Hazelnut Sourdough Babka
A sweet and tender sourdough babka swirled with a hazelnut and cinnamon filling. Babka is an enriched twisted bread that is typically made with a buttery brioche-style dough and a variety of sweet or savory fillings. This recipe is made with a rich hazelnut filling, which keeps the babka fresh and moist for longer. It’s naturally leavened with a stiff sourdough starter and can be baked the same day.
Ingredients and Tools You’ll Need
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1
The night before you plan to make the babka, create a sweet stiff leaven: In a glass jar, combine the sourdough starter, sugar, and milk. Mix well and make sure there are no dry patches of flour left. Cover it loosely with a lid and let it rest on the counter overnight. The next morning, the leaven should have doubled in size and look bubbly.
Step 2
The next day, prepare the main dough: Add the sweet leaven, sugar, eggs, and milk to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on medium-high speed with the paddle attachment until well combined. Then switch to the dough hook and add the flour to the bowl. Mix on low speed until the flour is fully incorporated. Increase the speed to setting 2 and knead until the dough starts to release from the sides of the bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and let it rest on the counter for 20 – 30 minutes.
Step 3
Add the salt to the dough and turn the mixer on to low speed again. While the mixer is running, add the butter cubes, one after another, until fully incorporated. Increase the speed to setting 3 and knead until the dough comes back together again. The dough is ready when it releases from the sides of the bowl and clings to the dough hook. Depending on your stand mixer, this might take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes. After kneading, the dough should feel smooth and slightly tacky to the touch but no longer sticky. Transfer it to a lightly buttered bowl and let it rest in a warm spot (28 °C) for around 4 – 4.5 hours. By the end of the bulk fermentation, you should see lots of small air bubbles throughout the dough. If it still looks dense, it needs more time to rise and / or a warmer environment.
Step 4
While the dough is resting, prepare the filling: In a small saucepan, bring the milk, sugar, and cinnamon to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Then, stir in the hazelnuts. Take it off the heat and transfer the filling to a small bowl. Let it cool down to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest on the counter until the dough is ready to be shaped.
Step 5
Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and set it aside. After the bulk fermentation, turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Lightly flour your rolling pin and roll the dough out into a rectangle. The short side of the rectangle should roughly be the length of your loaf pan. Spread the hazelnut filling over the dough. Starting from the short edge, tightly roll the dough up. With a sharp knife, cut the roll in half lengthwise. Then twist the strands together with the cut-side facing up (see video below.) Transfer the twisted dough into the prepared loaf pan and proof it in a warm spot for 3 hours. Pre-heat the oven to 175 °C during the last 30 minutes of the final proof.
Step 6
Bake the babka for around 45 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 88° C. If the top browns too quickly, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.
Step 7
While the babka is baking, prepare the syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the babka is done, take it out of the oven and immediately brush it with the syrup. This creates a nice and shiny surface and keeps the babka fresh for longer. Let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then transfer it to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.
Sample Baking Schedule
Day 1
Day 2
Common Questions About Babka
More Sourdough Recipes You May Like:
Hazelnut Sourdough Babka
Equipment
- Digital kitchen scale – for best results, always weigh your ingredients. It’s more accurate than measuring by volume.
- Stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and dough hook – for this brioche-style dough it’s best to use a stand mixer for easy kneading.
- Glass bowl – to proof the dough.
- Tea towel or plastic bag – to cover the dough while resting.
- Small saucepan – to make the filling.
- Rolling Pin – to roll out the dough.
- Offset-spatula or spoon – to spread the filling.
- Sharp knife – to cut the dough roll in half.
- Loaf pan – ca. 25 cm length.
- Parchment paper – to line the loaf tin.
- Pastry brush – to brush the syrup over the babka.
Ingredients
For the sweet stiff leaven:
- 30 g Sourdough starter
- 15 g Sugar
- 40 g Milk – cold from the fridge
- 80 g Flour – all-purpose or bread flour
For the main dough:
- 150g g Sweet leaven
- 2 Eggs – medium-sized
- 95 g Milk – whole milk, lukewarm around 30° C
- 50 g Sugar
- 300 g Flour – "Tipo 00" or all-purpose with 11-12 % protein
- 6 g Salt – fine grain sea salt
- 75 g Butter – unsalted butter, cubed and softened but not melted
For the filling:
- 150 g Milk
- 60 g Sugar
- 1 tsp Cinnamon – ground
- 300 g Hazelnuts – ground and roasted
For the syrup:
- 30 g Water
- 30 g Sugar
Instructions
- The night before you plan to make the babka, create a sweet stiff leaven: In a glass jar, combine the sourdough starter, sugar, and milk. Mix well and make sure there are no dry patches of flour left. Cover it loosely with a lid and let it rest on the counter overnight. The next morning, the leaven should have doubled in size and look bubbly.
- The next day, prepare the main dough: Add the sweet leaven, sugar, eggs, and milk to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on medium-high speed with the paddle attachment until well combined. Then switch to the dough hook and add the flour to the bowl. Mix on low speed until the flour is fully incorporated. Increase the speed to setting 2 and knead until the dough starts to release from the sides of the bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and let it rest on the counter for 20 – 30 minutes.
- Add the salt to the dough and turn the mixer on to low speed again. While the mixer is running, add the butter cubes, one after another, until fully incorporated. Increase the speed to setting 3 and knead until the dough comes back together again. The dough is ready when it releases from the sides of the bowl and clings to the dough hook. Depending on your stand mixer, this might take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes. After kneading, the dough should feel smooth and slightly tacky to the touch but no longer sticky. Transfer it to a lightly buttered bowl and let it rest in a warm spot (28 °C) for around 4 – 4.5 hours. By the end of the bulk fermentation, you should see lots of small air bubbles throughout the dough. If it still looks dense, it needs more time to rise and / or a warmer environment.
- While the dough is resting, prepare the filling: In a small saucepan, bring the milk, sugar, and cinnamon to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Then, stir in the hazelnuts. Take it off the heat and transfer the filling to a small bowl. Let it cool down to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest on the counter until the dough is ready to be shaped.
- Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and set it aside. After the bulk fermentation, turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and roll it out into a rectangle. The short side of the rectangle should roughly be the length of your loaf pan. Spread the hazelnut filling over the dough. Starting from the short edge, tightly roll the dough up. With a sharp knife, cut the roll in half lengthwise. Then twist the strands together with the cut-side facing up (see video below.) Transfer the twisted dough into the prepared loaf pan and proof it in a warm spot for 3 hours. Pre-heat the oven to 175 °C during the last 30 minutes of the final proof.
- Bake the babka for around 45 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 88° C. If the top browns too quickly, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.
- While the babka is baking, prepare the syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the babka is done, take it out of the oven and immediately brush it with the syrup. This creates a nice and shiny surface and keeps the babka fresh for longer. Let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then transfer it to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.
