Chocolatey swirled Chocolate Babka is the bread recipe you're going to want to bake every weekend.
Prep Time25 minutesmins
Cook Time40 minutesmins
Total Time3 hourshrs5 minutesmins
Course: Baking, Bread
Cuisine: American, Polish
Keyword: chocolate babka
Servings: 24
Calories: 239kcal
Author: Kellie
Ingredients
For dough
3/4cupwarm milk
1/2cupplus 2 teaspoons sugar
3teaspoonsactive dry yeast
3cupsall-purpose flour plus additional for dusting
2whole large eggs
1large egg yolk
1teaspoonpure vanilla extract
3/4teaspoonsalt
10tablespoonssalted buttercut into pieces and softened
For egg wash
1large egg yolk
1tablespoonwhole milk
For chocolate filling
6tablespoonsunsalted buttersoftened but not melted
1cupfinely chopped semi-sweet chocolate
1/2cupfinely chopped bittersweet chocolate
1/4cupgranulated sugar
4tablespoonsturbinado sugar
Instructions
Whisk together the milk and 2 teaspoons sugar in bowl of stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast over the milk and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If the yeast doesn't foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)
Add 1/2 cup of flour to yeast mixture and beat at medium speed until combined. Add the whole eggs, yolk, vanilla, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low, then mix in remaining 2 1/2 cups flour, about 1/2 cup at a time. Increase speed to medium, then add the butter, a few pieces at a time, and continue to beat until dough becomes stringy and stretchy. (The dough will be sticky)
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let the dough rise in a draft-free place at room temperature until doubled in size, approximately 2 hours.
Coat two loaf pans with cooking spray.
Punch down dough and then divide the dough in half. Roll out 1 piece of dough on a well-floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into an 18- by 10-inch rectangle. Turn so the long side is nearest you.
Whisk together yolk and milk. Spread half the softened butter on dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border all around. Brush some of the egg wash on the long end nearest you.
Sprinkle half of the chocolate evenly over the buttered dough, then sprinkle with half of the granulated sugar . Starting with the long side farthest from you, roll dough into a snug log, pinching firmly along egg-washed seam to seal. Bring the ends of log together to form a ring, pinching to seal. Twist the entire ring twice to form a double figure 8 and fit into one of the loaf pans.
Make another babka with remaining dough. Chill remaining egg wash, to use later. Let babkas rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until dough reaches top of pans, 1 to 2 hours. Or let the dough rise in pans in refrigerator 8 to 12 hours. Be sure to bring the dough to room temperature, 3 to 4 hours, before baking.
Place oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 350°F.
Brush the tops of dough with remaining egg wash and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar. Bake until the tops are deep golden brown, approximately 40 minutes. Transfer loaves to a rack and cool to room temperature.