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Chocolate Hazelnut Babka
A babka recipe by Anna Banana recently popped up in my Instagram feed and really caught my eye. The recipe had multiple things going for it: a silky enriched dough slathered with gobs of Nutella, chopped hazelnuts inside and out, and a beautiful twisted presentation. Truth told, it had me with gobs of Nutella! The recipe immediately moved to the top of my list of must-try bakes.
The babkas were pretty straightforward to make and my only minor challenge was handling the super soft dough (more on this later). However, the resulting babka was very pretty, had a nice contrast in textures, and was absolutely loaded with yummy chocolate flavor. For the real test, though, I gave a slice to an independent taste tester: my wife, who’s not really a Nutella fan. After her first bite, she started laughing. This wasn’t the reaction I was hoping for, but then she explained her laughter was in total amazement at how good the babka tasted. That was proof positive the recipe is a keeper!
After a few more bakes during the following weeks, I came up with some strategies to overcome my dough handling issues and also made a few recipe tweaks along the way. Here are my observations and recommendations for what eventually became a prize-winning babka. It took second place for international breads in the Minnesota State Fair baking contest!
[Jump to recipe]
Key Ingredients
Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
This babka recipe uses 350 grams of chocolate hazelnut spread. That qualifies as “gobs of it” in my book! I used Nutella but you could use any similar product or make your own spread for that matter. Pay attention to jar size if you buy it because you don’t want to scrimp on this ingredient. Here is the homemade chocolate hazelnut spread recipe my wife prefers over Nutella. The recipe makes about 465 grams, which is enough for the two babkas of this recipe plus extra for tasting and enjoying immediately. Note you may need to use a little more oil than the recipe specifies for the homemade spread to be as easily spreadable as Nutella.
Chopped Hazelnuts
You can certainly use pre-chopped hazelnuts from your local store, but for the best hazelnut flavor, start with whole blanched hazelnuts (the skins can taste bitter). Toast them in a frying pan over medium heat for 5-10 minutes (until they become shiny, turn golden brown, and begin releasing their lovely fragrance) and then chop them yourself. Here are instructions for blanching and toasting hazelnuts.
When chopping the hazelnuts, you’ll end up with a fine hazelnut powder as well as some coarser pieces. I reserve about 30 grams of the coarse pieces for topping the babka just before baking. The “fines” and the rest of the coarse pieces go inside the babka roll.
Orange Zest & Vanilla Extract
Don’t get me wrong, the original recipe is scrumptious as all my taste-testers will confirm, and you can certainly consider these enhancement ingredients of mine optional. However, I think a little orange zest brings some citrus brightness to the already wonderful chocolate flavor. After some experimentation, I decided that zest from about ¼ of an orange (about 1-2 grams) is the perfect amount to achieve a subtle, flavorful balance between the orange and hazelnut flavors. Any more zest and the orange seemed to overpower the hazelnut flavor.
As for the vanilla extract, I like to combine it with the orange zest because the alcohol in the extract helps to bring out the aromatic oils in the zest. To maximize this effect, combine the zest and extract a day ahead of time and let them sit covered at room temperature overnight to give the alcohol plenty of time to do its magic.
Bulk Rise Options
The original recipe calls for a bulk fermentation and final proof at room temperature, with both rises lasting until the dough doubles in size. The suggested timeframe for the final proof is 30 minutes, but when I made the recipe, it was 3-4 hours, and the resulting babkas, though delicious, had a tight crumb and were fairly dense.
With more research, I discovered a different babka recipe with an overnight first rise where the dough goes into the refrigerator immediately after mixing. I tried it in hopes of improving the crumb and this approach worked wonderfully. It made the dough easier to work with, the final proof only took 30-45 minutes, and the resulting loaf had an airier lighter, more open crumb.
Which method should you use? If you’d like fresh-baked babka for breakfast (and who wouldn’t?), try the original room temperature first rise and final proof, but after final proof is complete, cover and cold retard the babkas in the refrigerator overnight instead of baking right away. The next morning, take them out of the refrigerator, set the pans in a warm place while the oven is pre-heating, and bake and devour. You will get babka that is a yummy “chocolate delivery system” and you might not even notice that it has a slightly tight crumb. If your schedule allows for babka assembly in the morning, try the overnight cold bulk rise method. Though you’ll need a few more hours in the morning to assemble and bake your babka, it will most likely be lighter and loftier. Either way, they will be yummy!
Dough Handling Strategies
Silicone Pastry Mat & Flipping Board
While these two items are completely optional, I find they make it quicker and easier to roll up the dough into an even log. A pastry mat that is at least 14 x 22 inches and has a printed measurement grid is ideal. The grid helps you determine the right size for rolling out your dough rectangle and the mat itself makes it easier to lift the leading edge of the dough to get the log roll started.
I also recommend a flipping board (like those often used for baguettes) that is at least 22 inches long. The flipping board makes it easier to roll the dough log tightly and evenly. Slide the front edge of the flipping board just under the leading (long) edge of the dough, lift up and pull slightly backward, then guide the board forward to start the roll. If you push the dough forward right away without lifting first, the dough will slide forward over the slippery chocolate topping and probably cause a gap in the roll.
Chilling the Dough
This enriched dough is so soft and silky that it’s prone to unintentional stretching during handling. Chilling dough makes it firmer so that it’s easier to roll out to uniform thickness and it resists being deformed when you spread on the chocolate and roll it into a log.
When using a room temperature bulk rise method, try chilling the dough before rolling it out. I recommend 10-15 minutes in the freezer or 30 minutes or longer in the refrigerator.
If you’re using the overnight cold bulk rise method, take the dough out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you start rolling out the dough so it won’t be too stiff.
After you’re done rolling the dough into a log, place it in a baking pan, cover it with a food-safe bag or cling wrap, and put it in the freezer for 20-45 minutes to firm up both the dough and the filling. At the 20-minute mark the dough is firm enough, but the filling may still smear when you cut the log roll. In contrast, at the 45-minute mark both the dough and the chocolate spread are firm and you can get a really clean cut that highlights the contrast between the dough and chocolate. This stiffness makes the twisting or braiding a bit more challenging, but not as difficult as if you leave the log in the freezer for more than 45 minutes.
Clean cuts from chilling first
Twisting or Braiding the Dough
There are many ways to twist or braid this chocolate hazelnut babka dough but regardless of which you choose, two things to focus on (other than the braiding pattern itself) are keeping the cut side face-up and maintaining an even tension between the dough strands.
With the original recipe, you assemble each babka as a two-strand twist, which is then loaded into a medium size loaf pan for the final proof and baking. Here’s a video showing the twisting process.
Alternatively, you can make freestanding loaves using any number of more complex braids. I have been playing with a four-strand challah style braid, and here are several videos to show how that’s done.
To prep your dough for two four-strand braids roll out your dough into the same 14 x 22 inch rectangle, but then cut it into four 7 x 11 inch rectangles. Divide your chocolate topping and chopped hazelnuts evenly between the four rectangles, making sure to leave a ½ inch around the perimeter of each rectangle free of topping and nuts. (Also, make sure you remember to reserve about 30 grams of chopped nuts for the topping.) Roll all four rectangles on the long edges to make four logs and pinch the ends to close and taper them.
For the braiding, first I practiced with four strands of rope until I got the pattern down before attempting the braid with actual dough.
You can do this practice while the dough logs chill as specified earlier. Then cut them in half (eight strands for two braided babkas) and braid as show in the video below.
Sourdough Option
This dough is relatively high in fat and protein due to the butter and milk, so using a large amount of ripe starter and keeping the dough warm for the bulk fermentation are good tactics to boost the microbial activity if you want to use sourdough leavening.
For sourdough babkas with the least possible sourness, I suggest you follow my sourdough starter management techniques in this Naturally Leavened Christmas Panettone recipe to arrive at 150g highly active stiff sourdough starter. You should then subtract 50g milk and 100g flour from the dough recipe.
Otherwise, you can build an overnight levain that is 100 grams bread flour, 60 grams water, and 20 grams sourdough starter. You should then subtract 70 grams milk and 110 grams flour from the dough recipe. This starter is slightly larger and wetter than the panettone approach to compensate for it not having multiple feedings ahead of the final stage.
The timing of your bulk rise and final proof will likely be 6-10 hours and 3-6 hours, respectively, depending on which starter you use and how warm you keep the dough. It is still advisable to chill the dough before rolling out and assembling the babkas.
Four-strand braid
Make sure you check out the Photo Gallery below the recipe for more process pics.
Chocolate Hazelnut Babka
Make this picture-perfect chocolate hazelnut babka with hints of orange and amazing texture. This award-winning recipe has a silky enriched dough, gobs of Nutella or homemade chocolate-hazelnut spread, chopped hazelnuts inside and out, and a beautiful twisted presentation.
Ingredients
Dough
Filling
Syrup
Topping
Instructions
Mixing and Bulk Rise
Filling & Shaping (See the detailed shaping instructions and videos above)
Final Proof, Sugar Syrup Prep & Baking
Notes
If you use active dry yeast instead of instant yeast, activate the yeast by combining it with a tablespoon of the recipe’s sugar and the milk-butter mixture after it has cooled down below 110F (this will take around 10 minutes). Let this sit for 5-10 minutes until it springs to life and the yeast is foamy. Then remainder of the sugar goes with the dry ingredients and you can proceed with the rest of the recipe.
To hand mix this dough, I suggest initially using a stiff spatula or Danish dough whisk, after the ingredients are all added, you can develop the gluten through Rubaud mixing or slapping and folding the dough. Here are videos of these techniques.
For the most symmetric dough log, you can trim the rolled out rectangle to have clean edges, which will reduce the taper at each end after you roll it up.
After cutting the chilled dough logs down the middle, I like to rotate one of the pieces 180 degrees before twisting. This way, if your cut wasn’t quite in the center of the log, the loaf volume is still consistent from one end to the other. Also, each end of the loaf has one log end with the 1/2 inch bare of topping.
Photo Gallery
Shopping List
High Protein Bread Flour
Parchment Paper Sheets — 200 Sheets
$19.00USA Pan Half Sheet Pan
$23.00Dough Rising and Storage Bucket w/Lid – 6 qt. Round
Expandable Cooling Rack
American Made Bread Loaf Pan from USA Pan
Mrs. Anderson’s Non-Stick Silicone Baking Mat
$11.00$9.00Baguette Flipping Board
Breadtopia’s Choice Kitchen Scale
$18.00Chocolate Hazelnut Babka