Babka is originally a Jewish bread made of rich brioche dough and paired with a delicious chocolate centre. I decided to go a bit more of a lazy but delicious route with a Nutella Dark Chocolate filling. Promise your house will smell amazingly after making this! It tastes great as is but also as a French Toast the next day as well. This recipe takes a bit of time but promise you the wait is definitely worth it!
- Author: Cookingwithchow
- Course: Sweets
- Servings: 1 loaf
- Prep Time: 10 hours
- Cook Time: 35-45 minutes
- Total Time: ~11 hours
INGREDIENTS
For the Dough:
- 1/4 cup almond milk/oat milk/ milk
- 1 package active dry yeast
- 1/2 tsp granulated sugar/ coconut sugar
- 2 cups flour + a bit more for dusting
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar/ coconut sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/3 cup butter softened, cut into cubes
- 1/2 tsp oil for greasing the bowl
- 1 tbsp condensed milk (Drizzle)
For the Filling:
- 1/2 cup Nutella (you can use more if you’d like)
- 1/3 cup of dark chocolate chips (you can use semi sweet if you want it a bit sweeter or opt it out all together and use only Nutella)
For the Sugar Syrup:
- 1/8 cup powdered sugar
- 1/8 cup water/ almond milk
DIRECTIONS
- If you are using traditional yeast, warm up the milk to 110 degrees. Add the yeast and 1/2 tsp sugar. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes, until slightly foaming.
- If you are using instant yeast, in a mixer with the dough attachment. Mix yeast, flour, 1/8 cup sugar, salt, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Mix in the eggs, (yeast mixture if you’re using traditional yeast) or milk (if you are not) until it comes together. If the dough sticks, slowly add in 1 tbsp of flour at a time.
- Add in the butter slowly, until the dough is smooth and elastic (~5 minutes). Continue to beat until the dough is smooth and stretchy (5-7 minutes). To check if the dough is done by poking your finger into the dough, if the finger imprint bounces back up it’s ready.
- Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let it rise in a warm oven for 2 hours. Once the dough becomes more “puffy” and almost doubled in size, put it in the fridge overnight.
- Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and 1/2 tsp oil.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and let it sit for 30 minutes before rolling.
- On a floured surface, roll out the dough into a 9″ x 17″ rectangle. Spread with the Nutella filing and top with the dark chocolate chips. Starting from the long side, roll tightly into a coil.
- Cut the coil in half lengthwise. Starting from the middle bottom- take the right half section and braid over the left half making the previous left half now the right half. Repeat this 1 more time. From the middle top side, take the right side and braid over the left side making the previous left half now the right half. Repeat this 1 more time. Now taking the top end, turn 180 degrees to the right so that the braid is now a tall rainbow upside down U-shaped. Take the right end (previous top end) and braid over the left end (previous bottom end). Pinch the ends so that the filling does not fall out.
- Cover loosely with a damp kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm over for 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and bake for 35-45 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Mix together 1/8 cup sugar and 1/8 warm water/ milk. Brush immediately on the babka once removed from the oven. Drizzle with condensed milk. Enjoy!
Let me know how you enjoy this recipe in the comments below! Stay tuned for more recipes!
xx, CWC
