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Chocolate Babka
Laced with swirls of chocolate in a light, tender brioche dough, this easy chocolate babka recipe will not disappoint. I dare you to try it as french toast...
Home » Recipes » Breads & Rolls » Chocolate Babka
Chocolate Babka
Laced with swirls of chocolate in a light, tender brioche dough, this easy chocolate babka recipe will not disappoint. I dare you to try it as french toast...
front view of sliced chocolate babka bread

Prepare to be utterly smitten with this decadent Chocolate Babka. Swirled with rich chocolate throughout a light and airy brioche dough, it’s a chocolate lover’s dream come true. (And trust me, it makes incredible French Toast!)

front view of sliced chocolate babka bread

What is babka and what makes this recipe one different?

Babka is a sweet yeast bread of Eastern European Jewish origin. The people would use leftover dough from their traditional Challah bread, and would braid or swirl the dough with fillings like cinnamon and sugar. But in recent years, this classic treat has undergone a delicious transformation, with bakers experimenting with a variety of fillings like chocolate, fruits (like raspberry or apple) and nuts, and even savory options)!

This chocolate babka requires a little bit of time, but don’t be intimidated by it! Most of the time is just the bread sitting around getting fluffy and delicious. You can also spread out the steps over a couple days if that seems more manageable for you. For example, you can make the chocolate filling the day before, and the dough can have its first rise in the fridge over night.

Now the thing that makes this chocolate babka recipe different is the special simple syrup that we make to go on top of the babka right after it comes out of the oven! This simple step will make a world of a difference in flavor complexity and give it a nice shine to the top of the bread afterwards. I promise this recipe will be one to remember!

Important note: This recipe makes TWO loaves. You can half the recipe, but if you’re going through all the steps anyway, you might as well make both! Make both chocolate, or you can half the chocolate filling and try another filling (savory garlic and cheese, raspberry, apple, Nutella, etc.)

New York City Babka

If you’ve ever visited New York City, you may know they have a strong Polish community there. There is a famous bakery called “Breads Bakery” that is famous for their chocolate babka. When I visited last fall, it of course hit my “must try” list. I wanted to taste from the experts and see how I could level up this recipe, if I could. Well, I paid $4-$6 for one slice (or you can pay $17.50 for the whole loaf, gulp!!). Tried it and the verdict…

I was a little sad, a little relieved, and then mostly just so excited…that it tasted like the babka loaf I made in my house just the week before!! YOU can get amazing, bakery quality results in YOUR own home! Bakeries are fun to visit, but you can achieve the same quality by using good ingredients and the right methods.

This is my piece from New York City.

breads bakery nyc babka

How to make babka step by step

Here is my step-by-step walk through of the recipe with pictures for those who are visual learners like me!

1. Make the dough

This dough recipe is a buttery soft yeast dough. It’s easiest to make in an electric stand mixer but can also be kneaded by hand. The secret to this amazing dough: do not add too much flour!! We want the dough to be soft and tacky – so not wet and overly sticky, but also not tough and dense.

When you get close to adding 4 cups, slow down, and try pinching the dough with floured fingers to test for that soft, tacky feel. (If you’ve made by cinnamon roll or dinner roll recipe, we’re aiming for that kind of dough!)

2. Rise (and make chocolate spread while you wait)

Cover dough with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel. Let the dough rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size. You can also put in the fridge to rest overnight before moving onto the next steps.

While you wait, make the chocolate spread so it is ready to go when your dough is!

3. Chill the dough

Chilling the dough before working with it actually helps make the dough easier to roll and work with. I recommend putting it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes before rolling the dough out and filling it.

4. Divide into 2 & roll out

Divide into to 2 and roll out each one into a rectangle. Using a lightly floured countertop, roll out dough to a rectangle shape so the dough is about 16×20 inches.

5. Fill and form the babka

Grab your already made chocolate filling and spread an even layer across the dough. Make sure to not reach to the edges, this helps when we roll it up to be able to seal properly.

Gently roll the dough up tightly from one of the longer sides to the other. Once rolled, pinch the seam closed and tuck the end underneath to create a neat log.

Take the bottom two ends of each vertical half of dough and cross them over to make an “X”. Then take the top two pieces and twist the two pieces around each other once or twice. Do the same for the bottom section of the bread until you created a twisted bread loaf (imagine a twisted breadstick but larger!). If needed, tuck in the two ends while placing the dough into a greased bread pan.

6. Rise

Cover loaf with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let it rise for about 45 minutes, or until almost doubled.

7. Bake, brush with a sugar syrup, and enjoy every layer!

How to work with yeast

There are several different kinds of yeasts out there. None are necessarily bad, but they all respond differently so it’s important to know what you’re working with. There are 3 primary kinds of yeasts – active dry, instant, and rapid rise. For this recipe my favorites are either active dry or instant. Active dry needs to be activated prior to using by letting it sit in warm water with sugar (or honey) for 5-10 minutes until foamy. Instant has already been partially activated and you can let it get foamy first, or just add it to your recipe with a warm liquid and it’ll still continue activating like normal. For more information on this see my tips on working with yeast.

Whatever yeast you use, two general key principles:

1. Yeast is best stored in the refrigerator or freezer for longest shelf life. I’ve heard a lot of people say “6 months” for the freezer once it’s been opened, but I’ve used my yeast past that point and it’s still worked great. If you see your yeast isn’t activating, you could have killed it by using too hot of a liquid, or it could have gone bad if you’ve had it for a while. It is a good idea to test your yeast in advance to make sure it is still usable if it has been a while since you used it last.

2. You can kill your yeast by having your liquid component to hot! On the flip side, it won’t activate well if you put it in cold water. So what does yeast love? A nice warm bath. It’s true. If you need a specific number, I always recommend 110 degrees F. I recommend taking the temperature especially if you’re new to bread making because it can be the make or break of having successful results.

close up view of slices of chocolate babka loaf

Babka questions

What if the outside of my bread is getting too brown? You can loosely tent the bread (so it isn’t touching the bread itself) with tin foil during the last 15-20 minutes to ensure that the bread doesn’t burn on the outside from direct heat.

When should I slice into it? Let the bread cool slightly (about 15-30 minutes if you can wait!) before slicing into it with a sharp serrated/bread knife. This allows the bread to have time to firm up, making it easier to slice evenly without squishing it, making it a dense loaf.

How to store it? Once cooled completely, store in a plastic bread bag for a few days. It will also freeze well!

Can I double the recipe? The recipe both halves and doubles really well!

*For more play by play images and steps, head over to my instagram highlights to see the babka in action.

More babka recipes to fall in love with!

Valentine’s Swirl Babka

Raspberry Swirl Babka

Roasted Red Pepper Pesto Babka

Apple Cinnamon Babka

front view of sliced chocolate babka bread

Chocolate Babka

This Chocolate Babka is a game-changer. Enjoy it as is, or take it to the next level by turning it into the most decadent French Toast you've ever tasted. You won't regret it!
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Rise & Chill Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 4 hours
Servings 2 loaves

Ingredients
  

Dough

  • ~249 g. (1 cup) whole milk
  • 2 1/2 tsp instant yeast *See note
  • 50 g. (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 6 g. (1 tsp) salt
  • 113 g. (1/2 cup) unsalted butter softened
  • ~3.5-4 cups bread flour *See note

Chocolate Spread

  • 170 g. (1 cup) semi sweet chocolate
  • 113 g. (1/2 cup) butter (salted or unsalted is fine)
  • 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 65 g. (1/4 cup) cocoa powder
  • ~130 g. (1 cup) powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste (or 1 tsp vanilla extract as sub)
  • pinch of salt (if using unsalted butter)

Syrup

  • ~42 g. (1/3 cup) water
  • 65 g. (1/3 cup) granulated sugar

Instructions
 

  • For the dough: Add warm milk, yeast, and sugar to a stand mixer with a dough hook. A large bowl will also work if making by hand.
  • Add about 2 cups of flour, eggs, and salt. Let mix well. Then while mixer is running, slowly add the softened butter. Slowly add remaining 2 ½ cups of flour. Depending on your moisture level, it may be slightly more or less flour. Dough should be soft and smooth, but not too sticky.
  • Let mixer knead the dough for 10 minutes on low speed. Shape the dough into a ball, put in oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel. Let the dough rise for 1 ½ hours or put in the fridge to rest overnight.
  • OPTIONAL: After the dough has risen, place it in the freezer for a half hour. It will make it easier to work with in assembly.
  • For the filling: While the dough is rising, prepare the filling. Melt the butter, cream, and chocolate together. Then add the remaining filling ingredients and mix until you get a smooth, thick paste. Set aside.
  • Assembly: Line two 8.5×4.5 inch loaf pans (9×5 will work too) with parchment paper, allowing excess to hang over the edge, or spray all sides inside the pan with baking spray. After dough has risen and chilled, punch down the dough and divide into 2 even sections. Start with one section and roll out on floured surface into a rectangle about 12×18 inches. Fill with the chocolate filling, leaving about a half inch on all sides. Using the long end, roll up tightly into a log (think cinnamon roll), but being careful not to squeeze any of the filling out.
    Repeat with second ball of dough.
  • Place logs on a lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 30-60 minutes (or the freezer to expedite it!) 
  • Once chilled, cut down the center of each long, lengthwise, exposing the middle of the log with those long beautiful strips of chocolate. Create an “X” by crossing the two pieces of dough on top of each other. Then cross the top section, then the bottom section. Repeat with second log.
  • Gently place each loaf in a pan, tucking the ends under as needed. Let the dough rise for about 30-60 minutes, until almost doubled in size and dough is soft and pillow like.
  • Bake: While babka is rising in the pans, preheat oven to 350. Bake for about 35-40 minutes. If your oven browns the tops quickly, you can put a piece of foil on the top about 20 minutes in. It's done when the bottoms are a dark golden brown and layers look fully cooked. (Internal temp should reach about 190℉)
  • When babka is almost done baking, make your syrup by brining the water and sugar to a simmer for about 3-5 minutes. Once the sugar has dissolved and is slightly thickened, take it off the heat. Using a pastry brush, generously lather the tops of the baked babka with the syrup.
  • Let the loaves rest in the pans for about 10 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack. Let loaves cool completely before slicing for best results. Bread is best kept at room temperature up to 3 days. It also freezes great. Serve plain, toasted, or use as french toast. Enjoy!

Notes

Flour substitution: You can substitute bread flour for all purpose flour. I also loving doing a mix of 1/2 and 1/2 for a tender, yet sturdy loaf. 
Instant yeast vs active dry yeast: if you are using active dry yeast, you will mix the milk, sugar, and yeast together and let them sit for 5-10 minutes until the mixture starts to foam at the top. This ensures that the yeast has activated properly. Then continue steps as usual.
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Diana Behunin
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Diana Behunin
4 years ago

5 stars
This was my first time making Babka and it turned out delicious. My entire family gobbled it up for breakfast and dessert! I’m loving your website and great recipes!

K W
Guest
K W
1 year ago

I noticed that this suggests rolling to a 16″ x 25″ rectangle for on dough but your other two babka suggest a 10 x 12″ rectangle. Is this a mistype? 16 x 25 is very, very thin.
It would also be helpful to add in the recipe that the chocolate spread and syrup is meant for one loaf, not two.

Last edited 1 year ago by K W
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