Chocolate babka, the recipe that everyone talks about

It is an Easter tradition to make Babka or Baba, a rectangular or crown-shaped fluffy braid made from a sweet fermented dough that is so delicious that we enjoy it all year round. You have probably heard the word "Babka" or seen a "chocolate babka" recently, because babka is all the rage, and for good reason!

In today's complete babka recipe, we'll tell you how to make a delicious and traditional Chocolate Babka , with detailed step-by-step instructions so that you can make it without fear and without having any doubts resolved. It will turn out great!

You can now start thinking about whether you want to make it rectangular or crown-shaped, in either case success is guaranteed.

What is a babka

He Babka, bobka or baba is a braided, spongy, fermented bun (it requires some kneading and baker's yeast), and is a sweet dough originating in Eastern Europe.

It is traditionally prepared at Easter, and it is originally from eastern countries (it is very typical of Poland, Russia, Ukraine...), filled with chocolate or cinnamon.

The name babka means " grandmother" in several Slavic languages: the folds of the bun resemble those of a skirt.

Ingredients

Ingredients for babka:

• 310 grams of all-purpose wheat flour (plus 2 more tablespoons)
• 35 gr of sugar (about 2 tablespoons)
• 5 gr of dry baker's yeast (or 15 gr of fresh yeast)
• 1¼ tsp salt (about 3.5 gr)
• 60 ml water (plus 1 tablespoon separately)
• 60 grams unsalted butter (¼ cup)
• 60 ml of whole milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 XL eggs, at room temperature
• Chocolate filling (recipe below)
• 50 g baking chocolate (65-70% cocoa minimum), chopped
• Simple sugar syrup (recipe below)

Ingredients for the chocolate filling:

• 65 gr of dark chocolate 70% cocoa
• 45 gr of unsalted butter (about 3 tablespoons)
• 30 gr of icing sugar
• 3 tbsp (about 15 grams) cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) salt

Ingredients for the syrup* (simple sugar syrup):

• 35 gr of sugar (about 3 tablespoons)
• 30 ml of water (2 tablespoons)

*This amount will make 3 tablespoons of syrup. You can double the amount if you want to drizzle more syrup on it, or add half a tablespoon more water if you want it a little more liquid.

Preparation

Step by step to make babka:

Preparing the chocolate babka dough:

1. In a bowl, mix 125 g of the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Note: if you have a KitchenAid food processor , make this flour mixture in the food processor bowl.
2. Place a saucepan on the stove, at low or medium heat, and heat the water, butter, milk and vanilla, and mix with a spatula while it heats up, until it reaches 50 ºC. Allow it to cool down for a few minutes and add the butter mixture to the bowl reserved with the flour (in the KitchenAid bowl if available).
3. Use the paddle attachment to mix at medium-low speed until you obtain a homogeneous mixture.
4. Add 1 of the eggs and beat until incorporated.
5. With the mixer on low speed (or while stirring by hand), gradually add the remaining 185 g of flour, mixing at speed 4-6 until combined, stopping to scrape down the sides from time to time.
6. Once you have a homogeneous dough, switch to the hook attachment. Note: the hook attachment is the accessory used to knead; if you are doing it without a robot, it is time to take the dough out of the bowl and place it on a floured surface, to start working the dough.
7. Knead at speed 4 for a good while, until a soft and slightly sticky dough forms (5 to 7 minutes), stopping every few minutes to scrape down the bowl and dough hook. If the dough is very sticky, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour (first one, and if after mixing and kneading it requires it, add the second, about 8-10 grams at a time).
8. Once the dough is ready, pour it onto a lightly floured surface and use your hands to form a circular dough.
9. Lightly oil a large bowl and place the dough inside. Cover with a cotton cloth and leave in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
10. Once risen, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface (I like to use the Nordic Ware baking sheet for this, as it's very wide and doesn't make a mess on the counter), and press the dough with your fingers and stretch it out to make a rectangle of about 20cm x 15cm. Place a previously oiled cling film on top of the dough, loosely, without pressing the dough down. Leave it in a cool place for at least an hour (you can leave it in the fridge overnight, to finish it and bake in the morning).

We fill and shape the chocolate babka:

1. When you are ready to prepare the babka, remove the tray from the refrigerator and allow it to cool for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the tray or mold where you will bake the babka: grease the surface of the mold with butter or simply apply a layer of release spray .

• NOTE: You must decide whether you want to make a crown-shaped or rectangular babka:
• If you are making a crown-shaped babka , you can use a perforated tray (such as the Le Creuset Pizza Pan , or a De Buyer perforated tray ) or, as in our case today, theLe Creuset bread oven base.
• If you want to make a rectangular babka (a chocolate braid) , you will need to prepare a rectangular mold of about 30 x 12 cm. You can use the Le Creuset mold or the Emile Henry ceramic mold .

Le Creuset Bread Oven and Emile Henry Ceramic Mold

1. Prepare the chocolate filling (recipe below) .
2. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
3. On the same floured tray or surface where you have the dough, stretch the dough and make a rectangle of On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle of 30 x 25 cm (and 5 or 6 mm high).
4. Using an offset spatula , spread the chocolate filling over the dough, leaving a 1/4-inch border on the two short sides and one long side (meaning you only have to cover the chocolate to the end on one of the long sides).
5. Spread the chopped chocolate over the entire surface.
6. Now, you need to roll up the dough. You need to do this by rolling the long side up to the other long side, obtaining a long, thick cylinder. To make sure it doesn't unroll, pinch the dough with your fingers, holding the end edge with the bottom dough (holding the dough together and making it impossible for the cylinder to open).
7. Place the seam you have just closed downwards, but not in the centre, but to one side. Now, using a sharp knife or a baker's scraper, cut the roll in half lengthwise, leaving the end joined (thus obtaining two long strips joined by the dough at the top).
8. Turn the halves over so that the cut side is facing up (so that you can see the layers of dough and chocolate facing up). Now, cross them over to form an "X", and cross it over again (in short, make a braid with the two strips of dough you have, keeping the cut side of the layers facing up).
9. You have your babka formed! Now:

• If making a rectangular babka: Place it in the prepared rectangular pan, making sure to keep the cut sides facing up and the ends facing inward, so it looks nice. Cover and let rise at room temperature (ideally about 75°F), about 30 minutes to 1 hour (the babka should rise).

• If you are making a wreath-shaped babka: Place the braid you have formed on the prepared baking sheet in a circle and join the ends together, interlacing and pinching where the ends meet. Allow the dough to relax again, covering the babka with oiled cling film, for half an hour to an hour.

1. In a small bowl, mix the reserved egg and a tablespoon of water (15 ml), and brush the babka with a pastry brush.
2. Place in the oven for about 45-50 minutes, until golden and the internal temperature is 90°C. If you notice that the top is cooking too quickly, cover it with aluminium foil if you are using a rectangular mould or tray, or put the lid on if you are making it in a bread cocotte (in fact, you can make the babka covered in the cocotte first, it will rise more gradually).

We cover with the simple sugar syrup:

1. In a small ceramic bowl, mix the 35 g of sugar and the 2 tablespoons of water. Heat in the microwave or put on high heat in a saucepan, in 15 second intervals. Stir between each pause, and repeat until the sugar is completely melted. Allow to cool down and become almost lukewarm before pouring over the babka.
2. When the babka is done, remove it from the oven and immediately brush it with the syrup you have prepared.
3. Let the mold or tray cool for about 10 minutes, remove from the mold and place on a cooling rack until it cools completely.

Preparation of the chocolate filling:

• In the microwave: Place the butter and chopped or crushed chocolate in a bowl and heat in the microwave for one minute. Remove and mix well. The melted butter will help to finish melting the chocolate. If necessary, return to the microwave for another 10 or 20 seconds. When completely melted and still very hot, add the icing sugar, cocoa and salt until smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature.
• In a bain-marie: In a bain-marie, add the chopped chocolate and butter and melt until you obtain a homogeneous, smooth and shiny mixture. Add the sugar, cocoa and salt and continue stirring until everything is combined. Turn off the heat and allow to cool to room temperature before using.

Notes on preparing babka:

• I use the oven to let the dough rise. You just have to leave the oven at about 50 degrees for 5-8 minutes and then turn it off. Then you put the bowl with the dough inside, covered with the damp cotton cloth (and the cloth on the bowl, without touching the dough). It is a good way to keep the dough in a warm place and rise quickly.
• You see, what will determine the preparation time of the recipe is the time it takes for the dough to rise. The colder the place, the longer it will take to rise.
• This babka is also delicious with hazelnuts. Just add crushed hazelnuts spread over the entire surface of the dough when you spread the chocolate (in step 18, you can also add the hazelnuts in addition to the chocolate).
• Cinnamon babka is also traditional. You can simply apply cinnamon in the centre or add cinnamon and hazelnuts, or a touch of cinnamon to your chocolate babka.

Served with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate, I assure you that this babka is the best breakfast and snack. I hope you enjoy it a lot (many times).

Note: If you want to make a chocolate braid with brioche dough, I invite you to seethis one we have on the blog .