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Chocolate Babka is a real treat. Light, fluffy bread twisted with a layer of chocolate. You will be surprised at how simple the process is to make this beautiful work of art.  

babka sliced into pieces

What is Babka

Chocolate Babka is a sweet braided bread. It’s made by rolling a yeasted dough with a chocolate filling and then braiding the pieces together. Babka is tender, buttery, and is a beautiful presentation!

How to Make Babka Dough

  • Mix together the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Add eggs and water, then knead to combine.
  • Knead the dough while slowly adding the butter until the dough is shiny and elastic.
  • Allow the dough to rest in a covered, oiled bowl in the fridge for at least 6 hours. Allow the dough to sit at room temperature for 40 minutes before shaping.
dry ingredients for the babka
dry ingredients with eggs
babka dough with butter
Kneaded dough for babka

How to Make Chocolate Babka Filling

  • Chop the chocolate and add to a saucepan with butter, sugar, and cocoa powder. Cook and stir until it becomes creamy and combined.
  • Set in the fridge to cool and thicken.
chocolate filling cooking in a pan
Chocolate filling for the babka

How to Shape Babka

  • Divide the dough into two pieces and roll into rectangles. Spread the chocolate filling over each rectangle. 
  • Roll the rectangle (starting at one of the long edges) into a tight roll. Pinch the end to seal.
  • Cut each roll into two pieces and twist the two pieces (with the cut sides up) to form two babka rolls. Add shaped babka to prepared bread pans and let it rise, covered with a towel, in a warm spot for 45 minutes.
babka dough with a filling spreaded
babka rolled up and sealed
Babka dough cut open in the center
babka formed out of the dough

Baking Babka

  • Bake the babka loaves in a preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. 
  • While the babka is baking, make the syrup by combining the water and sugar in a saucepan and simmering until the sugar is dissolved.
  • Brush the baked babkas with syrup. Remove them from the pans and cool before serving.
baked babka in a pan

FAQ

Is Babka a brioche?

Babka is a sweet, braided bread that is made from a brioche dough. A brioche dough is a cross between a pastry and a bread that is very buttery, soft, and fluffy. Brioche can be made into a sweet or savory bread.

Where is chocolate babka from?

Babka is from the Jewish communities of Poland and Ukraine. It was developed in the Eastern European communities in the early 19th century. Chocolate was not originally used until the 20th century.

Why is my babka dry?

Your babka may be dry for several reasons such as too much flour was added to the dough or the babka was overbaked.

What ethnicity is babka?

Babka is an Eastern European sweet bread that originated in Jewish communities.

Baked babka on a parchment paper

Making Chocolate Babka in Advance

To make chocolate babka in advance, you can refrigerate the babka dough for up to two days. You can also freeze the fully baked babka that has been tightly sealed and fully wrapped.

Optionally, you can freeze the unbaked babka. After you form the babka into shape, place it on a parchment-lined sheet pan and freeze. Once fully frozen you can transfer it to an airtight container. When ready to bake, allow to thaw at room temperature for 5 hours before baking. 

More of Sweet Breads

Recipe

slices of babka

The best Chocolate Babka Recipe

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Servings
16 servings
Prep Time 1 hr 20 mins
Cook Time 40 mins
Total Time 2 hrs
Recipe contributed by: Natalya Drozhzhin
Chocolate Babka is a real treat. Light, fluffy bread twisted with a layer of chocolate. You will be surprised at how simple the process is to make this beautiful work of art.

Ingredients

Babka Dough

Babka Chocolate Filling

Babka Syrup

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
US Units – Metric

Instructions

Babka Dough

  • Add flour, sugar, yeast and salt to a mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
    dry ingredients for the babka
  • Add in the eggs and water. Knead until the ingredients are well incorporated.
  • Cut the butter into small cubes. Add one cube at a time as you knead the dough. Knead until the dough is shiny and elastic.
    babka dough with butter
  • Place the dough into a large oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it refrigerate overnight or at least 6 hours. Remove the dough from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for at least 40 minutes.
    babka dough in a bowl

Chocolate Babka Filling

  • When using a whole chocolate bar, chop the chocolate into pieces, set aside. In a heavy saucepan over medium-low, combine the butter, sugar, chocolate and cocoa powder.
    ingredients for chocolate babka filling
  • Cook and stir until it becomes creamy. Set in the fridge so it cools and thickens into a spreadable consistency.
    Chocolate filling for the babka

Making Chocolate Babka

  • Butter two 9-inch bread pans. Line them with parchment paper.
    two bread pans lined with parchment paper
  • Divide the dough into two pieces. Roll each piece into a rectangle.
    babka dough rolled out
  • Use a knife to spread the Chocolate Babka Filling on each rectangle of dough.
    babka dough with a filling spreaded
  • Starting from the long side, roll the rectangle into a roll. Pinch the end to seal.
    babka rolled up and sealed
  • Use a sharp knife to cut the roll lengthwise into two pieces. With the cut side facing up, twist the two pieces together. Pinch the edges and gently press them together to seal.
    babka dough twisted between each other
  • Move each babka into a loaf pan. Cover with a towel and let it rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.
    babka in a pan covered
  • Preheat the oven to 375°F. Remove the towel from the loaves and place them in the preheated oven. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
    baked babka in a pan

Babka Syrup

  • Combine the sugar with water in a heavy bottom pot. Bring it to a simmer and stir until the sugar is fully dissolved.
    pot with water and sugar
  • Once the babkas are fully baked, brush the tops with the syrup. Remove the babkas from the pan and allow them to fully cool before serving.
    Baked babka on counter
Nutrition Facts
The best Chocolate Babka Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 400 Calories from Fat 180
% Daily Value*
Fat 20g31%
Saturated Fat 12g60%
Trans Fat 1g
Cholesterol 67mg22%
Sodium 90mg4%
Potassium 168mg5%
Carbohydrates 51g17%
Fiber 3g12%
Sugar 23g26%
Protein 6g12%
Vitamin A 464IU9%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 24mg2%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Posted March 18, 2021

About Author

Natalya Drozhzhin

Natalya founded Momsdish to demonstrate that placing a homemade meal on the table is not hard at all. Natalya makes cooking easier and approachable, by simplifying the ingredients, while still producing the same great taste.