of the perfect breakfast.
While babka may look complex, the dough is actually quite easy to work with, which makes it super quick to roll out and twist up! I used nutella and walnuts in this recipe, but I’ve also used other chocolate spreads with pistachios or mixed nuts and it turns out just as great, so feel free to use your favorite ingredients.
This recipe makes two loaves. I like to serve one warm and keep the other to have as breakfast for a few days. It’s just as good warmed up in the microwave the next day and goes great with a cup of coffee.
ingredients
dough
- active dry yeast 2 ¼ tsp (1 packet)
- warm milk 180 ml (¾ c)
- sugar 100 g (½ c) + 2 tsp
- butter 115 g (½ c)
- eggs 2 large
- vanilla extract 1 tsp
- all purpose flour 540 g (4 ½ c)
- salt ½ tsp
filling
- nutella 300 ml (1 ¼ c)
- (or your favorite chocolate hazelnut spread)
- chopped walnuts 50 g (⅓ c)
simple syrup
- sugar 100 g (½ c)
- water 120 ml (½ c)
instructions
- Warm the milk (the milk should be slightly warm, not hot) and stir in the 2 tsp sugar. Add the yeast. Set aside for 5-7 minutes or until foamy.
- In another bowl, beat 100g (1/2 c) of sugar and butter until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat until mixed.
- Add in the flour and salt and stir with a wooden spoon. Mix in the yeast mixture. Stir until the mixture begins to come together.
- Continue kneading with your hands for 6-8 minutes.
- Form the dough into a ball and place in greased bowl. Cover and let sit in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size (about an hour and a half).
- Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface.
- Divide the dough in half and roll each half into a rectangle slightly longer than the loaf pan.
- Layer each half with hazelnut spread leaving about an inch (3 cm) around the sides. Sprinkle the chopped walnuts on top.
- Roll up each rectangle into a log and then cut in half lengthwise.
- For each loaf, take the two strands and twist them together so that the cut part is upwards. Place each loaf in pan lined with parchment paper.
- Let the dough sit in the pans for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F).
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.
- While the babka is baking, make the sugar syrup. Heat the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Continue stirring for about three minutes and until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Brush the top of the babka with sugar syrup immediately when it comes out of the oven.
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