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nut roll
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Nut roll with chocolate

Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
resting time2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 16 servings
Author: Aleksandra

Ingredients

for the dough:

  • 1.4 oz fresh yeast (40g) or 2 packets instant dry yeast, fast acting (0.5oz/14g)
  • 1/3 cup + 4 ts warm milk (100ml/100g/3.5oz)
  • 4 cups flour 17.6oz/500g, spoon and leveled
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature
  • 2 large egg yolks or 1 whole small egg, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar 3.5oz/100g
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup soft butter 4oz/115g

for the filling:

  • 1 cup ground almonds 3.5oz/100g, or hazelnuts
  • 2 cups ground walnuts 7oz/200g, or hazelnuts
  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar 2.1oz/60g
  • 1/4 cup honey 3oz/85g
  • 1/2 cup butter 4oz/115g
  • 1 large apple peeled and grated
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • zest grated from 2 large oranges preferably organic
  • 4 oz milk chocolate 115g, finely chopped
  • large pinch of salt

egg wash:

  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • pearl sugar optional, for sprinkling

Instructions

  • Make the dough:
    Fresh yeast: crumble the yeast in the mixing bowl, add 1 Tbsp of sugar (take it from the measured 1/2 cup sugar), pour in warm milk (temperature should be about 110°F to 115°F / 43°C - 46°C, it should be pleasantly warm, can’t be too warm or it will kill the yeast or too cold because they won’t work). Stir everything together and set aside for 10-15 minutes. There should be foam on top of the mixture. If there is no foam, you need to start over (the yeast were dead).
    Dry yeast: pour the warm milk into the mixing bowl (temperature should be about 104°F/40°C, it should be pleasantly warm, can’t be too warm or it will kill the yeast or too cold because they won’t work). Sprinkle the yeast over the milk and add 1 Tbsp of sugar (take it from the measured 1/2 cup sugar). Stir everything together and set aside for 5-10 minutes. There should be foam on top of the mixture. If there is no foam, you need to start over (the yeast were dead).
    Add all the other ingredients to the bowl (flour, salt, eggs, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla extract, very soft butter). Knead until a smooth dough forms, it should be elastic and not stick to your hands, but it will be rather loose. When using a stand mixer fitted with a hook attachment, it should take about 5 minutes, if you make it by hand it will definitely be longer.
  • The first rise: Cover the bowl with a kitchen cloth and set aside in a warm place, until it doubles its volume. It can take about 2-3h.
  • Prepare the filling: Melt the butter, peel, core and grate the apple (on the big holes of a box grater), chop the chocolate. Mix all the ingredients for the filling together until combined.
  • Shape the wreath: Roll out the dough into a long rectangle. Sprinkle the dough with flour or use a silicone rolling mat – the dough won’t stick to it and additional flour won't be necessary. Spread the filling over the dough. Roll up the dough, starting from the long side that is closest to you, into a tube. Cut the roll in half lengthwise, all the way through. Gently wrap each part over the other, like a two-strand braid, then form a wreath. Transfer into a baking tray lined with baking paper. The wreath should be as large as possible so that the dough with so much filling can properly bake on the inside. You can still stretch the wreath a little on the baking paper. It will increase its volume significantly during baking.
  • The second rise: Set aside for a second rise for 30 minutes (the dough will now only slightly increase its volume).
  • Egg brush: In a small bowl, beat an egg with a tablespoon of milk, brush the dough with the egg wash. Optionally, sprinkle the wreath with pearl sugar.
  • In the meantime, set the oven to 180°C / 350°F, Gas Mark 4, no fan. Bake for about 35 minutes. After about 20-25 minutes of baking time, check if the cake doesn’t brown too much, if so, cover it loosely with a piece of aluminum foil.
  • Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack, allow to cool before cutting into portions!
  • Enjoy!

Video

Notes

  • How to make ahead: Making the yeast wreath can also be divided into two days. Make the dough and filling on the first day. The dough should be left to rise for about an hour in a warm place, then put it in the fridge. On the next day, remove the dough from the fridge, leave for 30 minutes in a warm place, then roll out and proceed as described in the recipe. Yeast cake, that is allowed to rise for a longer period of time in the fridge, is a little tastier.
  • How to freeze the dough: The dough and the filling can be frozen (separately). Allow the dough to perform its first rise (leave it in a warm place, until doubled in volume), then wrap in plastic foil and put in the freezer. Make the filling and transfer to a container or wrap in plastic foil, freeze separately. When you want to bake the babka: remove the dough and the filling from the freezer the evening before, put in the fridge. On the next day, take the dough and the filling out of the fridge and leave on a counter for about half an hour to warm up. Roll out the dough, spread the filling over and proceed as described in the recipe.
  • For better flavor, you can toast the whole nuts in a dry pan or in the oven, just until lightly browned and fragrant and the grind them yourself. You can use any nuts that you have on hand and in any ratio. It can be walnuts, almonds or hazelnuts.
  • Calories count = 1/16 of the recipe.
  • 1 cup flour (240ml) = 125g.

Nutrition

Calories: 423kcal