This classic Babka recipe features a soft, enriched dough filled with a rich dark chocolate mixture, twisted into beautiful loaves and finished with a sweet syrup glaze for a perfectly moist and decadent treat.
Total Time:3 hours 5 minutes
Yield:2 loaves
Ingredients
Dough
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm milk
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
Filling
1 cup dark chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Syrup
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
Activate yeast. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk and let it sit until frothy, about 10 minutes.
Mix dough. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the yeast mixture, eggs, vanilla extract, and softened butter. Mix until a dough forms.
Knead dough. Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
First rise. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
Prepare filling. For the filling, mix the chopped chocolate, melted butter, cocoa powder, and sugar until well combined.
Preheat oven and prepare pans. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two loaf pans.
Shape dough. Punch down the dough and divide it in half. Roll each half into a rectangle.
Spread filling. Spread the filling evenly over each rectangle, leaving a small border around the edges.
Roll and cut. Roll up each rectangle tightly, starting from the long side, to form a log. Cut each log in half lengthwise and twist the two halves together, keeping the cut sides facing up.
Second rise. Place each twisted loaf in a prepared loaf pan. Cover and let rise for another 30 minutes.
Bake. Bake for 35 minutes, or until golden brown.
Prepare syrup. While the babkas are baking, prepare the syrup by heating the water and sugar in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves.
Glaze babka. When the babkas are done, brush them with the syrup while still warm. Allow to cool before slicing and serving.
Notes
Use warm milk between 100°F and 110°F to activate the yeast without killing it.
You can substitute dark chocolate chips for chopped chocolate if preferred.
Allow the dough to rise in a draft-free, warm environment for best results.
For a more intense chocolate flavor, add extra cocoa powder to the filling mixture.
Brush syrup generously to keep the bread moist and add sweetness.
Store babka in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze for longer storage.
