Chocolate Hazelnut Babka Buns

Name: Chocolate hazelnut babka buns
Prep time: 150 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 170 min
Ingredients: 500 g strong white bread flour ((plus extra for dusting)); 40 g caster sugar; 7 g dried yeast; 1 tsp salt; 1 medium lemon ((zest only)); 275 ml milk of choice ((I've used oat milk)); 75 g unsalted butter or vegan spread; 2 medium eggs ((1 beaten to glaze)); 75 g unsalted butter or vegan spread; 75 g dark chocolate ((min 70% solids)); 2 tbsp icing sugar; 2 tbsp cocoa powder; 75 g roughly chopped hazelnuts ((or any other nuts of choice))

Published: Mar 18, 2019 · Modified: May 12, 2020 by Anna · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · 47 Comments

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These chocolate hazelnut babka buns will quickly become your favourite weekend baking project! Soft, fluffy dough filled with dark chocolate and crunchy nuts make a delicious treat for the whole family!

Overhead shot of 3 individual chocolate hazelnut babka buns resting on small white plates

Happy Monday!

Where did the weekend go? I seriously feel like this year is flying by, we are almost at the end of March already! There's some good news... in less than two weeks, the clocks will be going back! Heck YES to all that daylight!

I'm kicking off this week with the recipe I have been obsessed with lately. So much so, that I've made it four times last week. Yup, you've heard that right! Soft and fluffy dough folded and twisted with layers of indulgent, dark chocolate and crunchy hazelnuts makes an irresistible treat for the whole family!

overhead shot of a single chocolate hazelnut babka bun on a small white plate

Chocolate hazelnut babka buns

I've been a fan of chocolate babka (or any type of babka) since I can remember. Being born and raised in Poland, these are one of the country traditional bakes, and truly loved by most of the Eastern Europe. Yes, they do take a little effort to make, but the results are soooo delicious and satisfying! Once you start making your own, you will never look back or think of buying it from the shop again!

What ingredients do I need to make chocolate hazelnut babka buns?

To make babka buns, I'm using the exact same dough as you would to make babka itself. It's a simple, yeast- risen dough, and the ingredients include: strong white bread flour, caster sugar, yeast (I'm using fast action dry yeast), salt, lemon zest, egg, butter and milk.

For the filling, you will need dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids), butter, icing sugar and cocoa powder, plus any type of nuts, although they are optional. Pistachios, hazelnuts, pecans, walnuts or almonds will work just fine with this recipe. Alternatively, you can use a ready-made, shop-bought chocolate spread.

Butter and milk can be replaced by dairy-free alternatives, like vegan butter or spread and nut, soy or an oat milk.

How to make chocolate hazelnut babka buns

To knead the dough, you have two options. You can do it all by hand, or in a bowl of a standing mixer fitted with hook attachment. If doing it by hand, it will take longer (10-15 minutes). When using a standing mixer, it should take about 6-8 minutes.

Start by mixing dry ingredients for the dough: flour, sugar, yeast, salt and lemon zest. In a small saucepan, mix the milk and the butter, place it over a low heat and allow all the butter to melt. Set that mixture aside and allow it to cool until it is lukewarm. Add 1 egg into the flour mixture, and gradually start pouring the milk mixture to it, while having the mixer on a low speed.

step one- overhead shots of preparing the dough for chocolate hazelnut babka buns,

After 6-8 minutes your dough should be ready. It should be smooth and elastic, and no longer stick to the sides of the bowl or your hands. Transfer it to the lightly oiled, large bowl, cover with cling film and allow to rise for about an hour or until it has doubled in size.

Prepare the filling while your dough is resting. The filling should be slightly thick in its consistency, it needs to be spreadable and not runny.

step 2- overhead shots of rolling the dough and spreading the chocolate filling and chopped hazelnuts on top

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle, roughly about 60 x 40 cm. Spread the filling on half of the dough, then sprinkle it with chopped nuts (if using).

step 3- overhead shots of folding and cutting the dough into thin strips

Fold the uncovered dough over the filling and gently press it together. Divide it into 12- 15 strips (about 2.5- 3cm thick), and using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, cut the dough. Twist each strip few times, then form a bun/ knot shape. You can watch this video or this video to see how to twist and shape the buns. Place buns on baking trays lined up with baking parchment, cover loosely with cling film and allow them to rise again, for about 45 minutes to an hour.

Overhead shot of two baking sheets with unbaked chocolate hazelnut babka buns ready for the oven

All that is left, is to heat the oven to 170C (fan), brush your buns with some egg wash or milk and bake for about 20 minutes, or until they are golden brown. It is worth adding, that your house will smell like heaven, while they are baking!

After that, they are ready to be demolished. However, to make them even sweeter, some recipes call for coating the buns with simple sugar syrup. I like to eat mine as they are, without the sugar glaze, but if you want to try it, simply boil 75g caster sugar in 75 ml of water together for a couple of minutes. Brush the buns with this glaze while they are still warm. Enjoy!

Overhead shot of chocolate hazelnut babka buns with small cup of coffee on side

Things to remember when making chocolate hazelnut babka buns

The recipe for these babka buns is quite simple and straightforward, but there are few things to watch out for while preparing it.

Use good quality, strong white bread flour. It contains higher gluten content and works better for this type of the dough.

Make sure your yeast is fresh and in date. Old or out of date yeast may cause your dough not to rise.

The dough should be smooth and elastic, easy to work with. You know it's ready when it's no longer sticking to the sides of the bowl or your hands and it's easy to knead it.

Don't worry if your babka buns are uneven in shape. They will still taste delicious!

Overhead shot of big plate filled with chocolate hazelnut babka buns and small plate with one bun

Babka buns are best, while eaten fresh, slightly warm and shortly after they've been taken out of the oven. However, they can be stored in sealed container for up to 3 days.

Overhead shot of baked chocolate hazelnut babka buns on a white background

Thanks for reading today's post! As always, I hope you have enjoyed today's recipe, and would love to hear from you if you try it out! Feel free to leave me a comment and rating below and don't forget, you can follow me on my Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest too!

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