Sourdough Chocolate Babka
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A sweet, enriched sourdough babka bread, made with a sourdough starter, with chocolate swirled throughout – make this sourdough chocolate babka bread with step by step photos for complete success!
Let me put this simply. I love bread. I love making bread. I’ve fallen in love with making sourdough bread. And I’m a huge fan of chocolate. So I’m going to let you do the math on how I feel about a soft, rich sourdough bread loaf made with a chocolate filling.
You guessed it. I’m obsessed. So I decided since I’ve made regular chocolate babka why not try my hand at sourdough chocolate babka. If you’re not swooning yet, you will be. Oh you will be.
Ok yes, this is a sourdough babka so it’s relying on wild yeast from a sourdough starter not commercial packets of yeast, so it’s going to take a little bit longer to go from dough to enjoy. But so worth it friend. Trust me.
What Kind Of Bread Is Babka?
If you are unfamiliar with babka, it is brioche like bread (meaning a rich buttery and eggy dough).
This version is the more traditional Jewish version where the dough is rolled into a thin rectangle covered in chocolate and and rolled. The dough is then cut in half and twisted, and placed in a loaf pan.
This bread is a bit addicting, so beware. It would be great for brunch, and leftovers? I’m sure a babka French toast wouldn’t be so bad either. (making mental note as I enjoy a slice of babka)
What Is This Sourdough Babka Made Out Of?
For the babka dough:
For the filling:
Ingredient Notes
- Bread flour – This flour has a higher protein content than all purpose flour which is great for bread where you want the gluten to form. But AP flour would still work. You can read all about the different Types Of Flours here.
- Sourdough starter – Make sure you start with an active, bubbly sourdough starter. I have two ways to tell when your starter is active below.
- Whole Milk – I used whole milk for richness but I think a low-fat or plant-based milk would work fine but I haven’t tested it with it.
- Butter – This will add flavor, richness and help to create a tender dough. I recommend unsalted butter so as to not add extra salt. You can read more here about unsalted butter vs. salted butter. For the dough you want the butter softened so it is incorporated into the dough easily.
- Powdered Sugar – I prefer powdered sugar (confectioners sugar) so you get a smoother filling than if use granulated.
- Chocolate – I used a bittersweet chocolate (I recommend a 60-70% chocolate). I chop it up finely and then sprinkle on the filling before I roll it up.
- Cocoa – I used dutch process cocoa for a rich dark chocolate filling, but natural cocoa powder would also work.
Getting Started With Sourdough
If you are new to sourdough then you will want to check out my other sourdough posts so you can be on your way to making sourdough bread, like this sourdough brioche recipe.
- How To Make Sourdough Starter From Scratch
- How To Feed And Maintain A Sourdough Starter
- My Favorite Sourdough Bread Tools and Resources
- Sourdough 101: What Is Sourdough?
Start With An Active Starter
In order to get a tall lofty loaf with a nice crumb, you need to make sure your starter is nice and bubbly. Now if you’re like me you like to keep in the fridge all week and bake on the weekends. But using a starter straight from the fridge isn’t active enough to produce a nice, big loaf in the end. So its important to get it active again and give it a few feedings before you use it.
So how do you know when your starter is ready to use for your dough? Well I have two ways for you tell.
The Rubberband Trick
I like to put a rubberband around where the starter begins, and then I can easily tell when the the starter is doubled.
The Float Test
I also like to give my starter the float test. This just means to take a small amount and place it gently into a small dish of water and see if it floats. If it doesn’t, then you may need to give your starter more time and more feedings. If it does, then it’s good to go. But I like to use the rubber band trick first and this is more reliable. But the float test is a nice backup!
How Do You Make Sourdough Babka?
Make The Dough
Yes this can be a time consuming lovely sourdough bread recipe. But let’s break this down step by step.
- Make The Dough. In a mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, stir together flour, sugar, and salt together in the bowl. Add starter, eggs, yolk, milk, and vanilla using the dough hook. Mix on low speed until mixture comes together, scraping down the bowl and hook as needed. On low speed, add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until incorporated. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
- Knead dough. Increase speed to medium and knead with the dough hook for about 10 minutes. The dough should have pulled away from the sides of the bowl.
- Bulk Rise. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, turning the dough, so it is evenly coated. Cover with a damp towel and let rise for 6-8 hours at room temperature. You don’t have to oil the bowl, if you use a dough scraper in the end it’s not necessary.
Make Your Filling
- Prepare Pans. Grease, or butter two 8 ½” loaf pans. I’ve also used 9×5 loaf pans, but just get slightly squattier loaves, but they still work. Line pans with parchment paper.
- Make filling. Place butter, sugar, cocoa, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl and beat until combined. You can do this with a wooden spoon if your butter is very soft, but I preferred using a hand mixer to get the mixture to come together. It should be a soft paste.
Shaping Your Babka
- Roll Out And Fill Babka. Divide dough in half. On a floured surface, roll one dough half into a rectangle about 9 x 12 inches. If you roll the dough too long it won’t fit in your loaf pan in the end. Spread half of the filling over the rolled dough. Sprinkle with half of the chopped chocolate and gently press it down so it doesn’t try to escape while you roll up the dough.
- Shape Babka. Starting with the end closest to you, roll up the dough fairly tightly into a log. Using a sharp knife, cut the log in half, lengthwise down the center. Twist the two cut halves together, by alternating each half over each other, pinching the ends together. You want to twist the dough so the exposed middle is showing. Place in one of the prepared pans. Repeat with the second dough.
- Proof. Cover the pans with greased plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 2-4 hours until puffy. During the last 20 minutes of rising, preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Time To Bake!
- Bake. Bake the breads in the oven for 40–50 minutes, or until 190ºF. Place on a wire rack and poke the breads several times with a long skewer.
Making The Syrup
- Make the syrup. Combine the sugar and water in a pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Let the mixture boil for a minute or two, then remove from heat to cool.
- Add syrup. Pour the cooled syrup over the babkas ¼ cup at a time, dividing the syrup evenly. Let the babkas cool in the pans for about 40 minutes, then use the parchment to lift out of the pans. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
Recipe Tips
- Make sure your starter is active before you start. Drop a small piece in a bowl of water to see if it floats. It it does, then it’s ready! If not, then it may need 1-2 more feedings.
- Measure your flour using a kitchen scale . You can use measuring cups but for best accuracy it’s better use a kitchen scale and weigh out your flour. This ensures you don’t overmeasure, which can result in dense rolls. You can read my post on How To Measure Flour here.
- Use a damp towel. You don’t want the dough to dry out on top creating a film that will prevent the dough from rising.
- Use warm water. This will help with how long it takes to rise. Colder water will slow down the process (the dough will still rise just a bit slower).
- Don’t Roll Out Your Dough Too Long. I aim for about 9×12 rectangle but if it’s rolled out too much, then it won’t fit in your pan.
- Make sure your butter is soft for the filling. It should be very soft so it can be spread out easily onto your dough.
- Press the chopped chocolate into your dough. After I sprinkle on the chopped chocolate I like to give it a little press down so it stays put when I try to roll it up.
Sourdough Babka FAQ’s
Yes you can! You can place the shaped loaves in the refrigerator overnight, before baking. Just cover with plastic wrap. Then when ready to bake, let rise at room temperature for about 1 hour -2 hours (could take longer depending on your kitchen) until puffy. And bake as normal.
Oh it sure does. You can freeze the dough or the baked loaves. If you freeze the dough you can have fresh hot out of the oven Babka whenever you want. You can also freeze baked Babka. This recipe makes two loaves, so freezing one is a fantastic idea. Just allow it to cool completely, then wrap in plastic wrap and then tin-foil and freeze for up to 3 months. You can thaw at room temperature.
1. Starter wasn’t ready: This could be because your sourdough starter wasn’t quite bubbly and active enough. Be sure to do the “float test” before you begin.
2. Cold kitchen: Another culprit could be a cold kitchen! If your kitchen is cold the bread will take longer to rise. Ideally, your kitchen should be around 70°F.
3. Overproofed: If you overproof during the second rise, then there will be nothing left for the bread to do, and you will get no rise. So make sure to not let the dough rise for too long during the second rise. If need be, you can always refrigerate the dough during the rise to slow down the rising time.
I haven’t made it with AP flour, but yes I think it would work just fine. The dough may be harder to work with. And the texture won’t be quite the same.
I’ve had some readers experiment with this and unfortunately the dough was too cold and didn’t rise like it should. I would stick with letting the bulk rise happen at room temperature.
More sourdough recipes
- Sourdough Focaccia
- Sourdough Sandwich Bread
- Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread
- Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
- Sourdough Brioche Bread
Tools Needed:
Sourdough Chocolate Babka
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 420 g (3 1/2 cups) bread flour
- 99 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
- 7 g 1 teaspoon salt
- 100 g (½ cup) active starter
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 80 g (⅓ mL) whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 141 g (10 Tablespoons) unsalted butter softened and cut into tablespoons
For the filling:
- 113 g (1 stick, ½ cup) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 63 g (½ cup) confectioner sugar (powdered/icing sugar)
- 33 g (⅓ cup) Dutch-process cocoa
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 170 g (1 cup) bittersweet chocolate chopped
For the syrup:
- 120 g (½ cup) water
- 99 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
Instructions
- Make The Dough. In a mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, stir together flour, sugar, and salt together in the bowl. Add starter, eggs, yolk, milk, and vanilla using the dough hook. Mix on low speed until mixture comes together, scraping down the bowl and hook as needed. On low speed, add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until incorporated. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
- Knead dough. Increase speed to medium and knead with the dough hook for about 10 minutes. The dough should have pulled away from the sides of the bowl.
- Bulk Rise. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, turning the dough, so it is evenly coated. Cover with a damp towel and let rise for 6-8 hours at room temperature (75-78°F). I don't recommend doing this in the fridge as it will be too cold and not get a sufficient rise.
- Prepare Pans. Grease, or butter two 8 ½” loaf pans. Line pans with parchment paper.
- Make filling. Place butter, sugar, cocoa, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl and beat until combined. It should be a very soft paste that you will be able to spread easily.
- Shape Babka. Divide dough in half. On a floured surface, roll one dough half into a rectangle about 9 x 12 inches. Spread on half of the filling. Sprinkle with half of the chopped chocolate and press down lightly. Roll up the long side of the dough fairly tightly into a log. Using a sharp knife, cut the log in half, lengthwise down the center. Twist the two cut halves together, by alternating each half over each other, pinching the ends together, keeping the middle exposed. Place in one of the prepared pans. Repeat with the second dough.
- Proof. Cover the pans with greased plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 2-4 hours until puffy. During the last 20 minutes of rising, preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Make the syrup. Combine the sugar and water in a pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Let the mixture boil for a minute or two, then remove from heat to cool.
- Bake. Bake the breads in the oven for 40–50 minutes, or until 190ºF. Place on a wire rack and poke the breads several times with a long skewer.
- Add syrup. Pour the cooled syrup over the babkas ¼ cup at a time, dividing the syrup evenly. Let the babkas cool in the pans for about 40 minutes, then use the parchment to lift out of the pans. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
Notes
- Make Ahead: You can place the shaped loaves in the refrigerator overnight, before baking. Just cover with plastic wrap. Then when ready to bake, let rise at room temperature for about 1 hour -2 hours (could take longer depending on your kitchen) until puffy. And bake as normal.
- Freezing: You can freeze the dough, unbaked, shaped before it goes through its final rise. Cover well and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then let rise at room temperature for 1-2 hours until puffy. Bake as normal. You can also freeze baked Babka. Just allow it to cool completely, then wrap in plastic wrap and then tin-foil and freeze for up to 3 months. You can thaw at room temperature.
- Can I Use All Purpose Flour Instead? I haven’t made it with AP flour, but yes I think it would work just fine. The dough may be harder to work with. And the texture won’t be quite the same.
- Why Didn’t My Dough Rise?
1. Starter wasn’t ready: This could be because your sourdough starter wasn’t quite bubbly and active enough. Be sure to do the “float test” before you begin.
2. Cold kitchen: Another culprit could be a cold kitchen! If your kitchen is cold the bread will take longer to rise. Ideally, your kitchen should be around 70°F.
3. Overproofed: If you overproof during the second rise, then there will be nothing left for the bread to do, and you will get no rise. So make sure to not let the dough rise for too long during the second rise. If need be, you can always refrigerate the dough during the rise to slow down the rising time.
Very very very sticky. BUT good. You have to add extra flour, but this is common in different elevations and often recipes have to be adjusted for the different regions. Half the milk would have sufficed. A good baker knows their dough!
Delicious recipe overall. I’d be curious, what state are you from?
Hi Elle glad you liked it! And yes you may need to adjust the flour amount also just based on your sourdough starter. I’m in Massachusetts
YUM – my Babkas both turned out incredibly well – thankyou. But so RICH – can only manage a small slice at a time. Great for sharing – and one is in the freezer. I followed the recipe almost exactly – didn’t have any icing sugar so used light muscovado for the spread and it worked fine. Delicious.
Hi Terri, I’m so glad you loved the recipe! And yes a small slice goes a long way :)..glad the muscovado worked out for you too!
Great recipe, we make it all the time and our kids live it for breakfast.
that’s awesome Nat! glad to hear that!
Second time I make these babkas. Outstanding as before. My only problem : convince my grand children to wait until it has cooled….
Well if that’s the biggest issue I’ll take that as a major win! 🙂 So glad you enjoyed this babka as much as we did!
I tried this recipe and it was incredible. Unique notes for me:
* AP flour
* Very active 100% rye sourdough starter
* For bulk rise did 4 hours on the counter (kind of a cold kitchen, around 65F), then overnight in the fridge. Took it out for ~1 hour before baking so it warmed up to temp. Got a great rise on it, and the taste of sourdough was awesome.
* The bread was already plenty sweet without the syrup, so I skipped that step. We’re eating it with homemade orange marmalade instead 🙂
Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Michele! I’m so glad the recipe worked for you and with the changes you made as well and that you loved it! It’s one of my faves. Love the idea of slathering on some marmalade..will have to try that!
I had some oven problems mid bake and they ended up super dense and didn’t rise properly.
Buuuut they were super super delicious, so I sliced them, put them on a tray and baked again (kinda like biscotti) and it made incredibly delicious cookies.
Delicious adaption – good idea!
Hi, when do you add the spread? Guessing when you’ve rolled the dough and before sprinkling the chocolate? Thanks 😀
Thanks so much for your comment, Mike! You were totally right and I’ve gotten the recipe all revised 🙂 Yup, the filling goes on before you get rolling. Thanks again!
Hi, am planning to try your recipe. Just one question in the method you have mentioned add vinegar but there is no mention of vinegar in the ingredients. Please advise. Thanks
Hi Dechu! My apologies that’s an error – I used vinegar in a whole wheat version to help with rise but it’s not needed if using white ap or bread flour. I’ll make sure to update the recipe! Thanks 🙂
Thank you.
You’re welcome 🙂
Hi Heather, I followed this recipe today and sadly I didn’t have a good result with it. First I’ve mixed all as in your method in a mixer, the dough seemed VERY sticky still after 10-12 minutes kneading. Ive added a bit more flour (about 100g, maybe less) and continued for few more minutes. It didn’t help and was still very sticky (it did not come off the sides of the mixer bowl). I let it bulk rise for about 11-12h and it didn’t move.. ive used bread flour, my starter is mature and very active. What could have gone wrong? I’m so disappointed because I was so looking forward to it… ☹️
Hi Weronika! Sorry to hear you had trouble but next time I would try just letting it rise as is as a sticky dough without adding more flour. Did you let it rest before kneading? And make sure it’s rising in a warm place about 75 F – try putting it in a marked straight edge container to see exactly how much it rises. Hope these tips help!
What a unique and unexpected recipe! Perfectly light and sweet; easily, my new favorite recipe for bread!
Thank you Sara glad you loved it!!
Great idea! Love this so much! I bet the sourdough makes the brioche so much more flavorful
Thanks Marie-Charlotte… it really really does 🙂
Hi I am going to try this recipe but I was wondering could I bulk rise the dough in the fridge overnight instead of 6-8 hours at room temp?
Hi Ana, yes the dough should be fine to bulk rise in the fridge overnight (at least 12 hours – as it will need more time than being at room temp) and you may also need to let it sit at room temperature afterwards for a bit to warm up so it’s not so cold and stiff to roll out. Let me know how it turns out!
Sourdough and chocolate together!? This sounds delicious I can’t wait to try it!
Thanks Cate! I know you’ll love it!
Such a wonderful use for sourdough! This babka looks absolutely fantastic with that swirl of chocolate. Yum!
Thanks Tara!
I did end up trying this recipe. I made the dough and put it in the fridge to bulk rise for about 16 hours. The next morning when I went to get it out it had never moved at all. I had my bowl marked and the starter that I used was double in size and floated in a cup of water. I think my fridge may have been too cold, it was about 38° F and the dough probably got too cold too rise at all. I wasn’t sure if I should throw the dough or not so I just let it warm up in the bowl for 2 hours, rolled it out, added the filling and let the loaves rise for 2 hours and baked them anyway.They did spring a little in the oven and the loaves were about an 1.5 inches tall when I pulled them out. Though they were small and a little dense they tasted so delicious and I couldn’t stop eating them! Next time I make this recipe I will just let them bulk rise on the counter instead of the fridge and I think they will turn out great.
Hi Ana! Sorry to hear about the rising issues. Next time yes try letting it sit out and rise at room temperature longer after it’s been in the fridge or yes just do the bulk rise completely at room temperature. But I’m glad you loved the flavor!!
This was a very very incredibly sticky recipe. I wish I would have withheld the milk and just added it a little at a time after adding the eggs instead of the order in which everything is. I’ve had to add about 100 g of flour.
Hi Leah, the stickiness can vary depending on your starter – I like to err on the side of sticky so I know I haven’t added too much flour and dried out the bread.
This looks fabulous! I’m getting my starter ready to make this over the weekend. It’d be the perfect breakfast!
Thanks Jamie! It’s the BEST breakfast 🙂