Perfect for a hearty autumn breakfast or snack, this babka has a beautiful orange dough infused with pumpkin puree. Inside is a chocolate-hazelnut filling lightly spiced with cinnamon and ginger. The recipe, which combines my favorite challah dough with a homemade variation on Nutella, yields two babka loaves. I often bake one at a time, refrigerating the remaining dough and storing half the chocolate-hazelnut filling for later.
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water
- 4 1/2 teaspoons (2 packets) dry active yeast
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup olive oil or other vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon pumpkin or butternut squash puree
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 4 1/2 cups plus 1-2 tablespoons flour
- 5.5 oz high-quality dark chocolate
- 1 cup hazelnuts, toasted
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2-4 tablespoons coconut oil
Directions
- Prepare the dough: Pour warm water into a large mixing bowl. Gently stir in yeast and granulated sugar. Set aside until bubbly and frothy. Whisk in olive oil, eggs, and pumpkin puree. Stir in flour and salt. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover; let rise for at least an hour, or until approximately doubled in size.
- Prepare the Nutella: In a small food processor or blender, combine dark chocolate, hazelnuts, powdered sugar, cinnamon ginger, and two tablespoons of coconut oil. Process until smooth. If difficult to blend, add one to two more tablespoons of coconut oil. Set aside.
- Assemble: Grease two loaf pans with coconut oil (or other oil) and sprinkle the bottom of each pan generously with flour, tilting the pan back and forth to coat the bottom and sides. Gently shake out excess flour. When dough has finished rising, divide in half. On a well-floured work surface, roll each half of dough into a thin rectangle. Spread half the homemade Nutella mixture evenly over each rectangle. Starting at the bottom of each rectangle, roll up dough tightly, as if forming a jelly roll. Cut each roll in half lengthwise, forming two strands. Twist the strands together as if making a two-strand braid. Pinch the ends.
- Proof and Bake: Transfer loaves to prepared baking pans. Cover babka pans with plastic wrap, a kitchen towel, or a reusable bowl cover and let rise (proof) in a warm place until doubled in size, around one hour. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. When the loaves have finished proofing, uncover pans and bake. Depending on the oven, this can take anywhere from 35 – 50 minutes. Be careful not to over-bake. When ready, the tops and sides will be golden brown and the bottom of each loaf should sound hollow when tapped.
- Cool and serve: Remove from pans and let babkas cool on their sides on a wire cooling rack. By cooling on their sides, the babkas will retain their shape and are less likely to collapse. Once cool, place loaves upright. Slice and serve immediately, or wrap very well in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for one day. Freeze or place in the fridge to prolong freshness. These are best eaten the day of or one day after they are prepared.
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