Soft & Fluffy Nutella Babka

4.98 from 35 votes

Super delicious Nutella babka made of fluffy and buttery brioche dough twisted around a decadent Nutella filling. This is probably one of the most delicious recipes on my blog, and it always warms my heart!

Prep Time1

Cook Time1

Total Time2

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 477kcal

Author: Katalin Nagy

Equipment

Ingredients

Babka dough

120 g Whole milk lukewarm
30 g Granulated sugar
12,5 g Fresh yeast check my yeast guide to convert it to dry yeast
1 Egg yolk at room temperature
1 Egg at room temperature
250 g Bread flour high protein content flour
¼ teaspoon Salt
80 g Unsalted butter room temperature, 82% fat content

Filling

140 g Nutella gently melted, but not hot

Syrup

60 g Water
20 g Lemon juice freshly squeezed
80 g Granulated sugar

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

First day - first proofing

Start with mixing half of the sugar with the lukewarm milk then sprinkle yeast on top. Make sure that the kitchen is nice and warm, and in 10 minutes, the yeast should start to foam.
Place the yeast mixture into your stand mixer with the kneading hook on, then mix it together with the room-temperature eggs.
Pour in dry ingredients: bread flour, rest of the sugar, and salt, and start kneading it until the dough comes together. This will take about a minute or two.
Then, slowly add the room-temperature (soft) butter chunks by piece to the dough. Once all the butter is in, knead the dough for another 10 minutes on medium-high speed until it becomes elastic and shiny and not too sticky.
Move the dough into a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and let it rest and rise in the fridge overnight for 12 hours.
Alternatively, rise the dough for 1-2 hours at room temperature in a warm but not hot (avoid direct heat) spot in your kitchen. However, I do not recommend skipping the overnight rise, as the dough is much easier to handle while cold.

Next day

Try to work quickly, and have everything you need - rolling pin, measuring tape, Nutella filling, a loaf pan with parchment paper prepared upfront. If the dough is warming up, pop it in and out of the freezer for a few minutes to chill between the steps, making sure the dough is always cold enough to work with and does not tear or stick. Refrain from using an excessive amount of flour, as that would make the babka hard.
So, after the dough has risen overnight, take it out from the fridge and punch the air out of it. Then, on a lightly floured surface or on a silicone baking mat, roll it into a rectangle of 30x42 cm / 12x16 inches.
Gently melt the Nutella in the microwave, making it easier to spread. However, do not use it while hot, as that would melt the dough.
Spread the Nutella on top, and roll the dough up evenly and tightly from the shorter end, and then press to seal the end onto the roll. You will end up with a 30cm / 12 inches long roll.
If the dough is still nice and cold, continue with shaping. Otherwise, chill it first for about 5 minutes in the freezer. Cut the babka into half lengthwise, then place the logs over each other with the filling facing up and twist the logs with your hands on both sides.
Gently squeeze together the ends and then carefully lift the Nutella babka into your prepared loaf pan.
Cover the loaf pan with a kitchen towel and proof the Nutella babka now the second time now at room-temperature. Proofing might take 1-2 hours, depending on your kitchen temperature. Wait until the dough doubles in size.
Preheat your oven to 180C / 355F (no fan) towards the end of the proofing time. Once the babka is doubled in size, bake it at 180C / 355F for about 40 minutes. Bake until a skewer inserted comes out clean and the babka is golden brown. If it was browning too much, place aluminum foil on top towards the end of the baking time.

Syrupy glaze - optional

During the end of the baking time, make the syrup: boil water, sugar, and freshly squeezed lemon juice together until the mixture reaches a syrup consistency. Pour hot syrup over baked babka immediately. Let the syrup sink in and the babka slightly cool before removing it from the tin to a cooling rack.
Serve the Nutella babka fresh. Any leftovers can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.

Notes

INGREDIENT NOTES

Use always unsalted butter in baking; in this Babka recipe, the butter needs to be at room temperature so soft enough to be able to knead into the dough.
Fresh or Dried yeast can be used. My instant dried yeast pack says that 25g fresh yeast equals 7 g dried. I use 12,5 g fresh yeast to make this recipe, which is equal to 3,5 g dried yeast (approx. 1 teaspoon). Please check your local brand and calculate your yeast needs accordingly.
Use milk and egg at room temperature so the ingredients can properly emulsify.
Since babka is effectively a sweet bread, use high protein content bread flour.

TECHNIQUE NOTES

To activate the yeast (whether it is dried or fresh), make sure that the milk is lukewarm and your kitchen is nice and warm.
You will knead the dough for about 10 minutes in a stand mixer. The dough is ready when it is shiny, elastic and does not stick to your fingers any longer. Do not add more flour to the dough. If it sticks too much, continue kneading. Having said that, each flour is different, and I cannot guarantee the quality of your flour, so if the dough is still very sticky after 10-15 minutes of kneading, you might need to add a tiny bit more flour.
Overnight proofing is recommended for the best results. It is much easier to handle (roll, shape) a dough that is risen in a chilled environment.
During the rolling, filling, and shaping process, try to work with a chilled dough that does not stick or tear. Any moment if the dough gets too warm and uncomfortable to deal with, pop it into the freezer for a few minutes, then continue.
Second, proofing is necessary for the perfect rise = fluffy texture.
Do not skip the syrup at the end. It will make your babka super shiny and moist.

Nutrition