Chocolate Nutella Babka Bread

Preparing the Dough

1. Place the milk, sugar, yeast, salt, and flour in a bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, and mix well until all combined.
2. Add the eggs one at a time, and keep whisking until nicely combined.
3. Add the softened butter in very small portions piece by piece, and let it incorporate into the dough before adding more. 
4. Let the mixer knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is elastic and slightly sticky.
5. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, covet it with cling film and let it rise for 2 hours, or until it doubles the size in a warm place.

Shaping the Babka

1. When the dough is ready, line a pair of loaf pans with parchment paper and lightly oil them with a brush. 
2. Divide the dough in half and shape them into two equal-sized balls.
3. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough balls out, one at a time, on a lightly floured surface into a 33cm x 25cm (13" × 10") rectangle. 
4. Spread half of the Nutella over the dough with an offset spatula.
5. Tightly roll the dough from the long side to the long side to turn it into a log. 
6. Wrap the log in a cling film and place it into the freezer for 10 minutes while you shape the other dough ball. This step is necessary to let the filling and the dough firm up and set a bit to make it much easier to shape in the next stage.
7. When the dough is firmed up and cooled, cut the dough in half lengthwise with a serrated knife. 
8. Turn the cut sides up and twist the two halves together around each other, keeping the cut sides facing up.
9. Transfer the shaped dough to your lined loaf pan, and repeat the same with the second dough ball.

Second Rise and Baking the Babka

1. Cover the loaf pans with cling film, and let them rise in a warm place for another two hours.
2. Toward the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 190° C (375° F).
3. Place the babka loaves in the oven and bake them for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of the loaf comes out without any wet dough sticking to it.
4. Prepare the syrup while baking the babka. Place the water and sugar in a pan and put them on medium heat. 
5. Stir it until the sugar dissolves, bring it to a boil, and let it gently boil for 10 minutes. 
6. Add a few drops of lemon juice, let it simmer for a few more minutes, and then remove the pan from heat. 
7. When the babka loaves are baked, brush or drizzle them with the syrup to add a nice sheen to the loaf while also keeping the babka moist.
8. Allow them to cool for another 10-15 minutes before slicing them with a large serrated knife.