This Chocolate Babka recipe is so soft and moist with beautiful swirls of chocolate in every bite. It's easier than you think and you'll feel like a professional baker.
Chocolate Babka is my new pastry obsession.
Chocolate Babka is my new pastry obsession.If you know, you know; Chocolate Babka is the most delicious Eastern European sweet bread swirled with chocolate in every bite. (If you're ever in NYC you must try Breads Bakery, or Bakey if you're in Boston!) Babka dough is enriched with butter, eggs and milk, so it's tender and delicious, but sturdy enough to support the chocolate filling. It's braided and beautiful, and honestly just so much fun to bake from from scratch.
Yes, homemade babka takes some time (dough rising and an overnight chill in the fridge) but it's not complicated and the payoff is SO worth it! You can make the chocolate filling ahead of time, or shortcut and use nutella or cinnamon (check the recipe card notes for these variations).
Pro tip: for best results use the metric weights and a baking scale to make sure it turns out perfectly soft and tender.
If you love to bake, chocolate babka needs to be your next adventure! And be sure to try my other bread recipes like Cinnamon Rolls, Artisan Bread and Date nut bread.
How to make Chocolate Babka:
Dough: Add flour, sugar, and yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook or in a large mixing bowl if making by hand. Add milk, eggs, zest, and vanilla then mix well until the dough comes together. With the mixer on low, add the butter and salt, just a little at a time, mixing really well after each addition to fully incorporate.
Knead: Continue mixing the dough for several minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed (and add a little extra flour if needed), until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is smooth. It will be very soft and still slightly sticky (refrigeration will make the dough easier to work with, so don't worry if it's still slightly sticky).
First Rise: Transfer dough to a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and rise at room temperature for 1 hour. Then, transfer the bowl to the refrigerator and chill the dough for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours (I highly recommend overnight refrigeration).
Chocolate Filling: Melt chocolate and butter in the microwave at 50% power until melted and smooth. Measure the cocoa powder and powdered sugar then sift into the melted chocolate and stir to combine. The chocolate filling can be made days in advance.
Roll Out Dough: Remove dough from the fridge. Lightly flour your counter and rolling pin then roll dough to about 14x18inch rectangle (short side parallel to you). Spread chocolate all over the top of the dough (if the chocolate filling was made ahead, rewarm slightly in the microwave, until it's soft and spreadable).
Shape: Starting at the short end, roll dough tightly into a log, seal the seam at the end, and place seam-side-down on a baking sheet. Refrigerate log for 15 minutes to make it easier to cut. Grease a sharp, serrated knife then cut the dough lengthwise into two long strips. Place strips open-side-up and cross one over the other to make an “x”, then twist both ends around each other, to form a twisted rope. Place into a greased loaf pan lined with parchment paper.
Second Rise: Boil water in a pot, then place pot of water into the bottom of your oven. Place babka on middle rack in the oven (oven is off) and allow to rise for 1 hour. (The hot water will create a humid environment in the oven for the loaf while rising.)
Bake: Carefully remove risen dough and hot water from oven. Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C). Once preheated, bake babka for 30 minutes uncovered, then tent with a piece of foil and bake for 25-35 more minutes, or until bread reaches 200°F.
Simple Syrup: While bread is baking, make the simple syrup by mixing water and sugar and warming in a small saucepan until sugar is dissolved. Use a pastry brush to “paint” the syrup onto the top of the hot babka once is baked, while it's hot, which helps keep it moist while it cools. Use all of the syrup!
Allow the babka dessert to cool in the pan for 20-30 minutes, then remove to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Use a sharp serrated knife to cut the loaf, wiping it clean between slices.
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Recipe
Chocolate Babka
Equipment
Ingredients
Dough:
- 2 1/4 cups bread flour (280g), plus more for dusting and rolling out
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (50g)
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast (3g), or rapid-rise yeast
- 1/3 cup + 1 Tablespoon whole milk (95ml), slightly warmed
- 2 large eggs , at room temperature, beaten
- Grated zest from ½ an orange
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter , room temp, cut into small pieces (85g)
Chocolate Filling:
- 5 oz high-quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate , chopped (140g), not chocolate chips
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter (70g)
- 3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder , sifted (20g)
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar , sifted (40g)
Sugar Syrup:
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar (66g)
- ⅓ cup water (80mL)
Instructions
- Dough: Add flour, sugar, and yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook (or a large mixing bowl if making by hand). Add milk, eggs, zest, and vanilla and mix well until the dough comes together. With the mixer on low, add the butter and salt, just a little at a time, mixing really well after each addition to fully incorporate.2 ¼ cups bread flour, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon instant yeast, ⅓ cup + 1 Tablespoon whole milk, 2 large eggs, Grated zest from ½ an orange, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Knead: Continue mixing the dough for several minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed (and add a little extra flour if needed), until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is smooth. It will be very soft and still slightly sticky (refrigeration will help make it easier to handle).
- First Rise: Transfer dough to a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and rise at room temperature for 1 hour. Then, transfer the bowl to the refrigerator and chill the dough for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours (I recommend overnight).
- Chocolate Filling: Melt chocolate and butter in the microwave at 50% power until melted and smooth. Measure the cocoa powder and powdered sugar and then sift into the melted chocolate and stir to combine. The chocolate filling can be made days in advance (see notes).5 oz high-quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- Prep Loaf Pan: Grease an 8.5×4.5×2.5 inch loaf pan with butter and place a piece of parchment paper at the bottom.
- Roll Out Dough: Remove dough from the fridge. Lightly flour your counter and rolling pin and roll dough to about 14x18inch rectangle (short side parallel to you). Work fast, as it's easier to handle when it's chilled.
- Spread chocolate all over the top of the dough (rewarm the chocolate slightly in the microwave, if needed, to make it spreadable).
- Shape: Starting at the short end, roll dough tightly into a log, sealing the long seam at the end and place seam-side-down on a baking sheet. Refrigerate log for 5-10 minutes, to make it easier to cut.
- Grease a sharp serrated knife and cut the dough lengthwise, into two long strips. Place strips open-side-up and cross one end over the other, to make an “x”, then twist both ends around each other, to form a twisted rope (chocolate layers facing up). Place into prepared loaf pan.
- Second Rise: Boil water in a small pot, then place pot of water into the bottom of your oven. Place babka on middle rack in the oven (oven is off) and allow to rise for 1 hour (the hot water will create a humid environment in the oven while the loaf rises).
- Bake: Carefully remove risen dough and water from oven. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Once preheated, bake babka at 325 degrees F for 30 minutes uncovered, then tent with a piece of foil and bake for about 30-35 more minutes, or until bread reaches 200 degrees F.
- Simple Syrup: While bread is baking, make simple syrup by mixing water and sugar in a skillet. Cook over medium-low until sugar is dissolved.⅓ cup water, ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- Paint Syrup Over Hot Loaf: Use a pastry brush to gently baste syrup all over the top of the loaf. Use all of the syrup! Allow the babka to cool in the pan for 20-30 minutes then remove to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- Slice: Use a sharp serrated knife to cut the loaf, wiping knife clean between each slice.
- Babka is best enjoyed the day it’s baked, but store leftovers wrapped in aluminum foil, at room temperature.
Notes
- Cinnamon Babka: Replace chocolate filling with a cinnamon sugar spread by mixing ¼ cup softened butter, ½ cup light brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon, and spread over dough.Chocolate Nutella: Replace chocolate filling with a thin layer of warmed Nutella and sprinkle with ½ cup mini chocolate chips before rolling dough into a log.
Nutrition
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I researched many articles and videos about babka and ended up with my own version inspired by elements from Smitten Kitchen, Mark Huxsoll and Melissa Clark.
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This is really very tasty and yummy and keep sharing this type of recipes with us!
can this be started in a bread machine?
Yes, you can totally start the dough in a bread machine! Just add the dough ingredients in this order: milk, eggs, vanilla, orange zest, sugar, salt, flour, yeast (on top), and butter last (cut into small pieces). Run it on the dough cycle, then continue with the chilling, rolling, and shaping steps as written.
Reminds me of mum and my Aunty who made this every Christmas.