Ingredients
- 4 ½ cups flour
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ cup lukewarm water
- ¾ cup plus 2 Tbsp butter or margarine, melted
- ½ cup milk or almond milk
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Chocolate hazelnut spread such as Nutella
- 2/3 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
Preparation
- Place yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Add lukewarm water and set aside until foamy, around 5-10 minutes.
- In a stand mixer fitted with dough hook, mix together flour, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, mix together melted butter (or margarine) and milk (or almond milk).
- Put mixer on low and begin adding the water yeast mixture, then the butter-milk mixture. Add the eggs one at a time.
- When the dough begins to come together, after about 3-5 minutes, raise the speed to high and mix for another 5-10 minutes until the dough is shiny and elastic.
- Place dough in a greased bowl with a damp towel on top. Allow to rise until it has doubled, about 1-2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cut dough into three equal parts. Roll out dough until it is a rectangular-like shape. Spread with chocolate-hazelnut spread. Working from the longest side, roll up dough using quick fingers, like you would in order to make cinnamon rolls.
- Once the dough is a long log, cut it straight down the middle so the filling is exposed. Secure the ends on one side, and twist both the pieces . Pinch and secure at the other end.
- Place in a greased loaf pan.
- Bake for 35 minutes.
- While the babka is baking, combine 2/3 cup water, 1 cup sugar and 1 tsp vanilla in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Once it comes to a boil, remove from heat and swirl around to ensure all the sugar is dissolved.
- About 20-25 minutes into baking, spoon about half the syrup onto the baking babkas.
- When you take the babkas out of the oven after they have baked completely, immediately drizzle brush the remaining syrup on top of all three babkas. It may seem like a lot of syrup, but this ensures a moist and gooey babka.