Nutella Babka Recipe: Chocolate-Hazelnut Swirl Loaf

This Nutella babka is made from soft, enriched brioche-style dough, filled with chocolate-hazelnut spread and chopped hazelnuts. The dough is rolled, cut and twisted into a braided loaf before baking for an impressive, ribboned interior. Once baked, the loaves are brushed with a sugar syrup for a glossy finish and scattered with extra hazelnuts for crunch.

The process takes some time and patience, but the steps are straightforward. The dough can be prepared in advance and proofed overnight, which makes morning baking easy and yields wonderfully fresh bread for breakfast, brunch or dessert.

Why you should make this babka

Babka sits somewhere between a bread and a cake: enriched, tender dough with a rich chocolate-hazelnut filling. It pairs beautifully with coffee and makes an elegant addition to weekend breakfasts, brunches or as an after-dinner treat. Because the dough can be retarded in the fridge overnight, you can enjoy freshly baked loaves with minimal morning effort.

This recipe yields two medium loaves, so you can enjoy one and freeze the other for later, or share both as gifts. Properly wrapped, a baked babka freezes well and thaws overnight at room temperature.

Ingredients

The recipe uses simple pantry ingredients. Quantities below are for two 900 g / ~8.5-inch loaves.

• Flour – strong (bread) flour is preferred for structure, but plain (all-purpose) flour will also work; it may require slightly longer mixing.
• Yeast – fast-action dried yeast (or your preferred active yeast, following package instructions).
• Sugar – a small amount in the dough and additional sugar for the syrup used after baking to create a glossy glaze.
• Salt – a little salt strengthens the dough’s gluten and improves flavor (½ teaspoon in this dough).
• Milk – full-fat milk is recommended, but any milk will do.
• Butter – unsalted butter for an enriched, brioche-like dough; salted butter can be substituted if preferred.
• Eggs – one egg in the dough and one for the egg wash.
• Nutella (or chocolate-hazelnut spread) – 350 g spreadable consistency is ideal; you may have some leftover.
• Hazelnuts – 100 g chopped; blanched hazelnuts are milder, but either type works.

For baking you will need two loaf tins about 900 g / 8.5 inches. If your tins are slightly different, they will still work; just adjust proofing space and baking time as needed.

How to make the dough

Warm the milk with cubed butter over low heat until the butter melts. Remove from heat and cool until lukewarm.

In a large bowl or a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Add the egg and the lukewarm milk-butter mixture. Mix on low until the ingredients come together, then increase to medium speed and knead for 5–8 minutes until the dough turns smooth, elastic and pulls away from the bowl sides.

If the dough is sticky, add flour one tablespoon at a time; avoid adding too much or the finished babka will be dry. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover and proof until doubled in size—about 1–2 hours depending on temperature.

When doubled, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, gently deflate it and roll into a rectangle about 40 × 60 cm (16 × 24 inches). Trim edges if you prefer a neater finish.

Nutella filling

For an even spreadable filling, warm the Nutella slightly so it becomes soft but not hot. Place the jar in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes or microwave a portion in a microwave-safe bowl for about 30 seconds, stirring until smooth.

Spread the warm Nutella evenly across the rolled dough, leaving a small margin at the far edge. Sprinkle chopped hazelnuts over the spread, reserving a handful for the top.

Shaping babka

Starting from the long side nearest you, roll the dough into a tight log with the seam underneath. Cut the log in half lengthwise so you have two long pieces.

Chill the two logs in the refrigerator for 15–20 minutes if the filling feels soft; chilling firms the spread and makes handling easier. Once slightly chilled, slice each log lengthwise and place the cut sides facing up. Cross the two strands in the middle and twist them together into a two-strand braid, tucking and sealing the ends. Place each braid into a prepared parchment-lined loaf tin, cover and proof for about 30 minutes until puffed.

While the loaves rise, make the sugar syrup by simmering 100 g sugar with 100 ml water for about 5 minutes until slightly thickened; set aside to cool. Preheat the oven to 190 °C (170 °C fan). Brush each loaf with an egg wash, sprinkle with reserved hazelnuts if desired, and bake for 15 minutes. Lower the temperature to 170 °C (150 °C fan) and bake for a further 25–30 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove the loaves from the oven, transfer them to a wire rack and brush generously with the cooled syrup while still warm. Let cool for 10–15 minutes before slicing with a large serrated knife to preserve the swirls.

Make ahead instructions

You can prepare this babka in advance. After the first rise, shape the dough up to the point of rolling into logs and place the shaped logs or shaped loaves in the fridge to proof overnight. Cold dough is much easier to handle and slice. The next morning, remove from the fridge, allow to come to room temperature for 30–60 minutes, brush with egg wash and bake as directed.

Alternatively, make the dough, divide and freeze one raw shaped loaf for later use. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then bring to room temperature, proof briefly if needed and bake.

Storing and freezing

Babka is best the day it’s made, but leftovers keep for 1–2 days wrapped at room temperature. For longer storage, wrap tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight at room temperature or in the refrigerator, then warm gently if desired.

FAQs

Do I need a stand mixer?
No—hand-kneading works fine, though a stand mixer speeds up the process and reduces effort.

Can I use plain flour?
Yes. Expect slightly longer mixing and a softer texture; bread flour offers more structure due to higher protein.

How can I warm Nutella without a microwave?
Place the jar in a heatproof bowl and set the bowl in hot water for a few minutes, stirring occasionally until spreadable.

What can I use instead of Nutella?
Any chocolate-hazelnut spread, homemade chocolate filling, jam or chocolate chips with cinnamon also work well.

My dough is too soft to shape—what should I do?
Chill the rolled log for 15–30 minutes. Cold dough is firmer and easier to slice and braid, and the filling will set slightly for neater shaping.

📖 Recipe

If you bake this babka, I’d love to see your result—snap a photo and save a copy for later.