Last updated on February 11th, 2026.
Soft, buttery dough is rolled thin, slathered with Nutella, then twisted into beautiful layers that bake into glossy, and soft loaves. The outside is lightly crisp and caramelized, while the inside stays tender, fluffy, and filled with ribbons of chocolate-hazelnut goodness in every bite.
Making this delicious Nutella Babka Recipe was the logical step after I developed the ultimate Babka Dough Recipe; it is tender, fluffy, and buttery brioche dough-like.
As it bakes, the dough develops a lightly crisp exterior while keeping its soft, fluffy interior. And the best part? The Nutella holds on to its thick, rich texture in the oven, so every bite is a festival of buttery, nutty flavor with soft, tender, creamy, and slightly crisp layers.
For more sweet bread and Babka Recipes, check out this pistachio Babka, these Israeli Rugelach, and these Cornetti, Italian croissants.
Make It
They are three steps in this recipe (plus one more to make the topping and syrup), please take a moment to carefully read all my tips, tricks and secrets I’ve learned while testing this recipe (along with other dozens babka recipes).
Make the Dough
This recipe starts with my Babka dough. I developed it to be tender and fluffy while still rich in butter. The best part? It doesn’t require a long proof time, just about 90–120 minutes.
- Room-Temperature Ingredients: To ensure the dough comes together smoothly, make sure your eggs, milk, and butter are at room temperature. Otherwise, the dough will be uneven, lumpy, chewy and dense.
- Place the dough in a warm spot in your kitchen, I like to place it in the microwave. Avoid from over proofing it, when that happens, the dough gets a sour, punchy taste and smell. See recipe notes for making this a head of time.
- The dough is ready when it is smooth, elastic and can be a bit sticky. Do not over mix, or add more flour, during the proofing time, the flour will absorb the extra moisture and it will be smooth and not sticky.
- Chill the dough: The dough is soft and tender and can be a bit messy to shape (which is fine!).
Make The Topping & Syrup
Both are optional, but please do not skip them. The topping is kind of an homage to the classic Babka dough which is topped with streusels. The syrup is an iconic step to the Israeli style Babka, it adds another layer of texture that makes you leak your fingers with joy. (and is what Breads Bakery is known for.)
Shape & Bake
This is the fun part and it can also be very messy, personally I do not mind the mess, but if you want to avoid it, chill the dough before rolling, then again before slicing.
- From experience, avoid over filling the dough (as tempting as it may feel). Sprinkle some chocolate chips or chopped hazelnut chocolate over the Nutella instead. Over filling will ooze out during slicing and baking.
- Use a Thermometer: When the babka reaches an internal temperature of about 190-200°F at the center, it’s fully baked. If you do not have a thermometer, use a large wooden skewer: if you feel resistance and/or some raw dough comes out from the center, it is not baked.
Yields
Use the dough to make 2, or 3 babkas. Make 2 if you like thicker layers, or 3 if you like thin layers smothered with Nutella.
Store, Freeze, and Make Ahead
To Store: Store at room temperature for up to one week. I like to keep the loaves in the pan and cover them with aluminum foil or even a tea towel rather than placing them in an airtight container.
To Freeze: Wrap the baked babka in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, place it in a plastic bag, and store it in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw unwrapped at room temperature and warm in the oven before serving.
Nutella Babka Recipe | Breads Bakery Style
Ingredients
For The Dough
- 1 Recipe Babka Dough
For The Filling And Topping
- 2 Cups Nutella
- 1/2 Cup Chopped hazelnuts (50g)
- 1/4 Cup Unsweetened cocoa powder (23g)
- 1/3 Cup Powdered sugar (40g)
- 1/4 Cup Flour (30g)
- 4 Tablespoons Melted butter (55g)
- 1 Egg For egg wash
For The Syrup
- 1 Cup (240ml) Water
- 1 Cup (200g) Sugar
Instructions
Make the dough
- The dough takes about 15 minutes to make and needs about 90-120 minutes to rest for the first rise. For an easy shape, after the first rise, place the dough in the refrigerator to chill for about 30-45 minutes.
- To make the streusel, place all of the ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Use a fork or fingers to mix the ingredients until you have a moist, lumpy mixture. Set it aside until use.
Shape The Babka
- Divide the dough into two equal parts. Each aprox. 485g.
- Grease two eight or nigh-inch pans and line with parchment paper.
- Roll each piece of dough over a lightly floured work surface into a 12×14-inch rectangle.
- Spread half the Nutella over the dough using an offset spatula.
- Roll the dough into a spiral log starting from the long side.
- With the log seam side down, cut it vertically in the middle using a sharp knife.
- Gently twist the two sides around each other.
- Gently lift the log and place it in the prepared pan. Repeat this process with the second piece of dough.
- Brush the loaves with the egg wash and sprinkle with the streusel.
- Set aside in a warm spot to rest for the second rise, about 90-120 minutes. No need to cover the loaves.
Make The Syrup
- Pour the water in medium sauce pan and add the sugar.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook for additional 5-7 minutes.
- Remove from heat, pour into a glass container and refrigerate.
Bake
- Bake the loaves over the middle oven rack in a 350F (180C) preheated oven for 38-44 minutes.
- The Babkas are ready when the temperature at the center of the loaves is 190-200F (98-104C).
- Remove the babkas from the oven and brush them with the chilled syrup. Allow them to cool in the pans for about 30 minutes before inverting and serving.
Notes
- Store at room temperature for up to one week. I like to keep the loaves in the pan and cover them with aluminum foil, rather than placing them in an airtight container.
- Room-Temperature Ingredients: To ensure the dough comes together smoothly, ensure your eggs, milk, and butter are at room temperature.
- Chill the dough: The dough is soft and tender and can be a bit messy to shape (which is fine!). Before you shape it, place it in the fridge for about 30 minutes to minimize the mess.
- Brush the loaves with simple syrup as soon as they come out of the oven for an extra layer of texture. Bring one cup of water with one cup of sugar to a boil, then cook it for 3-5 minutes on medium-low heat.
- This recipe makes 2 eight—or nine-inch loaves, each sliced into 8-12 slices, depending on the size.
- Alternatively, you can make one large babka bread and bake it in a 9—or 10-inch tube pan that yields 18-24 slices, depending on the size.
- To Freeze: Wrap the baked babka in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, place in a plastic bag and store it in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw unwrapped at room temperature and warm in the oven before serving.
- Make-Ahead Option: Reduce the yeast amount to 1 1/2 teaspoons, let it rest for one hour at room temperature then refrigerate overnight. The next day, shape the dough when it is cold, proof and bake.
- To reheat: To reheat a full or slightly less loaf, place it in a 300F preheated oven (150C) for 10-15 minutes. To reheat a slice, reduce the time to 3-5 minutes.
