Name: Chocolate Babka
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 9 h 555 min
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients: 90 g Unsalted butter; 80 g Bittersweet chocolate; 1 teaspoon Granulated sugar; 40 g Cocoa powder; 100 g Milk; 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon; 250 g Granulated sugar; 125 g Water; 2 teaspoons Active dried yeast; 100 g Unsalted butter; 280 g All purpose flour; 35 g Hazelnuts; ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt; 1 tablespoon Honey; 1 Egg

recipe by Kamran Siddiqi http://sophisticatedgourmet.com/

Total Time

9hrs 15mins
Serves

12
Calories

356

based on 1 ratings

This chocolate babka is, admittedly, a labor of love. However, it is well worth all of the effort and waiting time. The original recipe calls for an optional addition of crumbled brownie or chocolate wafer cookies– a nice addition, but I prefer to err on the side of simplicity, so I simply stick with chopped pecans and or almonds (feel free to use whatever floats your boat). A chocolate with at least 70% cacao mass is recommended for the filling, but you can most definitely get away with something as low as a chocolate with 52%– especially if you prefer a filling that is not too rich. The babka calls for a very Middle-Eastern-inspired soak of simple syrup; if you can’t stand by the idea of a denser, moister babka, feel free to only use enough to coat the top of the babka a couple times. The moistness from the syrup makes the babka delectable, even when cold. But if you’re against using so much simple syrup, warming the babka for a few seconds in the microwave is highly recommended (I know it sounds wrong, but trust me – you need to try it).

Inspired by: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/chocolate-babka-kranz-bread-recipe/

recipe updated 23 Feb. 2022

Ingredients

Unsalted butter

90 g
Egg

1
Kosher salt

¼ teaspoon
Granulated sugar

250 g
Unsalted butter

100 g
Active dried yeast

2 teaspoons
Milk

100 g
Granulated sugar

1 teaspoon
All purpose flour

280 g
Bittersweet chocolate

80 g
Ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon
Cocoa powder

40 g
Hazelnuts

35 g
Water

125 g
Honey

1 tablespoon

Tools

Stand mixer
Oven
Parchment paper
Wooden spoon
Stove
Rolling pin
Saucepan
Loaf pan - 9"
Saucepan
Stand mixer bowl
Lightly floured surface

Step preview

Add active dried yeast, milk, granulated sugar and all purpose flour to a clean stand mixer bowl
Let rest until bubbles form - 10 min
Mix - dough hook
Add all purpose flour to the dough gradually
Knead until smooth - 5 min, dough hook
Chill in fridge - 6 hr
Grease and line a clean loaf pan with parchment paper
Heat a clean saucepan gently until completely melted - medium heat
Stir until melted and turn off heat
Add bittersweet chocolate to the saucepan
Let rest and mix - 1 min
Add ground cinnamon and cocoa powder to the chocolate mixture
Roll into a rectangle
Spread the chocolate filling over the surface of the rectangle all the way to the edges
Add hazelnuts
Starting at one of the long ends of the rectangle, roll up the dough tightly so you have a log that’s 20 inches (50cm) long
Using a sharp knife, slice the dough completely in half lengthwise
With the cut sides facing up, overlap the end of one cut half over the other (with the cut sides still facing up), then take the other cut half and fold it over the other, making sure the cut sides are always facing up
Prepare loaf pan
Let rise until doubled - 2 hr
Add chocolate mixture - medium-high heat
Boil a clean saucepan then set aside - 4 min, medium-high heat
Pre-heat oven - 190°C
Bake until skewer tests clean - 30 min, 190°C
Remove the babka from the oven and spoon or brush the room temperature syrup over the babka and let cool completely before lifting the babka out
Serve loaf pan

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