Homemade Nutella Babka

1. 1Mix the brioche dough and let proof for 6 hours or up to overnight in the fridge as directed.
2. 2Preheat the oven to 350°F and place a rack in the center of the oven. Place the nuts on a baking sheet and toast for 6 to 8 minutes, until light golden brown and fragrant; break a few open to check. Remove from the oven (turn off the oven), let the nuts cool, then rough-chop them. Line two 9 × 5-inch loaf pans with parchment paper or butter them generously, and set them aside. Make the Nutella.
3. 3Generously flick flour over the work surface. Divide the brioche dough in half and roll out one half into a rectangle about 20 inches wide from side to side and 12 inches long from top to bottom. Brush off any loose flour from the surface of the dough. Mix the Nutella vigorously with a spoon to soften and loosen it. Using an offset spatula, spread half the Nutella evenly over the dough. Sprinkle half the chopped nuts and half the chocolate evenly over the Nutella. Roll the dough tightly, starting from the top and rolling downward in a spiral like a jelly roll. Repeat with the other half of the brioche dough. Place the dough rolls on a flat plate or baking sheet in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes. (This will make twisting them together a bit easier to handle, and they’ll be less likely to fall apart.)
4. 4Remove the dough rolls from the freezer. Cut one of the dough rolls lengthwise straight down the middle completely in half, exposing the layers. Place one cut half across the center of the other cut half, making an X shape. Twist the dough on either side of the center around each other, keeping the exposed cut sides of the dough visible, so that you have a long twisted braid of dough. Fold the dough braid in half like a horseshoe, give it a twist so the Nutella is now hidden inside, and place in a prepared loaf pan, tucking in any overhanging or loose dough. Repeat with the second dough roll. Cover both babkas with plastic wrap or lint-free towels and place in a warm area in the kitchen. Let the babkas proof and grow for 1 ½ to 2 hours, until they are billowing and soft and full.
5. 5Make the hazelnut syrup.
6. 6Preheat the oven to 350°F and place a rack in the center of the oven. Remove the plastic wrap or towels and bake the babkas for 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pans and switching their positions midway through the baking time, until the babkas are medium golden brown and sound hollow when you thump them on the bottom.
7. 7Remove the babkas from the oven and while warm, brush them with the hazelnut syrup. Let cool in the pans on a wire rack.
8. 8Babka can be stored in a paper bag at room temperature for 1 day. You can also freeze it, well wrapped in plastic, for up to 2 weeks. Refresh in a 300°F oven for about 10 minutes before serving.

To make the Master Brioche Dough:

1. 1In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, combine the all-purpose flour, bread flour, yeast, sugar, salt, ½ cup/120 grams cold water, and the eggs. Mix on low speed until the ingredients have come together, 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape the bowl as necessary to make sure all the flour is incorporated into the wet ingredients. Mix on low for another 3 to 4 minutes once the dough has come together. It will be very stiff.
2. 2Add the butter to the dough piece by piece and continue mixing on low for about 10 minutes. The butter needs to mix completely into the dough, so stop the mixer occasionally to scrape the sides of the bowl and break up the dough with your hands if necessary to help the butter mix in.
3. 3Once the butter is completely incorporated into the dough, mix on medium for another 15 minutes, until the dough becomes sticky and soft and somewhat shiny. # Turn the mixer up to medium-high and mix for about 1 minute — you should hear a slap-slap-slap sound as the dough hits the sides of the bowl. Test the dough by pulling at it — it should stretch a bit and have a little give. If it seems wet and loose and more like a batter than a dough, add a few tablespoons of either all-purpose or bread flour and mix until it comes together. If it breaks off into pieces when you pull at it, continue to mix it on medium for another 2 to 3 minutes, until it develops more strength and stretches when you grab it. When it’s ready you should be able to gather it all together and pick it up all as one piece.
   Place the dough in a large bowl or plastic container and cover the top with plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface of the dough to prevent a skin from forming. Let the dough proof in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or up to overnight. The dough is now ready to use.

To make the Homemade Nutella:

1. 1Preheat the oven to 350°F and place a rack in the center of the oven. Place the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast for 8 to 10 minutes, until they are light golden brown and fragrant; break a few open to check. Remove from the oven and let cool.
2. 2In a small saucepan, combine the cream and hazelnuts. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
3. 3Place the milk and dark chocolates in a medium metal or heatproof glass bowl. Pour the hot cream and nuts over the chocolate and whisk until the chocolates are melted. Add the salt. Pour the mixture into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl or storage container and let cool to room temperature. It will thicken and become spreadable.
4. 4Nutella can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. Bring the Nutella to room temperature before using.

To make the Hazelnut Syrup:

1. 1Preheat the oven to 350°F and place a rack in the center of the oven. Place the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast for 8 to 10 minutes, until light golden brown and fragrant; break a few open to check. Remove from the oven.
2. 2In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and hazelnuts with 1/2 cup/120 grams water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved and the hazelnuts have softened. Remove from the heat and let sit for 30 minutes.
3. 3Pour the mixture into a blender or food processor and blend until the nuts are completely ground into tiny pieces. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the solids.
4. 4The syrup can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 months.

Housemade Nutella Babka is excerpted from “Pastry Love: A Baker’s Journal of Favorite Recipes” © 2019 by Joanne Chang. Photography © 2019 by Kristin Teig. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.