Chocolate Babka

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5 from 2 votes

A babka that can be prepared the day before that is filled with layers of dark chocolate!

Prep Time6

Cook Time35

Total Time6 35

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: European

Servings: servings (2 loaves)

Calories: 4315kcal

Author: Heather Perine

Ingredients

Babka Dough

6 1/3 cups (886 grams) all purpose flour
3/4 cup (158 grams) granulated white sugar
1 tablespoon (14 grams) active dry yeast
4 large eggs room temperature
3/4 cup whole milk warmed to 105-110oF
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
16 tablespoons (240 grams) unsalted butter softened

Egg Wash

1 tablespoon water
1 large egg

Chocolate Filling

1 cup (173 grams) semisweet chocolate chips or chopped
3/4 cup (173 grams) unsalted butter
3/4 cup (108 grams) confectioners sugar
1/2 cup (48 grams) Dutch process cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt

Simple Syrup

1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar
1/2 cup (120 ml) water

Instructions

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine flour, sugar, and yeast. With mixer on low speed, add eggs, milk, and vanilla. Beat until mixture comes together, 2 to 3 minutes. (If the mixture remains too dry and crumbly, add more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time.)
With mixer on medium speed, add butter, 1 tablespoon (14 grams) at a time, letting each piece incorporate before adding the next. Add salt, beating just until combined, about 3 minutes. Increase mixer speed to medium, and beat until a smooth and elastic dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. (If dough does not pull away from the bowl, add more flour, 1 tablespoon [8 grams] at a time.)
Spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Place dough in bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place (75°F) until doubled in size, 1½ to 2½ hours. After dough has risen, refrigerate for 30 minutes. Alternatively, the dough can be made one day in advance and the entire rise may take place in the refrigerator overnight.
For egg wash: In a small bowl, lightly beat together egg and water.
Spray 2 (9x5-inch) loaf pans with cooking spray, and line with parchment paper.
Divide dough in half. On a heavily floured surface, roll half of dough into a 16x12-inch rectangle. Brush edges of dough with egg wash. Spread with half of Chocolate Filling, leaving a 1-inch border on long sides of dough. Starting at one short side, roll up dough, jelly-roll style, and press edge to seal. Using a sharp knife, cut roll in half lengthwise. Carefully twist dough pieces around each other, and place in prepared pan, cut sides up. Repeat procedure with remaining half of dough. Place prepared pans on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place (75°F) until doubled in size, 1 to 1½ hours.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake for 30 minutes. Cover with foil, and bake until a thermometer in center registers 190°F, about 35 minutes more.
For simple syrup: In a small saucepan, bring sugar and ½ cup water to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, and let cool slightly. Pour simple syrup over warm loaves while still in pans. Let cool in pans for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Notes

Make Ahead: You can place the dough to rise in the refrigerator overnight for the first rise. I like to then let it rise at room temperature for 30-45 minutes before proceeding with the next step of the recipe. You can also shape the dough into loaves and refrigerate overnight, then the next day take out and let sit at room temperature for 45 minutes to 1 hour until puffy and then bake.

Freezing: You can freeze for up to 3 months.. Just allow it to cool completely, then wrap in several layers of plastic wrap and then place in a plastic bag or a layer of tin foil. When ready to enjoy, I unwrap it and let it thaw at room temperature.

Storage: This bread keeps well for up to 3 days. Once it’s cooled, I wrap it well in plastic wrap.

Measure your flour correctly. You can use my spoon and level method here in this post on how to measure your flour accurately. Or I always recommend using a kitchen scale for best accuracy.

Make sure that your yeast is fresh. Check those expiration dates. If you're not sure if your yeast is still alive, then give it a test by placing in warm water with a teaspoon of sugar to see if it bubbles. You can read more about yeast here --> What are the different kinds of yeast?

Warm your milk. You want your milk warmed to 105-110°F so that it activates the yeast. Too cold and the yeast won't be activated and start bubbling. If it's too hot, it will kill the yeast.

Nutrition