This chocolate babka is a real treat and pretty simple to make. The light, fluffy egg bread is twisted with a layer of chocolate and is a true work of art.
There’s nothing like a slice of tender, chocolate-swirled babka. In this straightforward recipe, we’ll teach you everything you need to know to nail the brioche dough and master the bread (trust us, it’s easier than you think).
What is Chocolate Babka?
Chocolate babka is a sweet braided brioche bread. It’s made by rolling a yeasted dough with a chocolate filling and then braiding the pieces together. Once baked, babka is tender, buttery, and makes for a beautiful presentation. Although Jewish in heritage, you’ll find this bread eaten all over Europe.
How to Make Chocolate Babka from Scratch
To make things easier, we’ve broken up the process for making chocolate babka into four different steps – making the dough, making the filling, shaping the loaf (braiding), and baking the babka.
How to Make Babka Dough
- Mix the Ingredients: Mix the all-purpose flour, sugar, active dry yeast, and salt. Add the large eggs and water, then knead to combine.
- Add in the Butter Slices: Knead the dough on medium speed while slowly adding the butter slices in until the dough is shiny and elastic.
- Refrigerate the Dough: Allow the dough to rest in a well-oiled bowl covered with plastic wrap in the fridge for at least 6 hours. Allow the dough to sit at room temperature for 40 minutes before shaping.
How to Make Chocolate Babka Filling
- Divide the Dough: Divide the dough into two pieces and roll them into rectangles with a rolling pin. Spread the chocolate filling over each rectangle with a knife or offset spatula.
- Roll & Seal the Dough: Roll the rectangle (starting at one of the long edges) into a tight roll. Pinch the end to seal.
- Braid the Bread: 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 loaf pans lined with parchment paper and let them rise covered with a towel in a warm spot for 45 minutes.
How to Shape Chocolate Babka
- Divide the Dough: Divide the dough into two pieces and roll them into rectangles with a rolling pin. Spread the chocolate filling over each rectangle with a knife or offset spatula.
- Roll & Seal the Dough: Roll the rectangle (starting at one of the long edges) into a tight roll. Pinch the end to seal.
- Braid the Bread: 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 loaf pans lined with parchment paper and let them rise covered with a towel in a warm spot for 45 minutes.
Baking Chocolate Babka
- Bake the Babka: Bake the babka loaves in a preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
- Make the Soaking Syrup: 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 Bread: Brush the baked babkas with syrup. Remove the loaves from the pans and allow them to cool on a wire rack before serving.
Hot Tip: Add a tablespoon of cinnamon to the chocolate filling if you’d like. You can also sprinkle chocolate chips on top of the babka before baking it for extra texture.
3 Tips for Making Bakery-Worthy Chocolate Babka
These pointers will help you make a chocolate babka worthy of any bakery window.
- Use a standing mixer to speed up the process. To save your forearms the work and speed up the process, enlist the help of a standing mixer with a dough hook to turn the dough perfectly elastic.
- Shape the dough on a well-floured surface. To prevent the dough from sticking and being too difficult to work with, shape it on a well-floured surface.
- Opt for unsalted butter. Avoid altering the sweet taste of the bread but use unsalted butter for the dough and chocolate filling.
Making Chocolate Babka in Advance
There are two different ways you can prep your babka in advance – storing the dough or freezing it unbaked.
- Refrigerate the Dough: 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.
- Freeze the Babka Unbaked: 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.
Storing Baked Chocolate Babka
To store chocolate babka for up to 3 days, keep it at room temperature in an airtight container. You can keep it fresh for even longer by wrapping it in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and freezing it for up to 1 month. To thaw the babka, place it on the countertop for a couple of hours and optionally reheat it in the oven for a couple of minutes.
FAQ
Is chocolate babka a bread or cake?
Despite how sweet it is, chocolate babka is indeed a bread and not a cake. That said, some recipes pack more of the chocolate filling in and are adorned with chocolate chip or streusel toppings, making them much sweeter and more decadent.
Is chocolate babka served warm or cold?
Chocolate babka can be served warm or cold – it’s really up to preference. Eat it straight out of the oven or allow it to cool down and serve it as a pastry.
Are challah and babka the same?
Both challah and babka have similar dough ingredients that are egg-heavy. The main difference between the two is that challah is made with oil while babka is made with butter.
Is chocolate babka breakfast or dessert?
You can have chocolate babka for either breakfast or dessert. If you’re having it at breakfast, pair it with coffee or tea. If you’re eating it for dessert, warm it up and serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.
What is the difference between babka and brioche?
Babka is made with brioche dough, so it falls into the brioche family. The big difference is that babka is often braided with different fillings like chocolate, cinnamon, or nuts.
More of Brioche & Sweet Bread Recipes
- Brioche Bread – Airy, flaky, and great for french toast!
- Brioche Buns – Fluffy, light, and perfect for your next BBQ
- Poppy Seed Rolls – No-rise sweet poppy seed rolls
- Fruit Piroshki Recipe – Eastern European jam-filled pastry
Recipe
Ingredients
Babka Dough
- 4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 tsp active dry yeast
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup lukwarm water 110°F
- 10 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature
Babka Chocolate Filling
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature
- 10 oz semi-sweet chocolate bar or chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Babka Syrup
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
Babka Dough
- Add all-purpose flour, sugar, active dry yeast, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir to combine.
- Stir in the eggs and water. Knead until the ingredients are well-incorporated.
- Cut the butter into small cubes. Add one cube in at a time as you knead the dough until it's shiny and elastic.
- 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.
Chocolate Babka Filling
- When using a whole chocolate bar, chop the chocolate into pieces and set it aside. If using chocolate chips, keep them as is. In a heavy saucepan over medium-low, combine the butter, sugar, chocolate, and cocoa powder.
- Cook and stir until the chocolate sauce becomes creamy. Set in the fridge so it cools and thickens into a spreadable consistency.
Making Chocolate Babka
- Butter two 9-inch bread pans. Line them with parchment paper.
- Divide the dough into two pieces. Roll each piece into a rectangle.
- Use a knife to spread the filling on each rectangle of dough.
- Starting from the long side, roll the dough rectangle into a roll and pinch the end to seal it.
- 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.
- Move each babka into a loaf pan. Cover with a towel and let it rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.
- 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.
Can you use bread flour instead of all purpose?
Hi Moriah- I haven't tested the recipe with bread flour, so I can't say. If you decide to use it, let us know how it works as a substitute!
Just wow!!
I have been baking it over and over again!!! Thank you!!!
Olena, I'm so glad you have fallen in love with this babka, thank you for taking the time to comment!
Natalya
Thank you for all your delicious receipts! I have been always afraid to work with yeast because so many failed in the past.
But you have sparked a flame in me because I tried your basic bread recipe and it turn out so good I have to make it 2x a week. Then I made your baguettes again success! I’m so excited! Now I just made the Babka bread! Outstanding! I can’t wait to make your next receipt!
What I love about your receipts are the layout! You give a little explanation and then little /BIG tips for us beginners. VERY USEFUL. your pictures with the comments underneath help me to know I’m on track! I follow them to the “letter” so to speak.
THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART for sharing your receipts and advice...my family and friends thank you too!
Pam, this is the sweetest message ever!! I'm so glad these recipes have become a staple and you enjoy making them, I love that you got the courage and tried recipes with yeast. Thank you for your feedback on the layout of the recipes, I love hearing about whether things like that are helpful or not. Thank you so much for taking the time to comment 🥰
Your welcome. You deserve the compliment. It’s the truth!
Making my shopping/baking list for this week! Happy Mother’s Day to you and all your bakers!
Thank you.
I have seen recipes on internet with nutella and poppy seeds. never baked babka before. Will try. I did breaded khala bread few times. You made a very good presentation.
Thank you! Let me know what you think when you try the babka!
I believe the recipe was brought to the Eastern Europe from Austria. Where the cake called Kreintz ( ?) Natalya, you may look up into this.
Thank you for sharing your feedback.
Tried it so yummy can you make wool roll bread
I'm so glad you enjoyed the babka, thank you for the request I will add it to the list.
Tried it and it is so delicious and I hope you will be uploading recipes in the YouTube
I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thank you for taking the time to comment your feedback! We will be adding more recipes to YouTube soon!
You have no idea how much I love this!! Chocolate & bread together..the most amazing combination ever!!
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, thank you for your feedback!
Such a beautiful and delicious bread. Thank you!
So delicious - Light, fluffy and the layers of chocolate so good! Great recipe!
I'm glad you enjoyed it, Melissa, thank you for your feedback!