Dessertsbellyfull5.0
Chocolate Babka
Sweet and rich, this Chocolate Babka has the texture of a cinnamon roll with a decadent chocolate filling. This is a showstopper recipe to share with friends over a cup of coffee or tea.
👥 32 Servings⏱️ Prep & Cook: 11h 20m⏳ Prep: 45 min🔥 Cook: 35 min👤 Amy Flanigan📖 bellyfull
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- whisk
- bowl
- saucepan
- knife
- spatula
- pan
- oven
📝 Preparation Steps
1
Make the Dough
2
Whisk
3
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, whisk the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Add the eggs and milk; mix on medium speed until everything is incorporated and the dough forms a rough ball, about ⏱️ 2-3 minutes.
large eggs (room temperature, lightly beaten)3
4
Add
5
Switch to medium-low speed and add the butter, 1 tbsp at a time, waiting until each is fully incorporated before adding the next. (Adding all the butter will take about ⏱️ 5 minutes.)
6
Knead
7
Continue kneading the dough for about ⏱️ 8-10 minutes on medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, until it is smooth, elastic, shiny, and doesn't stick to the bowl.
8
Coat
9
Brush a large bowl with canola oil to coat and place the ball of dough inside. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for ⏱️ 1 hour. (It won't double in size, but it should be puffy and have visibly risen.) Transfer the covered bowl to the refrigerator and chill for ⏱️ 8 hours/overnight so it can rise further and develop flavor.
canola oil (for coating the bowl and the loaf pans)
10
Make the Chocolate Filling
11
Combine butter and cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter is melted and the mixture is steaming, add the chocolate and stir constantly until melted. Remove from the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Transfer to a bowl and let cool until thickened to a spreadable paste-like consistency, about ⏱️ 1 hour.
12
Roll and Shape
13
Punch
14
On a lightly floured surface, punch down the dough and cut it in half with a bench scraper or sharp knife. (Work with half the dough at a time, placing the other half back in the fridge, covered.)
15
Dust
16
Lightly dust the top of the dough and a rolling pin with flour. Roll the dough out to a 12x16-inch rectangle, with the short edge closest to you.
17
Spread
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Using an offset spatula, spread half of the chocolate filling evenly over the entire surface, leaving a ½-inch margin at the top of the rectangle furthest from you.
19
Roll
20
Starting from the short side closest to you, using both hands, tightly roll the rectangle into a log, pressing to seal where the seam is. Wrap in plastic wrap and transfer to the fridge. Repeat the same process with the other half of the dough and chocolate filling.
21
Prep the Pans
22
Prep
23
While both rolls are chilling in the fridge for a few minutes, prep the pans.
24
Grease 2 loaf pans with oil (you can use either 9x5-inch or 8x4-inch), then line with parchment paper, leaving a couple of inches of overhang on the long sides, for easy removal once baked. Set aside.
25
Twist the Babka
26
Remove one dough log from the fridge and using a large serrated knife, gently cut the roll in half lengthwise, starting at the top, so you have 2 long even halves.
27
Twist
28
Position each half parallel to the other with the cut sides and chocolate layers facing up. Twist the halves together a few times, keeping the cut sides facing up. Gently squeeze the ends together and tuck them under.
29
Transfer to the Pans
30
Transfer
31
Carefully transfer the babka into one of the prepared pans. (Don't be concerned if there are gaps in the pan - they will fill up as the babka rises and bakes.)
32
Rise
33
Cover the pan with plastic wrap and allow to rise at room temperature for ⏱️ 1-2 hours until almost doubled in size. (The dough should be puffy and will have risen to about ½-inch below the rim of the pan.)
34
Repeat the entire process with the second log of dough.
35
Preheat Oven and Bake
36
Preheat
37
⏱️ 15 minutes before the end of rising, preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle position.
38
Remove
39
Once the oven is fully preheated, remove the plastic wrap from both pans.
40
Bake for ⏱️ 30-35 minutes, until golden brown on top. A toothpick inserted deep into the loaf should come out clean. To check for exact doneness, you're shooting for an internal temperature of 190°F with an instant thermometer.
41
Make the Syrup
42
Make
43
While the babkas bake, make the syrup topping. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring water and sugar to a bubble. Once the sugar dissolves, take off the heat and stir in the vanilla. Set aside to cool.
vanilla1 tsp
44
Pierce
45
As soon as the babkas are finished baking, pierce the top of the loaves in several places with a fork or tiny skewer.
46
Brush
47
Using a pastry brush, brush the syrup all over the surface. It may seem like a lot, but use it all, dividing equally between both loaves. This helps keep the bread moist and adds that beautiful shine.
48
Cool and Enjoy
49
Cool
50
Let the loaves cool in their pans for ⏱️ 10 minutes, while they absorb the syrup (but not longer, or they can stick). Then, using the parchment paper, lift them out and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Don't be impatient and slice too soon—the bread needs to be close to room temperature to set properly.
Nutrition Facts
calories
190 kcal
fat Content
10 g
serving Size
1 serving
fiber Content
1 g
sugar Content
10 g
sodium Content
83 mg
protein Content
3 g
trans Fat Content
1 g
cholesterol Content
37 mg
carbohydrate Content
23 g
saturated Fat Content
6 g
unsaturated Fat Content
4 g
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