If I told you that this babka was the best thing I've ever baked, would you believe me?
No, seriously...Something magical happens when brioche is paired with Nutella and a crumble topping.
My husband even agreed, and I'm not going to admit how many pieces I had over the weekend.
You know who else agreed? Our four-legged babka thief of a dog, Ava.
You see, I was trying to photograph this Nutella-filled, straight from heaven bread, and I stepped away for MAYBE 2 milliseconds. All the while, our wily Springer Spaniel was crafting a plan unbeknownst to me. She saw her opportunity and grabbed it...snagging one of the slices right off the plate and literally inhaling it so fast that it was all a blur. The sheer speed at which she made it disappear was impressive.
I was admittedly not thrilled about the whole situation at first, but then I realized...Could I even blame her?? I mean, I would have done the same thing if I were her...hah!
The first chance you get, you've GOT to make this bread. Your waist line might not thank me, but your tastebuds will.
Ingredients:
1 cup + 2 Tbsp whole milk, divided*
1 standard packet active dry or instant yeast (2 1/4
teaspoons)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature and divided
1/2 tsp salt
4 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting/rolling
2 cups Nutella, divided
Crumble Topping:
1/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup cold, unsalted butter, cubed
Instructions:
MAKE THE DOUGH: Heat 1 cup of milk to about 100-110°F.
Pour the warm milk into the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with
the dough hook attachment. Manually whisk in the yeast and 2 teaspoons of
the granulated sugar. Cover the bowl with a clean towel. After 5 minutes, the mixture should be nice
and foamy.
On low speed, beat in the remaining sugar and the softened butter until butter is slightly broken up. Next beat in 1 whole egg plus 1 egg yolk (reserve the egg white) and the salt. At this point, the butter will not be fully incorporated, so don’t worry if it looks like it’s not completely mixing in.
On low speed, gradually add the flour. Once it is all added, beat on medium speed until a soft dough forms, about 1 minute.
Increase speed to medium-high and beat until the dough is soft and supple and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 6 minutes.
Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and form into a ball. Place into a large greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in a warm environment to rise until doubled, about 90 minutes.
Generously grease two 9×5 inch loaf pans with butter or
nonstick spray.
SHAPE THE BABKA: On slightly floured work surface, roll one dough half out into a 9×13 inch rectangle. Spread with 1 cup of Nutella, leaving a 1/2 inch border uncovered.
Tightly roll the dough into a 13-inch log. Place the log on its seam. Using a sharp knife, cut the log in half lengthwise. Form a large X shape with the two dough logs on your floured work surface, by criss-crossing one half, cut side down, on top of the other half.
On one side of your “X” shape, grab the two pieces and twist them together. Repeat on the other side, so that the entire log is twisted. Place in prepared loaf pan and cover with a clean towel. Repeat with 2nd half of dough. Be prepared for this step to be a little messy!
In short, you are simply making a big X with your two dough pieces, and then twisting the pieces together!
Allow both shaped (and covered) loaves to rest for 10-20 minutes as you prepare the crumble topping and preheat the oven.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
MAKE THE CRUMBLE TOPPING: Mix the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Using a pastry cutter, cut the cold butter into the brown sugar mixture until coarse crumbs are formed. Set aside.
Whisk the remaining 2 Tbsp of milk with the leftover egg white, to make your egg wash. Using a pastry brush, brush the babka loaves with egg wash. Top each loaf with crumble topping, making sure to use it all. It’s okay if some falls down the sides of the loaves!
BAKE: Bake for 45-50 minutes or until babka is golden brown on top. Gently tap the loaves– if they sound hollow, the bread is done. Remove from the oven, place each pan on a wire rack, and allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Cover and store leftover babka at room temperature for a couple days or in the refrigerator for 1 week. I promise it won’t last long enough to go bad!
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