The BEST Chocolate Babka Recipe

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.

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.

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.

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.

FAQ

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

• Brioche Bread –  airy, flaky, and great for french toast!
• Brioche Buns – fluffy, light, and perfect for your next BBQ.
• Poppy Seed Rolls – no rising time required and perfect for breakfast, snack, or dessert.
• Fruit Piroshki Recipe – a delicious Eastern European pastry filled with jam.

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Recipe

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

• 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 110F
• 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

US Units – Metric

Instructions

Babka Dough

• Add flour, sugar, yeast and salt to a mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
  
• 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.
  
• 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, set aside. In a heavy saucepan over medium-low, combine the butter, sugar, chocolate and cocoa powder.
  
• Cook and stir until it 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 Chocolate Babka Filling on each rectangle of dough.
  
• Starting from the long side, roll the rectangle into a roll. Pinch the end to seal.
  
• 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.
  

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.
  
• 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.
  

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.