Description

Chocolate Babka is a delightful, sweet, and indulgent braided bread filled with rich chocolate swirls. Topped with a sweet syrup for a glossy finish, it’s perfect for breakfast, dessert, or any special occasion.

Ingredients

For the Dough:

3 ½ cups (440 g) All Purpose Flour (Refined White Flour or Maida)

2 teaspoons Instant Active Yeast

2 teaspoons Salt (Reduce if using Salted Butter)

1 tablespoon Sugar

2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter (Cold)

2 Eggs

12 oz (340 ml) Milk (1.5 cups; Lukewarm)

For the Filling (for 2 babka loaves):

8 oz (115 g) Chopped Chocolate (½ Cup)

10 tablespoons (5 tablespoons) Butter

For the Syrup:

2 oz (60 ml) Water (¼ cup)

2 oz (50 g) Sugar (¼ Cup)

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Instructions

Kneading Using a Stand Mixer (Option 1): Combine flour, yeast, salt, sugar, and cold butter in the stand mixer. Pulse until the butter breaks into small specks. Add eggs one by one and gradually add ¾ cup lukewarm milk. If the dough is too dry, add more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time. Knead for 1 minute.
Kneading by Hand (Option 2): Combine flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Rub in cold butter with your fingers. Add eggs and ¾ cup milk, mixing to combine. Gradually add more milk until dough forms. Knead for 10 minutes to develop gluten.
Proofing the Dough: Grease a bowl, place dough inside, cover, and let rise for 2-4 hours at room temperature or refrigerate for 8-10 hours for a slower rise.
Rolling and Shaping: After refrigeration, let dough come to room temperature. Knead for 2 minutes. Divide dough into two halves. Roll one half into a rectangle, spread butter, and sprinkle with chopped chocolate. Roll from the longer side to create a log. Refrigerate the log for 10 minutes. Cut log lengthwise and braid. Tuck ends and place in a parchment-lined loaf pan. Let it rise for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Baking: Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F). Bake for 35-40 minutes until the babka sounds hollow and a skewer comes out clean.
Syrup: Heat water and sugar in a saucepan until sugar dissolves. Brush the syrup over the hot babka for a glossy finish.

Notes

For a nutty twist, add chopped nuts like walnuts or hazelnuts to the chocolate filling.
For a cinnamon version, replace the chocolate filling with cinnamon sugar.
To make this vegan, swap butter for plant-based butter, use non-dairy milk, and a flax egg for the eggs.
Marble the babka with both dark and milk chocolate for a stunning visual effect.
Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat in the oven at 300°F (150°C) for 5-10 minutes.

Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Category: Dessert, Bread
Method: Baking
Cuisine: Jewish

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 slice
Calories: 290
Sugar: 18g
Sodium: 190mg
Fat: 15g
Saturated Fat: 8g
Unsaturated Fat: 7g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 35g
Fiber: 2g
Protein: 5g
Cholesterol: 45mg