Cookie Butter & Nutella Babka

For the dough:

• ½ cup whole milk, warm (120-130℉)

• 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast

• ¼ cup granulated sugar

• 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, room temperature

• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, cubed

For the filling:

• ½ cup cookie butter

• ¼ cup Nutella

For the simple syrup:

• ¼ cup water

• ¼ cup granulated sugar

Adapted from A Cookie Named Desire

1. In a bowl, mix together the milk, yeast, and a pinch of the sugar together and set aside until bubbly, about 5 minutes.

2. In another bowl,mix together the remaining sugar, egg, and yolk together.

3. In a stand mixer, add flour and salt. Using a dough hook, mix in the yeast mixture as well as the yolk mixture until it starts to come together. Knead for about 8 minutes. While it is kneading, add in the butter a few cubes at a time.

4. Take out the dough and form into a ball. It should be smooth, soft, and slightly sticky.

5. Oil a bowl and place the dough inside. Cover with a dish towel and allow the dough to rise for about an hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

6. Lightly flour a flat surface, then roll out the dough into a large rectangle.

7. Slightly warm the cookie butter in a microwave and spread it over the dough, leaving a small border along each side. Drizzle Nutella over top of cookie butter.

8. Roll the dough along the long side until it forms a long log. Cut the log in half lengthwise using a serrated knife and place the halves cut side up.

9. Twist the two halves together, keeping the cut sides up. Place in a greased 9x5 loaf pan.

10. Cover again with a dish towel and allow to rise for another hour.

11. Preheat the oven to 350°F, and bake for about 30-45 minutes.

12. While the babka is baking, combine the water and granulated sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat until the sugar has completely melted, making simple syrup.

13. As soon as babka has finished baking, poke holes all over babka using a knife and immediately pour the simple syrup over top.

14. Allow the babka to cool in the loaf pan for 10-15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. Cool completely before cutting. Enjoy!