A few weeks ago I was catching up on some blog reading when I came across a post from my friend Pamela over at Cookies with Boys for this chocolate babka. I’d never had babka before, and honestly, I wasn’t even sure what it was. Luckily, a quick description was provided over at King Arthur Flour’s site (the recipe source), which explained that babka is a traditional eastern European bread often shaped in a twist and topped with streusel. This recipe is a simplified version, a good place to start I think. The pictures drew me in and a quick look at the recipe revealed that it involved sweet yeast dough and chocolate – count me in! I think I managed to restrain myself for about one day before I jumped into the kitchen and got baking.
This recipe is not difficult, but here’s my one warning – it’s time consuming, so I wouldn’t advise starting at 10 pm (thankfully I did not do that this time). Most of the time is inactive – waiting for the dough to rise – so there’s not a lot of hands-on work to do. I think it’s the perfect project for a lazy weekend day when you’re just going to be lounging around the house. And the payoff is so worth the effort. This bread is fantastic! It’s incredibly tender and oh so rich and sweet. There is cinnamon in both the dough and the filling, and while I didn’t think it was overwhelming, I could definitely detect it in the final product (I’m only telling you this as I know some people aren’t fans of the chocolate/cinnamon combo – I liked it). The only changes I made to the recipe were to halve it and skip the nuts. I’m already planning to make the babka again this weekend so Shane can try it. I was house-sitting for his parents when I baked it the first time so he missed out on all the fun 🙂
Chocolate Babka
from King Arthur Flour
(Note: There are step by step pictures over at King Arthur Flour’s site, which are better than anything I’d be able to whip up so head on over there if you’d like to check out the process.)
Dough
1 to 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water*
2 large eggs
6 1/4 cups (26 1/2 oz) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup (1 1/8 oz) nonfat dry milk
2 tablespoons instant yeast
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz) sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
10 tablespoons (5 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
(*Use the greater amount in winter or in a dry climate; the lesser amount in summer or a humid climate.)
Filling
1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz) sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup (1 oz) Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
1/4 cup (2 oz) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup diced pecans or walnuts, toasted if desired
Glaze
1 large egg beaten with a pinch of salt until well-combined
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine all of the dough ingredients, mixing just until everything is moistened. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let the dough rest for 20 minutes. Then switch to the dough hook and knead the dough until it is soft and smooth, about 7 minutes. The dough may still be slightly tacky.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Gently deflate the dough, and divide it in half. Set the pieces aside, covered, while you make the filling.
To make the filling: Combine the sugar, cinnamon, cocoa, and espresso. Stir in the melted butter. The mixture will look grainy and oily.
Shape each half of the dough into a 9 x 18, 1/4-thick rectangle. Spread half of the filling over each rectangular piece of dough, leaving about a one inch border on all sides. Scatter half of the chocolate chips and nuts over each piece of dough. Starting with a short end, roll each piece of dough gently into a log, sealing the seam and ends. Place each log into a lightly greased 9″ x 5″ loaf pan.
Tent each pan with plastic wrap, and let the loaves rise until they’re very puffy and have crowned about one inch over the rim of the pan, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Toward the end of the rising time preheat oven to 300 F.
Just before baking, brush each loaf with the egg glaze; pop any air bubbles with a toothpick. Then, cut a deep vertical slash the length of each loaf, cutting through at least 3 layers. Bake the bread for 35 minutes then tent lightly with foil, and bake for an additional 15 to 25 minutes (for a total of 50 to 60 minutes); the loaves should be a deep-golden brown. You can verify the loaves are baked through by using an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature in the center of the loaves – it should be at least 190 F.
Remove the loaves from the oven, and immediately loosen the edges with a heatproof spatula or table knife. Let the loaves cool for 10 minutes, then turn them out of the pans onto a rack to cool completely.
I want a slice! Looks SO good!
Mmm! I LOVE cinnamon chocolate babka! I’ve only ever had my sister’s, but it is just so delicious! If you can manage to keep the spirals together, toasting it and throwing a little butter on it makes it even more fantastic.
Mmm… I would LOVE a slice of this. Definitely another recipe that I need to add to my must bake list!
I’ve been on the fence about this one, just because I’m one of those who doesn’t like the cinnamon/chocolate combo. I need to see if I can come up with a variation I’d like. Yours really does look fantastic!
I just noticed your Chocolate Babka on Foodbuzz, and I had to look your blog up as soon as I saw the title.
I love, love, Chocolate Babka. and your recipe is amazing, also the photo of it is beautiful. A must try!
Thank you for sharing!
Beautiful bread. I cannot wait to make this one. It is on the Modern Baker list.
Hope it comes out as lovely as yours. I know it HAS to be delicious.
This looks absolutely delicious. I’ve never had Babka, but with bread and chocolate, how can you go wrong?
delicious looks yummy
Lovely. Who could resist that filling. 😉 I fear I would turn it into some incredibly naughty french toast…ehehehe.
Wow. I’m so impressed! This is the most gorgeous loaf bread I’ve ever seen!!!
This looks fantastic! Almost like a cinnamon raisin swirl bread, but I think I’d like the chocolate addition best 🙂
Well its chocolate right? I want some too
AmyRuth
I’m with briarrose on the french toast! YES PLEASE. I know people always say they’re going to make something and never do. But I legit want to try this. I love the idea of a chocolate/nut bread.
I’ve never tried babka either, but wow, this looks really good! King Arthur has such great recipes.
I’ve been wanting to make chocolate babka for the longest time, I just didn’t know what it was called until a few months ago! We get a fabulous one in Tokyo of all places, and I had no idea what it was. Yours looks so good I can’t wait to try my hand at it!
This sounds perfectly delicious. Looks fabulous.
Hmmm. I must have met someone pretending to be you yesterday, because the person I met said she hadn’t been a baker for all that long. You made this GORGEOUS babka so I’m suspicious now. 🙂
It was SO nice to meet you (or whoever that was…)
Audrey
That looks really really good! The swirl is so enticing!
These bread pictures might be your best yet! Wow, that looks amazing. I didn’t think I was a chocolate + cinnamon fan, but after a few delicious Dorie recipes (notably: your pick!) I’ve been re-thinking my position on that one.
Chocolate babka will always remind of of that Seinfeld episode where they went to the bakery to buy one. This looks incredible and delicious.
Your bread looks almost exactly as the orginal posting in King Arthur’s site! Delicious!
Gosh that looks incredible! I haven’t had Babka since my Grandmother was alive!
YUM! Chocolate Babka is one of my all time family favorites! But my family never baked it, we always bought it from our local bakery. I think it might be time for me to try making it! Yours looks incredible!!!!
I’ve never heard oof chococolate babka, but it sure looks delicious 🙂
Wow! Your Babka looks fantastic! Awesome job, Tracey. This was such a pretty bread and I felt really happy when this one came out looking so good. Kudos to you!
What is a good substitute for the dry milk? This is something I never have or use so I’d love to be able to sub something more common…
Though I’ve never tried it, I think you can substitute regular milk for the dry milk and water in the recipe. Here are a few helpful links:
http://community.kingarthurflour.com/content/dry-milk-0
http://www.ehow.com/list_7453316_nonfat-dry-milk-substitutes.html
If you try the substitution, let me know how it works!
omgomgomgomg. I’ve been waiting for this post when you first noted that you’d be making it. I’m so on the bandwagon now as this looks seriously FANTASTIC!! Great job T!!
And cinnamon + chocolate is RIGHT up my alley. Now all I have to do is finally get that powdered milk. Wah-wah.
I didn’t realize King Arthur had a recipe for chocolate babka! I have a Martha Stewart recipe, but I remember it being much more buttery (fat) and made 3 loaves (too many). I can’t wait to try this version. Thanks for the recipe share!
And what’s not to love about chocolate and cinnamon? 🙂
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