Description
Chocolate Babka is a rich and tender yeast bread swirled with layers of luscious chocolate filling, making it perfect for holidays, brunch, or gifting. Its braided appearance with a gooey, chocolatey core offers a deliciously indulgent treat that pairs wonderfully with coffee or tea.
Ingredients
For Dough:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup warm milk
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
For Chocolate Filling:
- 4 oz dark chocolate, melted
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
Instructions
- Prepare Dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine warm milk, instant yeast, sugar, softened butter, eggs, and salt. Mix thoroughly. Gradually add the flour and knead the mixture until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place for 1 to 1½ hours, or until it doubles in size.
- Make Chocolate Filling: In a separate bowl, blend the melted dark chocolate, butter, sugar, and cocoa powder until smooth and well combined, creating a glossy chocolate filling.
- Shape the Babka: Roll the risen dough out on a floured surface into a large rectangle. Evenly spread the chocolate filling across the dough. Starting from one long edge, roll the dough tightly into a log shape.
- Form the Twist: Slice the rolled dough lengthwise down the center to expose the layers of chocolate inside. Carefully twist the two strands together, keeping the cut sides facing upward to reveal the swirl pattern. Place the twisted dough into a greased loaf pan.
- Second Rise: Cover the loaf pan and let the dough rise again for about 30 minutes until slightly puffy.
- Bake: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the babka for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
- Finish: Optionally, brush the warm babka with simple syrup for a shiny, moist finish. Cool before slicing and serving.
Notes
- For an extra shiny and moist crust, brush the baked babka with a simple syrup made of equal parts sugar and water.
- If you prefer a sweeter filling, you can increase the sugar in the chocolate filling slightly.
- Make sure the milk is warm, not hot, to avoid killing the yeast during mixing.
- The babka can be stored wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for 2-3 days or frozen for longer storage.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Jewish-Inspired, Eastern European
