the chocolate babka of your dreams

…you would get this delicious chocolate babka! it’s definitely a labour of love, but the results are incredibly decadent, and sure to impress. buttery-soft brioche dough is swirled with a fudgy rich chocolate filling. perfect to serve at brunch or for dessert. i promise you will wake up craving this treat!

my first encounter with the concept of a chocolate babka was in an episode of Seinfeld wherein Jerry absconds with a stolen loaf from an old lady on the street. as a child at the time, i had no idea what on earth a chocolate babka could be, but i was certain that if it was worth stealing from a helpless old lady, it had to be delicious. now here we are several decades later and i am finally able to produce this sought-after treat from the past in my kitchen. best of all, i get to share it with you!

what you’ll need

the tools of the trade include…

• stand mixer
• large bowl
• 2 saucepans
• offset spatula
• small bowl
• sharp knife
• instant read thermometer

• flour
• active dry or instant yeast
• whole milk
• eggs
• butter
• chocolate bar – high quality and chopped for melting
• cocoa powder – dutch process is best!
• sugar
• whipping cream
• cinnamon – complements the chocolate so well
• salt – just a pinch to bring out the wonderful flavours

begin our chocolate babka journey

let’s make our buttery dough! always make sure to measure the dry ingredients by weight. it may be annoying at first, but once you have done it a couple of times, you will get used to it. if there is one thing i love in life, it is accuracy! weighing the ingredients will ensure a delicious result every time.

bloom the active dry yeast

if using active dry yeast, heat the milk to 115F. add your yeast and allow it to bloom in a warm place. it should be bubbly within 5 to 10 minutes. if you notice that it is not blooming at room temperature, create a cozy, warm environment for it! you can do this by heating a cup of water in the microwave until it is steaming. remove the cup from the microwave and place your milk/sugar/yeast mixture inside. do not turn the microwave ON with the yeast inside as it will kill the yeast! the enclosed environment of the microwave will retain heat well and allow your yeast to bloom. if it is still not blooming… after adding sugar and heat… your yeast might be dead and it is time to replace with a fresh batch!

once opened, the package of yeast should be stored in an air-tight container in the freezer. if you are not using it often, i recommend to vacuum seal if you have access to a vacuum sealer. i have used a large package of yeast that i have had in the freezer for YEARS beyond it’s ‘best before’ date and ended up with perfect results. proper storage is key to get the most out of you ingredients. i even store my instant yeast in the freezer now too!

make the babka dough

now that we have confirmed that the yeast is alive, let’s add our dry ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk to combine. add your wet ingredients, but leave the butter aside for now.

once the dough is coming together in an elastic consistency, start adding the butter, one tablespoon at a time. wait until each batch is fully incorporated before adding the next. once all the butter is added, you should have a smooth dough. this process should take 10-12 minutes. transfer the dough ball to a greased bowl and allow it to proof overnight in the fridge. the long proofing time develops flavour. if you are on a time crunch, you can chill the dough for 8 hours in the fridge OR for just 2 hours at room temperature. just remember that the longer you proof, the more flavourful your dough will become.

chocolate babka day 2

start the day by taking the babka dough out of the fridge and resting on the counter top while you prep the filling. the filling prep is simple, just melt the butter and cream together first, and then melt the chopped chocolate bar into the mixture. remove it from the heat to prevent burning and add the rest of your ingredients. a pinch of salt is essential to bring out the fudgy dark chocolate flavours. the cinnamon is optional, but i find that the warm spicy notes pair well with the chocolate, adding complexity and depth to the fudgy filling. using a dutch process cocoa powder provides the strongest chocolate flavour so i always recommend you have a package on hand! once all of our ingredients are combined together and smooth, transfer the filling into a small bowl and allow it to chill and thicken. meanwhile, our dough has come closer to room temperature and is now ready to be worked!

if things go AWRY with the chocolate filling…

there is a chance that the chocolate ganache filling will split. this occurs due to heating the butter/cream mixture to quickly at a high temperature, causing the chocolate solids to clump together and separate from the fat. but do not panic, it can be fixed with a few steps and a bit of patience! here’s what you’re going to do if you notice the chocolate solids separating from the fat…

1. heat two tablespoon of heavy cream in a separate saucepan until it is steaming slightly. you do not want to overheat the cream because this is what caused the ganache to split in the first place!
2. remove the cream from heat
3. add a small amount of the split chocolate filling to the heated cream and whisk quickly to incorporate. repeat until all or most of the chocolate solids have been added. you may need to leave some of the separated fat out. let it go, it will be okay.
4. whisk until you achieve a smooth, shiny texture. proceed with the recipe as normal!

i have copied these instructions into the recipe notes so you can have them on hand in case you encounter this issue. the cause of a split ganache is unknown and it happens to the best of us so do not fret!

work the dough

punch down your dough and scrape it onto a lightly floured work surface. using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a square or rectangle about a quarter inch thick. if the dough keeps springing back into its original shape, allow it to relax for 10 minutes and try again. once you have your square or rectangle, spread your filling onto the surface. be careful not to cut into the surface with your spatula. next, roll it into a log on it’s shortest side and seal the edge by pinching it closed.

assemble the chocolate babka!

slice the log in half lengthwise and admire its chocolately stripes. it should be absolutely stunning, take a moment to marvel in the glory of your creation. braid the two logs together, chocolate side UP buy gently twisting. tuck the ends of the braid underneath and transfer into greased loaf tin. cover again with plastic wrap and allow to proof one last time in a warm place for at least an hour, up to 2 hours. braid should become puffy and nearly double in size.

ready to bake

pop the loaf into the oven at 350F for approximately 40 minutes. after about 25 minutes, check the level of browning on top. if the top is already golden brown, cover loosley with a piece of aluminum foil to prevent further browning and burning. you can check for doneness by inserting an instant read thermometer into the loaf. the internal temperature should be between 190F and 200F. remove from the oven and immediately brush with simple syrup (sugar dissolved in an equal amount of water). the simple syrup will protect the loaf from drying out so you can enjoy a deliciously moist slice any time of the week (if it lasts that long)

how to store your chocolate babka

you’ve made the babka, perhaps you even made two. and now you want to preserve the freshness for as long as possible. here are my tips for ensuring the babka tastes fresh, no matter when you eat it:

• as mentioned above, but it’s important so i will mention it again: do not skip the simple syrup glaze
• once completely cooled, slice up the entire loaf
• wrap each slice individually in cling wrap
• wrap 3 of the cling-wrapped slices in aluminum foil
• place the foiled bundles into a freezer bag or air tight container and freeze for up to 2 months
• when ready to eat, remove from all wrapping and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds to revive and enjoy!