You’re going to savour every bite of ourCHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT BABKA.
This very delicious homemade baked good is really something, and if you’ve never tried a BABKA before, this is the one to make. We guarantee it rivals anything you might find at even the best of bakeries. Imagine a light, flavourfulyeastdough, rolled up with mini chocolate chips, toastedhazelnutsand achocolate-hazelnut spread. The roll gets shaped into an attractiveloafafter being split down the middle and braided to reveal the nutty, chocolatey interior. Then, the finaltwistof fabulous has the bakedloafbrushed with sweet glaze; seriously thisCHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT BABKAis it!
Because this sweetened breadrecipeis so delicious, we’re thinking you might want to BOOKMARK this page for future reference. It’s also a two-for-one special; yup the yield is twoloaves,so it has play over the holidays as a great gift idea. Lastly, SHARE thisrecipewith friends and PIN it on Pinterest too; they’ll love it as much as you will, for sure.
If a homemade breadrecipeis what brought you here, we have others equally as wonderful as this babka. Definitely circle back and give our EASTER BREAD a try. Other faves include this made-from-scratch SOURDOUGH BREAD, these crowd-pleasing MENNONITE POTATO ROLLS and our show-stopping CRANBERRY-ORANGE BUN WREATH.
For now, let’s get to the good stuff. Here are some things to keep in mind when you go to makeCHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT BABKA:
INGREDIENTS
Two photos of theingredientsneeded to make this babkarecipe. The first is all of the things you’ll need to make theyeastdough. The usual suspects are in attendance includingflour, butter, milk, sugar,eggsand two flavour enhancements;orangezestand nutmeg. Theorangeand nutmeg were inspired by our looking for ways to enhance the flavour of theyeastdoughso that it might play off the chocolate-hazelnutfilling. The combo is quite amazing and we’re super pleased with the result. To my niece who dislikes nutmeg, swap it out with cinnamon.
The second photo ofingredientsshowcases the three things you’ll need to make the filling for the babkas. During the crafting and testing of thisrecipe,I initially set out to make a ganache usingcocoa powder,unsalted butter, cream and handmade marzipan. Thankfully, I heard the voice of reason, “Keep it simple, Nik!”. Instead, we’re simply puttinghazelnuts, chocolate chips and a favourite chocolatey hazelnutspread to good use. Thank you voice of reason!
YEASTDOUGH
Making thisyeastdoughis super easy thanks to us doing everything with a stand mixer – I’ve provided a link to purchase down below if you need one. There are three tips to making thisyeastdough. First, check the best before date on theyeastbefore you begin to make sure it hasn’t passed its prime. Then, make sure to sprinkle the yeast on warm, not hot, milk – hot milk will kill theyeast. For reference, your goal temperature is 110°F. The last thing about thisdough is to make sure you prepare it the day before, as directed. Giving the gluten a chance to relax in the fridge overnight ensures a lightdoughthat still expands as itbakes.
FILLING
Preparing to craft the babkas requires us to divide thedoughinto two equal portions. After rolling each one into a rectangle on yourwork surface, you’ll need to spread andsprinklethe fillingingredientsacross the surface, beginning with the chocolate-hazelnutspread; we used Nutella, but other brands work too. Spread it out in an even layer across thedough,trying to coax it to the very edge.
After that,sprinklethe surface with the semi-sweet mini chocolate chips and toasted choppedhazelnuts. Do your best to distribute the chips and chopped nuts evenly but don’t worry too much, this bread welcomes “creative” sprinklers, LOL!
JELLY ROLL
The rolling up of the babka is akin to the process we used to create our famous LEMON JELLY ROLL. In this case, though, we suggest rolling thebabka up firmly. The tighter the roll, the more ribboning in the dough once you cut it open and braid it. Probably the best suggestion is for you to follow your gut on this step, remembering there are no mistakes when you’re on a roll.
CUT AND BRAID
Similar to the rolling, the cut and braiding of the babkadoughis really forgiving. The one essential thing to remember is to make sure you cut the roll through completely in half, lengthwise. This will help the two halvestwistfor the braid without incident. Ideally, you want the filling to stay within the ribbons ofdoughas you braid. Thankfully, there are twoloavesin therecipe,so if shaping the first goes awry, you’ll do better on the second.
PANS
Nothing complicated about the prep for thebakingpansfor these babkas. Basically, you grease theloaftin and do a classic cross-lining ofparchment paperwith an overhang. Watch this VIDEO to see us make ours. If giving one of the babkas to a friend, maybe consider giving it to them in a keepsakeloaf panas we did. It’s a nice touch.
EASYBAKE
Although we’re thinking our 40-minutebaketimeis perfect, I do worry about my vintageoven’s finickytemperature. Here’s a helpful tip; test the babkas at 35 minutes, just to be safe. If a cake tester or brochette goes in without tension or sticking, your babkas are done. If not, leave them in for an additional 5 minutes.
GLAZE
I kind of think glazing the CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUTBABKA is one of the highlights of making it. First, your kitchen is going to be filled with the heady aromas of sweet breadbakedwith chocolate and toastedhazelnuts. Second, the glaze takes mere minutes to prepare and is basically a melt of sugar in water to create a simple syrup. Lastly, seeing the babkas soak up the glaze as youbrush*t on; you just know they are going to be so tasty!
GIFT IDEA
If you do take our suggestion and give one of the two babkas to a friend, don’t overcomplicate the presentation. You’ll need nothing more than the freshly preparedloaf, some cellophane wrap and a foot of ribbon. If made the day before you intend to give, wrap theloafin clear wrap once it has cooled completely on thewire rack. This will keep it moist until the recipient has at it. Another storage option is to wrap it in foil before placing it in a covered container. Both of these techniques keep babka fresh as the day it was made.
ENJOY
I often close posts with details on how best to serve and enjoy arecipe, and in this case, it’s very straightforward. Cut the babka with a serratedknifeinto ¾- to 1-inch slices and serve with a favourite warm beverage. I love coffee with this dessert as it enhances the flavours ofdark chocolate. Another option is a beautiful red, a luscious digestif or champers, especially if you plan to enjoy it over the holidays.
Such a treat, CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUTBABKA is that, and more!
Products used in this recipe
Just click on the below links to purchase items through Amazon.com and add them to your collection. Happy shopping!
Chocolate-Hazelnut Babka
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Ingredients
- For thedough:
- ½ cup whole milk
- a pinch of sugar
- 1 tablespoon active dryyeast
- 3 ¾ cups (530 g) unbleached all-purposeflour, more as needed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon koshersalt
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoonvanillaextract
- 1 teaspoon gratedorangezest
- 3 largeeggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
- 10 tablespoons butter, at room temperature, cut into small cubes
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil for greasingbowlandpans
- For chocolatehazelnutfilling:
- 1½ cups ofchocolate-hazelnut spread, such as Nutella
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cups hazelnuts
- For the glaze:
- ½ cup of water
- ½ cup granulated sugar
Directions
- Prepare thedough: Heat milk in asmall saucepanover moderate heat until just warm but not hot, about 110°F.Pourinto a smallbowlwith a pinch of sugar and stir to dissolve.Sprinklewith 1 tablespoon of dry activeyeast, stir then cover and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes until slightly foamy.Bring butter to room temperature, cut into cubes.
- Mixflour, sugar, nutmeg andsalttogether in a smallbowlthenpourinto thebowl of a stand mixerfitted with adough hookattachment. Placeeggs,vanillaandorangezestin a smallbowland whisk together. Add theegg mixtureand proofedyeastinto the stand mixerbowl, mixing onlowspeed for about 3 minutes until thedoughcomes together. Add the butter, little by little with the stand mixer running on low speed until fully incorporated. Increase speed tomediumand continue to mix for 10 minutes, scraping down the sides of thebowloccasionally until thedoughis completely smooth and shiny.
- Flourhands, then transferdoughto a largebowlbrushed with oil, cover withplastic wrap, and transfer to the refrigerator overnight.
- The following day:
- Remove thedoughfrom the fridge and place in a warm location for 1 hour. While it comes to temperature, preparepansand filling.
- Lightly grease two 9 x 5-inchloaf panswith vegetable oil. Line eachpanwithparchment paperso that the paper extends over the long sides of thepans.
- Prepare the filling: Preheatovento 350°F. Placehazelnutsonto a parchment-linedbaking tray. Transfer toovenand roast for 10 minutes until golden and toasted. Remove fromovenand place them into a towel-linedbowl. Gather towel and leave to cool for 10 minutes, then rub nuts in towel to release skins. Discard skins and roughly chop half the quantity of nuts, then finely chop the other half. Set aside.
- Shape babkas: Dividedoughinto two equal portions. Roll one portion out on alightly floured surfaceto a 9 x 16-inchrectangle. Spread with half the quantity ofchocolate-hazelnut spread.Sprinklewith half the quantity of chocolate chips followed by half the quantities of roughly and finely choppedhazelnuts.
- Roll thedoughas you would a jelly roll, from the long side of therectangleup. Slice the roll completely in half lengthwise to expose the filling. On one side, pinch the ends of each slice together, then begintwistingeach together as if braiding them. Place into a preparedpan, tucking the ends underneath. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Repeat with the second portion ofdoughto create the secondloaf.
- Placeloavesin warm place for 1½ hours until almost double in size.
- Transfer toovenandbakefor 40 minutes or until a tester comes away clean without resistance.
- Prepare the glaze: While the loaves are baking, combine sugar and water in a smallpanand heat over moderate heat until hot. Remove from heat.
- Apply glaze: As soon as the babkas come out of theoven,brushthe glaze on top, dividing the quantity between the two. Let babkas cool on awire rackuntil they are just warm, then remove frompansand let cool completely before serving. Serve warmed or at room temperature.
Related by Recipe Type
- Breakfast
- Desserts
Related by Ingredient
- Butter
- Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
- Dry Active Yeast
- Eggs
- Granulated Sugar
- Hazelnuts
- hom*ogenized Milk
- Kosher Salt
- Nutmeg
- Orange Zest
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- Unbleached Flour
- Vegetable Oil
- Water
