Nutella Babka Recipe

This Nutella Babka is made with a buttery brioche dough wrapped around a smooth chocolate and hazelnut filling. It’s definitely not a lesser babka.

If you’ve never made babka before this, be assured that it’s not difficult to make, but it does require patience. So grab your mixer and hold my hand as we walk step by step through making the dough, spreading it with Nutella, and braiding your babka. You’ll be rewarded with a slice of heaven to enjoy for breakfast, tea, or any time of day.

a sliced Nutella babka, a Nutella jar, and knife.
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Ingredients

Nutella

Nutella is a chocolate and hazelnut spread made by the Italian company, Ferrero, since the 1960s. Fun fact: the company supposedly uses one-quarter of the world’s hazelnuts, which are primarily grown in Turkey.

With its first two ingredients being sugar and palm oil, this Nutella babka isn’t for every day. You can make your own Nutella recipe and control the amount of sugar and fat in the recipe.

If you want more Nutella recipes, try my easy Nutella blondies or Nutella banana bread, these Nutella thumbprints, Nutella pop tarts, or Nutella waffles. Then double up with a hazelnut cocktail like this Frangelico sour to drink alongside this Nutella babka!

The leavening in babka comes from yeast and not baking powder or baking soda. Despite my love for Seinfeld, I hadn’t made babka until I watched the Great British Bake Off and learned that yeast was the primary way of leavening cake until about 150 years ago.

Please see the recipe card below for complete information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations and substitutions

Recipe tips and tricks

Making the babka dough

The base of this Nutella babka recipe is brioche, an enriched dough made with eggs, butter, and milk. Brioche can be made by hand, but it is much easier with a stand mixer.

To start, mix the dry ingredients (Panel #1) and then the eggs (Panel #2).

Five panels showing the steps in making the brioche dough.

 

Scalded milk is added next.

Tip from the wise quacker: scalding is important when using milk in yeasted doughs because it breaks down the milk proteins. If you don’t scald your milk, this can prevent your yeasted doughs from rising.

Change to the dough hook to save your mixer’s motor, and add the butter, piece by piece. The Jerusalem instructions say to scrape down the bowl a “few times.” This is an understatement.

During the butter incorporation, you will need to scrape the bowl frequently and fold your dough over with a spatula in order to get it to mix. And don’t be afraid to add a bit of flour if it looks like a sticky mess.

Eventually it will form a soft and pliable dough. Once it does, shape it into a ball and let it rise overnight in the refrigerator (Panels #4 and #5 above). Feel free to take it out and let it continue to rise at room temperature if it has not yet doubled in size.

Filling and shaping

To shape the Nutella babka, divide the dough in half. Put one half back in the bowl, covered in plastic. Roll out the dough on a floured surface (Panel #1 below) until it is about 12 inches by 14 inches or so (Panel #2). It does not have to be exact.

four panels showing steps to roll and fill the babka with nutella.

Use a knife or offset spatula to spread the Nutella evenly on the dough, leaving a margin of about a half inch (Panels #3 and #4 above). Roll the babka from the long end into a roulade, place the roll seam-side down on a baking sheet, and put it in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes. This brief chilling makes it easier to handle without making a mess.

To shape the Nutella babka, cut the roll in half lengthwise with a sharp knife and separate the halves with the inside facing up on the countertop (Panels #1 to 4 below).

Eight panels showing the shaping of the Nutella babka.

Pinch the top of the halves together, then carefully twist the them until you get to the bottom. (Panels #5 to 8 above). Pinch the bottoms together.

Transfer the twisted babka to the prepared pan, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise and bake. Finish your Nutella babka with the sugar syrup, and let cool before slicing.

the baked nutella babka loaf and slices of babka.

Recipe FAQs

What is babka and where did it originate?

Babka, meaning “grandmother” in Polish, is a yeasted cake made by Ashkenazi Jews since the 1800s.

Is this Nutella babka a cake or bread?

Halfway between a modern cake and a sweetened bread, most food historians consider babka a yeast-leavened cake (see my comment above about the relative newness of chemical leavening agents).

Is babka a dessert or breakfast?

You can serve babka any time of day. This Nutella babka recipe goes perfectly with your favorite cup of coffee.

Can I freeze babka?

Yes, you can freeze babka at pretty much any stage of the recipe, from the brioche dough, to the shaped and unbaked babka, or the baked babka. I prefer to freeze baked babka because yeast loses some activity in the freezer. Double wrap the babka in plastic wrap and seal it in a freezer bag. You can let it come to room temperature or gently warm it wrapped in foil in the oven.

Check out other Eastern European and Jewish baking recipes like:

Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-heart 💜💜💜💜💜 rating in the recipe card below. Let me know how much you loved it, or any problems you had, in the comments section further down.

Recipe

Nutella Babka

5 from 1 vote
Category: Cakes
Cuisine: Jewish
Total Time: 1 day
Servings: 24
Calories: 219kcal
This Nutella babka recipe turns a buttery brioche dough wrapped around a smooth chocolate and hazelnut filling into a classic yeasted cake.
Print Recipe

Equipment

  • Stand mixer
  • Two 9 inch by 5 inch loaf pans

Ingredients

Babka dough

  • cups (531 grams or 18.7 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour plus more as needed when adding butter and for rolling out the dough
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • teaspoons instant yeast
  • zest of two small or one medium orange
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 3 eggs, room temperature
  • ½ cup whole milk, scalded and cooled
  • 10 tablespoons (142 grams or 5 ounces) unsalted butter, cubed and softened plus more for greasing the pans
  • vegetable oil for greasing the bowl

Nutella filling

  • 1 cup (280 grams or 10 ounces) Nutella

Sugar syrup

  • cup (67 grams or 2.4 ounces) granulated sugar
  • cup water

Instructions

Babka dough

  • Add the flour, sugar, yeast, and zest to the bowl of your stand mixer and mix with the paddle attachment on low speed.
    4¼ cups (531 grams or 18.7 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast, zest of two small or one medium orange
  • Add the salt and mix on low speed.
    ½ teaspoon salt
  • Add the eggs one by one and mix briefly on low between each one.
    3 eggs, room temperature
  • Add the scalded milk and mix on low until the mixture starts to come together.
    ½ cup whole milk, scalded and cooled
  • Switch to the dough hook and start adding butter cubes. Use a spatula to repeatedly scrape down the side of the bowl and fold your dough and mix until the butter is all incorporated. Add a bit of extra flour if your dough sticks to the mixing bowl.
    10 tablespoons (142 grams or 5 ounces) unsalted butter, cubed and softened
  • Increase the speed to medium and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is soft and pliable.
  • Lightly grease the mixing bowl with oil, form the dough into a boule, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rise in the refrigerator overnight. It should double in volume.
    vegetable oil

Shaping, filling, and baking the Nutella babka

  • Prepare the pans. Butter two 9 inch by 5 inch loaf pans, layer the bottom with parchment paper, and grease the paper.
  • Divide the babka dough in half and put one half back in the bowl. Lightly flour the countertop and roll out the other half of the dough into a rectangle about 12 inches by 14 inches.
  • Use an offset spatula or knife to spread half of the Nutella onto the surface of the rectangle, leaving about half inch on all edges.
    1 cup (280 grams or 10 ounces) Nutella
  • With the long side facing you, dab a small amount of water along the far edge of the rectangle. Roll the rectangle up into a roulade that will be about 14 inches long.
  • Place the roulade seam side down onto a baking sheet and press down lightly to seal. Freeze for 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Using a sharp knife, cut the roulade in half lengthwise. You will have two halves about 14 inches in length.
  • Lay the two halves on your countertop with the inside facing up and pinch the tops together.
  • Twist them together by lifting one side over the other and repeating, always keeping the cut side of the halves facing up, until you have twisted the full length. Pinch the bottom of the halves together.
  • Carefull transfer the twisted babka to the prepared pan, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place until it doubles in volume and reaches the sides of the pan, about 2 to 3 hours. Repeat with the second babka.
  • When almost ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F.
  • Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes, until the top of the babka is a golden brown and a toothpick inserted inside comes out clean.
  • Meanwhile, make the sugar syrup by combining the sugar and water together over a boil until the sugar has dissolved.
    ⅓ cup water, ⅓ cup (67 grams or 2.4 ounces) granulated sugar
  • When the babkas have baked, place the pans on a cooling rack and brush with the sugar syrup.
  • Let cool for about 10 minutes, then remove from the pans and let cool before slicing. Once cool, baked Nutella babka can be frozen or wrapped and stored at room temperature for several days.

Notes

This recipe will make two babka.
The brioche base of this Nutella babka recipe can be made by hand, but it is much easier with a stand mixer.
Scalding is important when using milk in yeasted doughs because it breaks down the milk proteins. If you don’t scald your milk, this can prevent your babka dough from rising.
As you’re making the brioche dough, don’t be afraid to add a bit of flour if it looks like a sticky mess.
Chilling the rolled roulade briefly makes it easier to handle and braid your Nutella babka without making a mess.

Nutrition

Calories: 219kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 65mg | Potassium: 101mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 185IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 2mg
Love this recipe?Mention @Uglyducklingbakery or tag #uglyducklingbakery!

You’re an adventurous home cook looking for inspiration in your weeknight meals and weekend baking. Get that inspiration here:

This Nutella babka recipe was created for the reddit 52 weeks of baking challenge, week 50: yeast-leavened. It’s an adaptation of the Krantz cake recipe from the Jerusalem cookbook.

2 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Delicious recipe! Excellent directions, easy to follow. I was intimidated about babka but this made it easy!!

    1. Thanks so much, Erica. And how awesome are you for trying out a recipe that intimidated you. So glad you enjoyed this Nutella babka!

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