Nutella Babka: A Decadent Treat from Sally's Baking Addiction

Today, we're continuing our mission to venture beyond typical baking boundaries.

We're diving into the intricate layers of babka, a creation that straddles the line between hearty bread and indulgent dessert. This utterly addictive pastry is stuffed with Nutella and crowned with a buttery cinnamon streusel. Its storied past includes a famous boost from Seinfeld (remember the 'lesser babka' joke?), and nowadays, it's a star in New York bakeries.

I've gathered a plethora of step-by-step photos today. Not because babka is especially difficult—rather, I want to demonstrate just how accessible it is. Since yeast bread is our January Baking Challenge, I hope you're feeling confident with yeast! If not, babka makes a fantastic starting point. Wait until you witness how everything comes together. You'll be delighted to find that babka is absolutely something you can—and should—master! No need for fear, I assure you.

We're concentrating on the classic Jewish babka, starting with a brioche dough that's twisted and baked tall in a loaf pan. It emerges golden brown, best savored warm when the Nutella becomes wonderfully gooey. Self-restraint and babka simply don't go together.

Countless babka variations exist. Today's version draws from my cinnamon roll dough. This recipe yields two loaves—freeze one or give it as a gift. Believe me, someone will be thrilled to receive it. 😊

Our Nutella Babka Recipe

Step-by-Step Overview

• Prepare a brioche dough—soft, rich, airy, and intensely buttery
• Allow the dough to rise
• Deflate the dough to expel air pockets
• Split the dough into two portions
• Roll each portion out and spread with Nutella
• Form the babka (see video tutorial below)
• Add streusel topping
• Bake, devour, and get lost in the layers!

You could brush the baked babka with sugar syrup for an extra-crisp crust, but I omitted that step. I enjoyed it just as much without. Feel free to use a homemade chocolate filling—or any filling you like—but I opted for Nutella. Since I want the dough and technique to shine, we'll take a small shortcut with the filling. The bonus? It's Nutella, and it's fantastic.

(By the way, have you tried my Nutella glaze?)

This homemade dough is loaded with eggs, butter, and calories. You'll require yeast, milk, sugar, eggs, butter, and flour—all likely already in your pantry. Either instant or active dry yeast works; active dry will need a slightly longer rise.

Let the dough rise in a warm spot until it roughly doubles—about 90 minutes. As I've shown before, I use my oven for this. It's easy: preheat to 200°F (93°C), turn it off, put the dough inside, and leave the door slightly ajar. Let it be and watch it expand!

Once risen, punch down the dough to release air. You'll have a soft, pliable dough. Divide it in half. Avoid my error of trying to make a single loaf—it will overflow the pan and become a misshapen, burnt mess. Oops!

Alright! With the dough split, roll it out, slather on Nutella, and shape the babka. It can be a bit fiddly, so watch my demonstration in this low-key video (filmed by Kevin on my phone).

Simply cut the roll lengthwise and twist the two halves together. You've got this!

It gets a bit messy—but aren't the best dishes worth the cleanup? Transfer the twisted loaves to pans, cover, and set aside while you prepare the cinnamon crumble. This resting period allows the dough to relax before baking. Brush each loaf with an egg wash (beaten egg white plus milk), then sprinkle with the crumble.

You might wonder: is the cinnamon crumble essential? Absolutely yes. Isn't cinnamon crumble always essential? You'll only need brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter—simple staples.

Incidentally, the aroma of baking babka rivals the taste. Wait until you experience it. And the best of all? Turning babka into French toast. Enough said.

Why is this Nutella babka so addictive? Because every bite is unique. Some mouthfuls burst with molten Nutella, others with tender, flaky dough and cinnamon crumbles. Every twist is distinct; no two loaves are identical, and it remains moist for days. Good luck keeping it in your kitchen!

Do you have a go-to babka recipe? What fillings do you prefer? I'm thrilled with this result, but I'd love to experiment more!

Ingredients Needed

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (270 ml) whole milk, divided*
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry or instant yeast (one standard packet)*
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened and cut into 4 pieces
• 2 large eggs, room temperature, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 1/4 cups (530 g) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• 2 cups (600 g) Nutella, divided

For the Crumble Topping

• 1/4 cup (50 g) packed brown sugar (light or dark)
• 1/4 cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup (60 g) cold unsalted butter, cubed

Instructions

1. Prepare the dough: Warm 1 cup of milk to around 95°F (35°C) using a microwave or stovetop. Transfer the warm milk to the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook (a hand mixer or no mixer works, but a stand mixer is best). Whisk in the yeast by hand. Cover the bowl with a towel. After 5 minutes, the mixture should appear frothy and foamy.
2. On low speed, mix in the sugar and softened butter until the butter is somewhat broken apart. Then add 1 whole egg plus 1 egg yolk (save the egg white) and the salt. Don't worry if the butter remains in chunks—it's normal. Gradually incorporate the flour on low speed. Once all flour is in, increase to medium speed and beat until a soft dough forms, roughly 1 minute.
3. Raise speed to medium-high and beat until the dough becomes soft, supple, and pulls away from the bowl's sides—about 6 minutes. Without a stand mixer and dough hook, knead by hand during this stage.
4. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a ball. Place it in a large greased bowl, turning to coat the top. (I reuse the mixing bowl—remove dough, grease with nonstick spray or olive oil, then return dough.) Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm spot to rise until doubled, about 90 minutes. For warmth, preheat oven to 200°F (93°C), turn it off, put the bowl inside, and leave the door slightly open.
5. After it has doubled, deflate the dough to expel air bubbles. Remove from bowl onto a lightly floured surface. Punch down again if needed. Use a sharp knife or dough scraper to cut the dough in half. Work with one half at a time, covering the other with a clean towel.
6. Butter or spray two 9x5-inch loaf pans generously.
7. Shape the babka: On a lightly floured surface, roll one dough half into a roughly 9x13-inch rectangle. Spread with 1 cup of Nutella, leaving a 1/2-inch border.
8. Refer to the video above for a visual guide. Tightly roll the dough into a 13-inch log, seam side down. With a sharp knife (serrated works well), cut the log in half lengthwise. Cross one half over the other, cut sides down, to form an X, then twist them together. Transfer to the prepared pan and cover with a towel. Repeat with the remaining dough. Expect some messiness!
9. Let both covered loaves rest for 10–20 minutes while you make the crumble topping and preheat the oven.
10. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
11. Prepare the crumble: In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Use a pastry cutter to work in the cold butter until coarse crumbs form. Set aside.
12. Whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons of milk with the reserved egg white to create an egg wash. Brush the loaves with this mixture—some Nutella may be visible, just do your best. Sprinkle each loaf with the crumble topping.
13. Bake for 45–50 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Remove from oven, set pans on a wire rack, and cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
14. Cover and keep leftovers at room temperature for a few days, or refrigerate for up to a week (though it won't last that long!). Freeze baked babka for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge and bring to room temperature before serving, or reheat in the oven.

Make-ahead tip: After the dough has risen for 2 hours in step 4, punch it down in the bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days. Then continue from step 5. Alternatively, freeze for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge before proceeding.

Notes

1. Whole milk or buttermilk works best for this dough. 2% or 1% are acceptable, but avoid skim. Use 1 cup in the dough and the remaining 2 tablespoons for the egg wash.
2. You can substitute a homemade chocolate fudge filling for the Nutella (this recipe is excellent). But I personally adore the Nutella flavor here.

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Below are the tools I used for this recipe.

KitchenAid Stand Mixer | Stand Mixer Glass Bowl | Dough Scraper | Pastry Cutter | Rolling Pin | Loaf Pan | Pastry Brush

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