It feels that ‘babka’, the braided sweet brioche bread with chocolate filling, has become more and more popular lately. In Romania we call it ‘cozonac’ and it is actually our traditional Christmas sweet treat. But I remember of it as being such a complicated bake. And mother and grandmothers always talked about how much and how well you have to knead that dough. Slap it and fold it and it would take a lot of time and energy. So having that picture in mind, I thought why bother? Until I heard there was a no-knead babka version.
First Christmas in Denmark and I decided to try make ‘cozonac’ myself. And I chose of course to try a recipe for no-knead babka. I hadn’t gotten my powerful stand mixer back then, so I was not planning to workout kneading that dough by hand. Plus I was curious to see if it works. And to my surprise… oh my God, did I make a delicious and fluffy ‘cozonac’!
So basically that’s how I ended up making only no-knead babka, even though I have a machine that could do the work for me. It’s simply no fuss and I love using less yeast and letting time do the work for me. Because now, when I know how gluten works, it kind of makes sense that it works just fine without kneading, especially if you don’t have a mixer to help you.
The traditional Romanian Christmas dessert
There’s no Christmas without ‘cozonac’ on the table in Romania. The classical one comes with ground toasted walnut and cocoa filling, to which we also add either raisins or chopped walnuts or chopped Turkish delight. Or all of them. Another type of filling, quite popular among families in some regions, is the poppy seed one.
In my family we used to make the walnut-cocoa filling, with raisins for my parents (I used to hate raisins as a child). And one with walnut-cocoa and Turkish delight for me. Some people are serving it next to a glass of warm milk. I loved it with a glass of cold buttermilk. I somehow enjoyed the combination of sweet and sour. And I still do, for that matter.
The version I’m sharing here with you is quite a personal one. I’ve tried various combinations over the last three years, and I can say that until now, this is my favourite combo: hazelnut-chocolate filling with orange liqueur and candied orange peel (find recipe here). But with the filling it’s up to everyone really, you can just choose one to your liking.
Before you dig in…
The recipe is quite long, as there are quite a few elements to work on, and I’ve tried to describe each step as detailed as possible. It might look intimidating, I know, but the active work involved is not even that much. It’s not a super easy one, no, but it’s worth giving it a try, I promise.
You must also know that I prefer my deserts not too sweet, so the below recipe, just as others on my blog, include less sugar than in the regular recipe. So if you know you have a sweet tooth, you might want to increase the amount of sugar used in the dough (maybe add a couple extra tbsp). And the filling it’s based on the sweetness that comes from the chocolate and the hazelnut nougat, nothing extra. You can tweak it and add a tsp. powdered sugar to it if you’re rather on the sweet side.
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 50g butter
- 300ml lukewarm milk
- 100g sugar
- 10g fresh yeast
- 500g strong white flour
- a pinch of salt
- 2 egg yolks
- 1tsp good vanilla extract
- zest from one orange (organic)
For the filling:
- 110g hazelnuts (blanched and roasted)
- 50g dark chocolate (about 50%)
- 50g soft hazelnut nougat
- 100ml whipping cream
- optional: 15ml orange liqueur (ex. Cointreau, Grand Marnier)
- candied orange peel
To brush the babka:
- one egg/egg yolk
- 1-2 tbsp. milk
- orange syrup or 20g sugar & 20g water
Tools
- mixing bowls
- spatula
- grater
- sauce pan
- dough scraper
- rolling pin
- a loaf tin (mine is 27 x 11 cm)
- pastry brush
Instructions
Day 1 – prep the dough
1. Since this is a no-knead recipe, you’ll need to let time do the work for you. So make sure you start putting together the dough the day before you want to bake. Begin with the butter. Add it in a small saucepan and place on medium heat. Shake the saucepan to help melting, then let it brown. As soon as it starts foaming, just keep an eye on it. Separate the foam and transfer the clean part to a small bowl. You can use a strain and a cloth to do so, I just separate it with a tablespoon, since the browned solids are sinking. Set aside.
2. Heat the milk so that it’s warm to touch. In your mixing bowl weigh the sugar and pour the warm milk on top, then the fresh yeast, rubbing it between your fingers. Use a whisk to help the yeast and sugar dissolve.
3. In a separate bowl weigh and mix the flour and a pinch of salt. Then add to the bowl with the milk-yeast-sugar mixture. After that add the freshly grated orange or lemon (or both) zest. I like to grate mine directly into the bowl, that way I make sure all the oils make it into the dough. If you don’t have fresh one, just add a heaped teaspoon from your jar of citrus preserve. Add the egg yolks and the vanilla extract and mix everything together with a spatula, until combined. No need to knead. Then add the browned butter, 2 tbsp. at a time, incorporating after each addition. I am using my hand at this point, as it goes a bit faster than with the spatula. The second the mixture becomes sticky again, I just add the next batch of butter.
4. Lightly oil a large clean bowl or a container. Transfer the dough there, cover, place in a warm place, and let proof for about 1h 1/2, or until it doubles in size. I like to use a transparent container, marking the starting level of the dough, so I can see the evolution. Then place the dough in the fridge and let cold proof overnight (12 to 20 hours).
Day 2 – forming and baking
1. Start working on the filling. In a small saucepan add the chocolate cut in small chunks, the hazelnut nougat also broken in small pieces and the cream to a small saucepan. Place on medium-low heat and stir with a spatula until everything has melted and you get a nice shiny look. Remove from heat, add the liqueur if using, stir until incorporated and set aside.
2. Meanwhile add the hazelnuts to a strong food processor. Start by pulsing a couple of times, then process until you get a smooth buttery consistency. Add the hazelnut cream to the chocolate and stir to incorporate. Let cool down.
3. In the meantime you can fish some orange peel from your jar and cut into small pieces.
4. When the hazelnut-chocolate filling has cooled down to the point that it’s still spreadable but not warm to touch any longer, take the dough out of your fridge. The dough will be very sticky, so make sure you’re oiling your working surface, your hands and the rolling pin. Using a lightly oiled dough scraper, remove the dough from its recipient and turn onto the working table. Form it into a rectangle, then roll it out trying to keep the rectangle shape. Make sure it doesn’t stick to the table. Roll until you get a 0,5-1cm thick dough sheet.
5. Spread the filling onto 3/4 of the surface of your dough sheet, so it can stick together and close at the end. Sprinkle the orange peel onto the filling. Start rolling it, like you’d do with a cinnamon roll, then place on a cutting board lined with lightly oiled baking paper and place into the freezer for 30-40min. You’ll have to be fast doing this, to avoid the dough getting warm as it would be more difficult to work with it.
6. Line the loaf pan with baking paper and set aside. Take the roll out of the freezer and with a lightly oiled knife cut it lengthwise, to expose the layers. Place the two parts in a cross, then start braiding towards the edges, forming a spiral, with the layers exposed. Come the edges together and turn under the formed loaf. with your hands lightly oiled move the loaf into the lined pan. Cover with a tea towel and let proof in a warm place for 1h 1/2 to 2h, or until it rises above the edge of the pan. Then turn on the oven and heat at 200C.
7. Meanwhile prepare the egg wash. In a small bowl add the egg/egg yolk and milk. Lightly beat with a fork. Then brush the babka with it. Bake for around 40 minutes in the preheated oven at 200C bottom-top heat (fan off), or until the top becomes dark brown. You can do the skewer test, but it’s very likely it will anyways come out dirty from the filling, but you don’t want make sure there’s no raw dough on it.
8. Take out of the oven and brush while hot with orange syrup from the candied peels. If you don’t have any, just make a quick sugar syrup out of 20g sugar and 20g water while the babka is baking. Let cool for one hour in the tin. Then take out and let rest on a cooling rack. Do not cut until completely cooled down, ideally the next day after baking it. If you, however, can’t resist the smell, you can just pull it apart and have a taste of it while it’s freshly baked. But it will be impossible to cut with a knife – it’s incredibly soft.
Enjoy with a glass of warm milk, or cold buttermilk. Or maybe next to a cup of tea. If you have a couple slices left after 3-4 days, they make a delicious french toast as well. Unless you want to use the rests for a bread pudding.
Let me know if you’ll give it a try and what’s your favourite way of serving this no-knead babka with hazelnut, chocolate and orange.
No-knead Babka with Hazelnut-Chocolate Filling and Candied Orange Peel
Equipment
- mixing bowls
- spatula
- grater
- sauce pan (optional)
- dough scraper
- Rolling Pin
- loaf tin (I use a 27x11cm)
- pastry brush
Ingredients
For the dough
- 50 g butter browned/melted
- 300 ml milk lukewarm
- 100 g caster sugar
- 10 g fresh yeast
- 500 g strong white flour bread flour (fine)
- 1 pinch of salt
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tsp good vanilla extract
- zest from one orange
For the filling
- 110 g hazelnuts blanched and roasted
- 50 g soft hazelnut nougat
- 50 g dark chocolate about 50%
- 100 ml whipping cream
- 15 ml orange liqueur optional
- candied orange peel
To brush the loaf
- 1 egg/ egg yolk
- 1-2 tbsp milk
- orange syrup (or 20g sugar & 20g water)
Instructions
Day 1
- Put the dough together the evening before the bake. In small sauce pan brown the butter and then set aside. Alternatively, you can just use melted butter instead.
- In a large mixing bowl add the lukewarm milk, the sugar and the yeast and mix with a fork or whisk until dissolved. Then add the flour, egg yolks, vanilla extract and freshly grated citrus zest. Mix everything together with a spatula, until combined and there's no more dry flour left. Add the browned (or melted) butter and incorporate squeezing with your hand until the dough becomes smooth again.
- Lightly oil a clean bowl or a transparent container and transfer the dough to it. Cover and let sit in a warm place until it's risen with about 50% or so. Then place in the fridge overnight (min. 12h).
Day 2
- Prep your filling. In a small saucepan add the chocolate, the hazelnut nougat (cut into small pieces) and the whipping cream and place on medium-low heat. Stir with a silicone spatula until everything is melted and combined, then set aside.
- Meanwhile add the hazelnuts to a food processor and whizz until creamy. Transfer to the nougat-chocolate mixture and mix until combined.
- Take some candied orange peel from your jar and cut into small pieces. Check notes for recipe link.
- Take the dough out of the fridge and transfer to your oiled working surface. With a lightly oiled rolling pin roll the dough into a rectangle (about 0.5-1cm. thick).
- Spread the filling onto 3/4 of the surface of your dough sheet, so it can stick together and close at the end. Sprinkle the orange peel and then start rolling it, like you’d do with a cinnamon roll. Place on a cutting board lined with lightly oiled baking paper and set into the freezer for 30-40min.
- Line the loaf pan with baking paper and set aside. Take the roll out of the freezer and cut it lengthwise, to expose the layers. Place the two parts in a cross, then start braiding towards the edges, forming a spiral, with the layers exposed. Come the edges together and turn under the formed loaf. Transfer the babka into the lined pan. Cover with a tea towel and let proof in a warm place for 1h 1/2 to 2h, or until it rises above the edge of the pan. Then turn on the oven and heat at 200C.
- Lightly beat the egg/ egg wash with milk, then brush the babka before baking. Bake for around 40 minutes in the preheated oven (fan off), or until the top becomes dark brown and a skewer comes out clean of raw dough.
- If you're not using/ adding homemade candied orange, you'll need to make some syrup while the babka is baking. In a small saucepan add 20g sugar and 20g water and place on medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Then slowly boil for a few minutes until syrupy, add a couple peels from a lemon or orange and set aside.
- Take the loaf out of the oven and brush hot with the orange or and let cool in the tin for an hour. Then remove from tin and cool completely on a cooling rack. Do not cut until it has cooled down. Enjoy next to a glass of warm milk or tea!
I love babka or cozonac, how we call it in Romania. This one is especially delicious and full of different flavors. The recipe is easy to follow, and the end result will for sure not dissapoint you. So, give it a try!
This is my childhood cake which my mom used to bake for every holiday.
And there ‘s this unwritten rule which says that one loves their mom’s recipes best.
But not this time!
Ioana’s recipe is sooo delicious, everyone in the family loves it (including my mom). At home, this is our to go recipe for every Christmas and Easter.
I’ve managed to make my first cozonac using this recipe. The end result was better than expected.
Thanks for giving it a try in the first place, and nevertheless for always sharing your cozonac with us <3
Easy to follow