Description
Easy Chocolate Babka is a delightful sweet braided bread featuring rich chocolate filling swirled throughout its soft, buttery dough. This Jewish-American dessert combines a tender yeast dough with a luscious mixture of melted chocolate, cocoa, and sugar, perfect for breakfast or an indulgent treat. With straightforward steps involving kneading, rising, twisting, and baking, this recipe makes the iconic babka accessible to bakers of all skill levels.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup whole milk (warm)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
Chocolate Filling
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
Finishing
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (melted, for brushing)
- 1 egg (beaten, for egg wash)
Instructions
- Prepare Dough: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the warm milk and eggs. Add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture and stir to form a shaggy dough.
- Knead Dough: Add the softened butter and knead the dough by hand or with a mixer fitted with a dough hook for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1–1.5 hours, or until doubled in size.
- Make Chocolate Filling: While the dough rises, melt the chocolate chips and stir in cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and cinnamon (if using) until smooth. Allow the filling to cool slightly before spreading.
- Shape Babka: Once risen, punch down the dough and roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a 9×15 inch rectangle. Spread the chocolate filling evenly over the dough, leaving a small border around the edges. Starting from the long edge, roll the dough tightly into a log.
- Create Twist: Slice the log lengthwise down the center, then twist the two halves together with the cut sides facing up to form a braided shape.
- Second Rise: Transfer the twisted dough to a greased loaf pan. Cover and let it rise again for 30–45 minutes until puffy.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Brush the loaf with the beaten egg for a shiny crust. Bake for 35–40 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
- Cool and Finish: Let the babka cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then brush with melted butter to add moisture and sheen. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- This is a simplified babka recipe with one easy rise to save time.
- For added shine and sweetness, brush the cooled babka with simple syrup after baking.
- You can customize the filling by adding chopped nuts or substituting with Nutella instead of chocolate.
