Chocolate Babka

Soft, rich, buttery dough swirled with chocolate throughout. Feel free to experiment with the filling!

Traditional babka is a swirled Jewish cake or bread leavened with yeast. I opted for swirling a chocolate filling throughout the dough, but other fillings(cinnamon, jam, chopped nuts) can be played around with. In this recipe, I include two types of chocolate fillings you could choose from: tahini chocolate or hazelnut chocolate. I personally prefer the tahini chocolate.

This recipe is one of my favorite bread recipe due to its ultra rich flavor profile, so give it a try!

Fast Facts!

• includes flour(gluten)

• uses yeast

• vegetarian

• intermediate baking level

• Nut/seed alert(in the filling)

• No mixer required

Chocolate Babka Recipe:

-makes 1 8x4 inch loaf-

45 min prep time

13 hrs chill+proof time

30 min cook time

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Bread Dough

• 97g milk

• 1 tspn yeast

• 81g pastry flour

• 81g bread flour

• 1/2 egg

• 20g sugar

• 30g butter, room temp

• vanilla, a few drops

• salt, a pinch

Filling(tahini):

• 40g dark choc

• 8g sugar

• 40g butter

• 40g tahini

OR

Filling(hazelnut):

• 30g dark choc

• 34g cream

• pinch of cinnamon

• pinch of nutmeg

• vanilla, a few drops

• 8g cocoa,

• pinch of salt

• 70g chocolate hazelnut spread

• a drop of honey

• chopped tasted hazelnuts, as needed.

Syrup:

• 40g sugar

• 30g water

1. Knead all of the dough ingredients in a bowl until well combined. Transfer to a surface and continue kneading, for at least 15 min, or until very smooth and passes the windowpane test. Near the end of the kneading process, the dough should feel soft, but NOT sticky. Add bread flour a tbsp at a time if it is sticking.

2. Wrap the dough directly in plastic wrap, and using the plastic wrap, shape it into a rectangle/square. Chill overnight.

3. To make hazelnut filling: in a bowl, combine chocolate and cream. Microwave until melted. Add the rest of the ingredients except the hazelnut and mix to combine.

4. OR, to make tahini filling: melt chocolate and butter in the microwave until smooth. Add sugar and tahini. For this filling, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before proceeding(this will thicken it slightly and make the shaping process a lot easier.

5. Roll the dough out into a 9 by 9 inch square. Spread the filling out across the dough, leaving a space at the edges. If making the hazelnut filling, sprinkle the hazelnuts on top. Roll the square up tightly into a log, and chill for 5-10 min before proceeding.

6. Cut the log in half lengthwise to reveal layers of filling. Twist the two halves together into a braid, and then place into a prepared 8x4 inch tin(greased with butter), and let proof for 45-60 min in a warm environment.

7. Bake at 350F for 30-35 min, or until internal temperatures reach 190 degrees F. A skewer should come out cleanly.

8. For the syrup, melt the sugar and water in the microwave until all the sugar is dissolved.

9. Once baked, pour all the syrup directly onto the babka, and after 5 min flip the babka out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

10. Enjoy!