Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Lightly grease the sides and bottom of a 900g loaf tin with oil or butter.
Make the babka dough
- Measure out the flour and add it to a large mixing bowl or a free-standing mixer.In separate corners of the bowl, add the yeast, salt and sugar. When you are measuring out the salt and sugar, make sure you use your finger to level the teaspoon so that you add just the right amount
- Measure the milk out and heat it gently heat it either in a pan on the hob, or briefly in the microwave. Heat it just until it has warmed slightly – it should be a nice temperature if you put your finger in it. Not too hot.Crack the eggs into a small bowl (just in case any shell goes in), then add the eggs to your milk and whisk them together.
- Make a well in the middle of the flour in your mixing bowl and slowly add the milk/egg mixture.Mix everything together, either with the dough hook of your free-standing mixer or wooden spoons. Keep mixing it for a few minutes on a slow speed until it has all come together. It will be quite a firm dough at this point.
- Measure out the butter and cut it into small pieces. If it's not soft, pop it in the microwave for a few seconds – just long enough to soften it, no melt it.Turn the speed up on your mixer, and add the butter, a little piece at a time. Let the butter mix in completely before adding the next piece.Keep kneading the dough until it is no longer sticky, but nice and smooth and silky.
Make the Nutella babka
- On a lightly floured work surface roll out the dough to a 40 x 30xm rectangle (approximately).
- Now, gently spread the Nutella all over your dough with the back of a spoon, leaving a 1cm border around the edges. You might find it easier to heat the Nutella a little in the microwave beforehand to make it more spreadable.
- Starting with the longest edge closest to you, roll up the babka into a tight spiral. When you're finished put the seam underneath. Trim each end a little to neaten up the edges.
- Turn the dough 90 degrees so that the small spiral end is facing you. Starting a few inches from the top, cut the babka dough in half lengthways down through the middle, cutting it into 2 long pieces that are joined at the top.
- Lift one side over the top of the other, and repeat all the way down until you have a two-stranded plait.
- Now you need to lift the babka and place it into your prepared tin. We folded ours in half first so that it would fit more easily.Cover your baking tin with cling film / glad wrap or a clean tea towel and leave it somewhere warm to rise. Leave it for an hour or two until it has doubled in size.
Bake the Nutella babka
- Heat your oven to 190C / 170C Fan / 375F.
- Bake your Nutella babka for 15 minutes, then turn the heat down to 170C / 150C Fan / 325F and bake it for a further 25-30 minutes.
- When it's ready it should have browned nicely on top and and skewer or sharp knife inserted into the middle should come out clean. If it's browning too much on top before it's ready, cover it with foil.
Make the glaze (optional)
- If you want to glaze the top of your babka, heat the sugar with 100ml of water in a small pan until the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat and leave it simmering for 5 minutes until it's nice and thick and syrupy.Brush the glaze on top of the babka while it's still warm.
- Serve and enjoy.