This chocolate babka is made by making a decedent brioche-like bread and filling it with rich chocolate filling made with dark chocolate, butter, powder sugar, and cocoa powder, topped with a simple sugar syrup that brings all the flavors together.
If you like chocolate recipes as we do, you should check out our double chocolate banana bread, chewy and fudgy brownies, best ever chocolate cake, chewy double chocolate cookies, and our easy chocolate cupcakes!
Why this recipe works
- It is made with soft buttery dough.
- Filled with a rich and delicious chocolate filling.
- Made with simple ingredients.
- Can be filled with a variety of fillings.
Jump to:
What is babka?
Babka is a sweet braided bread usually made from brioche-like dough, filled with different fillings. Babka is extremely popular in Israel and the Jewish communities and has now become popular all over the world!
Babka first originated in the Jewish communities in Poland and Ukraine. The most popular babka fillings are chocolate, cinnamon, cheeses, and fruits.
Ingredients
You will only need 5 ingredients to make this recipe! Before you start to make this recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.
Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
For the dough
All-purpose flour- we used all-purpose flour for this recipe, bread flour can work great as well!
Granulated sugar– we like to use granulated sugar, also the most common sugar used in baking. Caster sugar will work great as well.
Yeast- we used instant yeast for this recipe. make sure that your yeast isn’t expired. Instant yeast doesn't require the activation step, you can mix it into the dough right away.
Eggs- make sure your eggs are at room temperature. Use large eggs.
Milk- use whole milk for this recipe to make the dough extra rich.
Kosher salt- for flavor.
Butter- use room temperature butter. We used unsalted butter for this recipe.
For the chocolate filling
Chocolate- use the best quality semisweet or dark chocolate bars for the best flavor. using the best quality dark chocolate is very important in this recipe.
Butter- you will need 120 grams of butter. Use unsalted butter
Powder sugar- for sweetness, caster sugar can work as well.
Cocoa powder- we like to use Dutch cocoa powder. Dutch cocoa powder has a stronger chocolate flavor. Regular cocoa powder will work amazingly as well.
For the sugar syrup
Granulated sugar– we like to use granulated sugar, also the most common sugar used in baking. Caster sugar will work great as well.
Water- to melt the sugar.
Instructions
In a stand mixer bowl, add the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, and yeast. Mix well with a spoon or a whisk.
Add the butter (cut into cubes), the eggs, and the milk. Attach the dough hook to the stand mixer and mix on low to medium speed until the dough forms into a ball.
Add the salt and mix for another 5-8 minutes on medium-high speed or until the dough is smooth and has pulled away from the sides of the bowl.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.
Make the chocolate filling: into a medium-sized bowl, add the dark chocolate, butter, powder sugar, and cocoa powder.
Place the bowl in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or until the chocolate and the butter are melted. Mix with a spoon until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Transfer the dough onto a clean lightly floured surface and cut it in half. (this recipe makes 2 loaves) Roll the dough with a rolling pin into a rectangular shape.
Take half of the chocolate filling mixture and spread an even layer on the dough. Gently roll out the dough just like you would do with a cinnamon roll.
Place the dough roll into the freezer for 15 minutes. (optional, but makes it so much easier to cut the dough.)
With a sharp knife, cut the dough roll lengthwise into half. With the cut side facing up, starting at the top, pinch both ends together.
Gently braid the dough placing the right side over the left side, repeating this process until a braid forms.
Prep a baking loaf pan with parchment paper, then gently place the dough braid into the loaf pan and cover with a towel, letting the dough rise for the last time for 30-50 minutes in a warm place or until doubled in size.
Bake in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
Make the sugar syrup
Add the sugar and water to a small saucepan and cook on medium heat and bring the sugar and water to a boil. When the sugar syrup dissolves completely, remove the pan from the heat and let it cool completely.
Take the babka loaf out of the oven and brush immediately with the sugar syrup. Let the loaf cool for 10-15 minutes, slice, and serve warm!
Expert Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients. It is important that you use room-temperature ingredients like eggs and butter. This step ensures that your dough mixes into a homogenous mixture and bakes perfectly.
- Cover the entire babka loaf with sugar syrup, it prevents the loaf from drying out and gives it a delicious flavor and texture, so don’t skip this step!
- Use your best quality dark chocolate for the chocolate filling.
- Freeze the loaf for 15 minutes before cutting into it, it makes cutting the dough way easier, cleaner, and smoother.
- Make sure that your ingredients are fresh! Make sure that your flour and yeast are fresh and not expired. This step ensures that you will have great dough to work with.
- Before you start to make this recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with a back of a knife.
Faq's
Babka tastes like a rich brioche bread that is filled with different kinds of fillings, like chocolate, cinnamon, jam, fruit, etc.
To keep the chocolate babka from drying out, cover the entire chocolate babka loaf with sugar syrup, it prevents the loaf from drying out and gives it a delicious flavor and texture, so don’t skip this step!
Babka isn’t a brioche, it's pretty similar, but it's slightly richer than a brioche bread, and filled with different fillings.
Storing
Babka can stay fresh at room temperature for 3-4 days. Store the babka in an airtight container so it won't dry out.
Freezing
The first option is to make the recipe from start to finish and let the babka cool completely, then wrap the babka with at least two layers of plastic wrap, place it in the freezer and freeze for up to 3 months.
When ready to thaw, remove the babka from the freezer and thaw it in the fridge overnight, or at room temperature for a few hours.
Another way to freeze the babka is to freeze it right before baking the loaf. Cover the dough roll with plastic wrap or place it in a freezer-friendly air-tight container for up to 3 months.
Substitutions
Dairy-free- make this recipe dairy free by swapping the butter with vegan butter.
Variations
Filling- An easier way to make babka is using your favorite chocolate spread like Nutella, etc.
Add-ins- you can add your favorite add-ins like chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruit, M&M's, etc.
More chocolate recipes:
Small chocolate cake- This small chocolate cake is perfect when you're craving a chocolate cake but don't want to make a big chocolate cake. We made this chocolate cake in an 8x8 inch baking pan.
Triple chocolate brownie mousse cake- This triple chocolate brownie mousse cake is made with a brownie bottom, topped with a creamy eggless chocolate mousse, and topped with silky chocolate ganache.
Double chocolate banana bread- This double chocolate banana bread is filled and topped with chocolate chips, extra moist, and melt in your mouth delicious.
Best ever chocolate cake- This decadent chocolate cake is made by making two simple cake layers with the easiest and most chocolaty chocolate frosting. This chocolate cake is a moist, fluffy, and rich chocolate cake that is not too sweet.
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📖 Recipe
Chocolate Babka
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 500 g Flour
- ½ cup Granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoon Dried yeast
- 1 Eggs
- ½ cup Milk
- ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 150 g Butter
For the filling:
- 200 g Dark chocolate
- 120 g Butter
- ¾ cup Powder sugar
- ½ cup Cocoa powder
Instructions
- In a stand mixer bowl, add the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, yeast. Mix well with a spoon or a whisk.
- Add the butter (cut into cubes), the eggs, and the milk. Attach the dough hook to the stand mixer and mix on low to medium speed until the dough forms into a ball. Add the salt and mix for another 5-8 minutes on medium-high speed or until the dough is smooth and has pulled away from the sides of the bowl.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.
- Meanwhile make the chocolate filling: into a medium-sized bowl, add the dark chocolate, butter, powder sugar, and cocoa powder.
- Place the bowl in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or until the chocolate and the butter are melted. Mix with a spoon until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Transfer the dough onto a clean lightly floured surface and cut it in half. (this recipe makes 2 chocolate babka) Roll the dough with a rolling pin into a rectangle shape.
- Take half of the chocolate filling mixture and spread an even layer on the dough. Gently roll out the dough just like you would do with a cinnamon roll.
- Place the dough roll into the freezer for 15 minutes. (optional, but makes it so much easier to cut the dough.)
- With a sharp knife, cut the dough roll lengthwise into half. With the cut side facing up, starting at the top, pinch both ends together. Gently braid the dough placing the right side over the left side, repeating this process until a braid forms.
- Prep a baking loaf pan with parchment paper, then gently place the dough braid into the loaf pan and cover with a towel, letting the dough rise for the last time for 30-50 minutes in a warm place or until doubled in size. Bake in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
- Make the sugar syrup: add the sugar and water to a small saucepan and cook on medium heat and bring the sugar and water to a boil. When the sugar syrup dissolves completely, remove the pan from the heat and let it cool completely.
- Take the chocolate babka loaf out of the oven and brush immediately with the sugar syrup. Let the chocolate babka cool for 10-15 minutes, slice, and serve warm!
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