Chocolate Babka Recipe

How to fill and shape your pasta

Homemade Babka Recipe

This recipe is one of the best chocolate babka recipes. Plus, we have a great step-by-step demonstration all about how to fold the perfect babka loaf. It’s a must-bake recipe that everyone should try.

What you’ll need

1 1/2 cups warm milk

2 active dry yeast envelopes (1/4 ounce = 1 envelope)

1 3/4 cups sugar, divided

3 large eggs (room temperature)

2 large egg yolks (room temperature)

6 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 sticks of butter (cut into pieces)

2 1/4 pounds semisweet chocolate (finely chopped)

2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon heavy cream

Combine the warm milk and yeast into a mixing bowl and let it stand for 5 minutes until the mixture becomes a little foamy. In a separate bowl, mix together 3/4 cup of sugar, 2 eggs, and 2 egg yolks. Slowly add the egg mixture to the milk and yeast. Using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment combine the salt and flour. Add the egg and milk mixture and combine on a low speed until nearly all of the flour is incorporated. Change the mixer attachment to a dough hook and add 2 sticks of butter and mix well until the butter is well mixed. You’ll want a smooth, soft dough that is slightly sticky, this usually takes about 10 minutes of mixing.

Turn the dough onto a floured, flat surface and knead a few times until smooth. Butter a large bowl, place the dough inside, and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place and let the dough rise for about 1 hour.

In another mixing bowl, combine the chocolate, the remaining one cup of sugar, and cinnamon. Stir to combine. Using a pastry cutter, cut in the remaining stick of butter into the chopped chocolate mixture. Set aside. Butter three 9 x 5 loaf pans and preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Beat the remaining egg with the 1 tablespoon of cream and set aside. Remove the dough from the bowl and punch back the dough a couple times on a floured surface. Let it rest for 5 minutes. Cut the dough into 3 equal parts.

On a well floured surface, roll out one dough section into a 16-inch square, about 1/8 inch thick. Brush the edges with the egg washed you have already made. Crumble about 1/3 of the chocolate mixture evenly over the dough, leaving about a 1/4-inch border all around. Roll the dough tightly like you would roll a jelly roll. Pinch the ends together to seal in the chocolate. Twist the dough roll twice into a figure 8. Lift the folded dough into the loaf pan and brush the top with the egg wash. Watch here for a demonstration.

Chocolate Babka Demonstration

Complete this same process twice more with the other two dough segments. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until the outside is a deep golden brown. Allow the chocolate babka to cool before removing from the pans.

Chocolate Babka Recipe

Remove from pans and enjoy!

Babka Recipe by Orson Gygi

 

Chocolate Babka Recipe
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups warm milk
  • 2 active dry yeast envelopes (1/4 ounce = 1 envelope)
  • 1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
  • 3 large eggs (room temperature)
  • 2 large egg yolks (room temperature)
  • 6 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 sticks of butter (cut into pieces)
  • 2 1/4 pounds
  • semisweet chocolate
  • (finely chopped)
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon heavy cream
Instructions
  1. Combine the warm milk and yeast into a mixing bowl and let it stand for 5 minutes until the mixture becomes a little foamy. In a separate bowl, mix together 3/4 cup of sugar, 2 eggs, and 2 egg yolks. Slowly add the egg mixture to the milk and yeast. Using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment combine the salt and flour. Add the egg and milk mixture and combine on a low speed until nearly all of the flour is incorporated. Change the mixer attachment to a dough hook and add 2 sticks of butter and mix well until the butter is well mixed. You’ll want a smooth, soft dough that is slightly sticky, this usually takes about 10 minutes of mixing.
  2. Turn the dough onto a floured, flat surface and knead a few times until smooth. Butter a large bowl, place the dough inside, and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place and let the dough rise for about 1 hour.
  3. In another mixing bowl, combine the chocolate, the remaining one cup of sugar, and cinnamon. Stir to combine. Using a pastry cutter, cut in the remaining stick of butter into the chopped chocolate mixture. Set aside.
  4. Butter three x 5 loaf pans and preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Beat the remaining egg with the 1 tablespoon of cream and set aside. Remove the dough from the bowl and punch back the dough a couple times on a floured surface. Let it rest for 5 minutes. Cut the dough into 3 equal parts.
  5. On a well floured surface, roll out one dough section into a 16-inch square, about 1/8 inch thick. Brush the edges with the egg washed you have already made. Crumble about 1/3 of the chocolate mixture evenly over the dough, leaving about a 1/4-inch border all around.
  6. Roll the dough tightly like you would roll a jelly roll. Pinch the ends together to seal in the chocolate.
  7. Twist the dough roll twice into a figure 8. Lift the folded dough into the loaf pan and brush the top with the egg wash.
  8. Complete this same process twice more with the other two dough segments. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until the outside is a deep golden brown. Allow the chocolate babka to cool before removing from the pans.
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3 Comments

  • Reply
    Donna
    May 6, 2015 at 4:29 am

    Great recipes. !,

  • Reply
    Connie
    February 3, 2017 at 10:14 am

    There is an error in this recipe. The ingredients lists two sticks of butter. The directions need at least three!

    • Reply
      Heather Smith
      February 21, 2017 at 5:16 pm

      it looks like they were able to use the regular color, but it also appears they used a tiny bit. I am with you though, i would only use the red oil based food coloring, which we sell, just to be safe.

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