Babka is something that I most recently learned to make within the past year and a half. Add I really love it. I can’t imagine why I hadn’t made it before then. Those extra soft layers of dough intertwined with ribbons of chocolate or cinnamon sugar… The best!
For this Babka, I decided to do something a little different. This time I used hazelnut spread and lots of salted caramel. I’ve never tried it before but what a winning combination it was!
After you roll out the dough, you spread a layer of chocolate hazelnut spread then drizzle a good amount of salted caramel on top of it. Add some chopped hazelnuts or walnuts. Roll it up and slice it down the middle before you twist the two pieces together.
It’s a symphony of chocolate caramel heaven!
Recipe:
Ingredients
Dough
• 1 package yeast
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 cups flour
• 6 tbsp butter, softened
• 1 cup Hazelnut Spread
• 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts or walnuts, plus 1 tbsp
Salted Caramel
•1 cup sugar
•1/2 heavy cream
•2 tbsp butter
•1 tsp salt
Egg wash:
1 egg
1 tsp water
Instructions
Dough
1. Warm buttermilk in the microwave until slightly warm but not hot. Pour in a standing mixer bowl. Sprinkle yeast on top. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Add sugar, salt, vanilla, and egg. Attach dough hook and turn on the machine. Add the flour a cup at a time. After the flour is in, add the softened butter a tbsp at a time. Let the dough kneed for a few minutes. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, divide dough in half. Wrap one half in plastic wrap and place into a zip bag for another time. This would be enough dough for two babkas.
Roll out the second half of dough into a rectangle.
Caramel:
In a saucepan, place the sugar over medium heat. Let the sugar melt completely. Stir slowly as it melts and turns Amber. When all of the sugar is dissolved, add the heavy cream. Stir. Then add the butter and salt. When the butter is melted, turn off the heat and let it cool.
Assembly:
Spread chocolate hazelnut filling on top of dough until the entire area is covered.
With a spoon, drizzle about 1/2 cup of the salted caramel over the spread. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup walnuts.
Roll dough up lengthwise. Cut down the middle so that you have 2 halves. Twist each half together, and place in a parchment lined bread pan. Let rise for an hour.
Beat egg and water in a small bowl. Brush egg wash over the top of the bread. Sprinkle with the 1 tablespoon of walnuts.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until browned. Cool on wire rack. Drizzle some additional caramel on top if desired.
