Homemade Chocolate Babka

Why you’ll love it

• Bakery-style swirls: layers of rich chocolate in every slice.
• Soft and moist for days, thanks to a buttery dough and a simple sugar syrup.
• Two loaves in one batch: one to enjoy and one to freeze or share.

Quick facts

Ingredients

For the dough

• 4 1/4 cups (530 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 2 1/4 tsp (1 packet / 7 g) instant yeast
• 1 tsp finely grated orange zest (optional)
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk, warmed to about 100°F (38°C)
• 3/4 tsp fine salt
• 2/3 cup (150 g) unsalted butter, softened and cut into cubes

For the chocolate filling

• 4 oz (120 g) dark chocolate (60 to 70% cacao), chopped
• 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup (30 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 pinch salt

For the syrup

• 1/3 cup (80 ml) water
• 6 tbsp (75 g) granulated sugar

Step-by-step method

1. Mix the dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, sugar, yeast and orange zest. Add the eggs and warm milk and mix on low speed 2 to 3 minutes, until a shaggy dough forms. Add the salt, then the butter a few cubes at a time, letting each addition mix in before adding more.

2. Knead. Increase to medium speed and knead 8 to 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, shiny and elastic and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. It will be soft and slightly sticky.

3. Rise and chill. Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a lightly greased bowl, cover and let it rise at room temperature 1 hour. Then refrigerate it at least 3 hours or up to overnight. Cold dough is much easier to roll and shape.

4. Make the filling. Melt the chocolate and butter together in a saucepan over low heat or in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring until smooth. Stir in the powdered sugar, cocoa and salt to make a thick, spreadable paste. Let it cool to room temperature.

5. Roll and fill. Grease two 9 x 5-inch (23 x 13 cm) loaf pans and line them with parchment. Divide the dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll one half into a 12 x 10-inch (30 x 25 cm) rectangle with a short side facing you. Spread half the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch (1 cm) border along the far edge.

6. Roll, cut and twist. Starting from the short side nearest you, roll the dough up tightly into a 10-inch (25 cm) log and pinch the seam closed. With a sharp knife, cut the log in half lengthwise to expose the layers. Lay the halves side by side, cut sides up, press the top ends together and twist the halves over each other, keeping the cut sides facing up. Tuck the ends under and lift the twist into a prepared pan. Repeat with the second half of the dough and filling.

7. Second rise. Cover the pans loosely and let the babkas rise in a warm place 1 1/2 hours, until puffy and about 1 inch (2.5 cm) higher. Near the end, heat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

8. Bake. Bake 30 to 40 minutes, until deep golden brown. If the tops brown too quickly, cover them loosely with foil after 20 minutes.

9. Make the syrup and glaze. While the babkas bake, simmer the water and sugar in a small saucepan 2 minutes, until the sugar dissolves; let it cool. As soon as the babkas come out of the oven, brush all the syrup over both loaves. Cool in the pans 20 minutes, then lift them out onto a rack to cool completely before slicing.

How to know it is done

The babka is done when it is deep golden brown all over, sounds hollow when you tap the top, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the dough (not the chocolate) reads 190°F (88°C). A skewer inserted in the middle should come out with melted chocolate but no raw, gummy dough.

Tips for the best result

• Do not rush the chilling: cold dough holds its shape and does not tear when you cut and twist it.
• Let the filling cool until it is spreadable but not runny, so it stays in thin, even layers.
• Add the butter slowly while kneading; this builds a strong, silky dough that bakes up tender.
• Brush the syrup on while the babka is hot so it soaks in instead of sitting on top.

Variations and substitutions

• Chocolate pecan: sprinkle 1/2 cup (55 g) chopped toasted pecans over each layer of filling before rolling.
• Cinnamon babka: replace the chocolate filling with 1/2 cup (115 g) soft butter mixed with 2/3 cup (135 g) brown sugar and 1 tbsp cinnamon.
• Chocolate hazelnut: use 1 cup (300 g) chocolate hazelnut spread instead of the filling.
• Streusel top: before baking, sprinkle each loaf with a crumb topping of 1/4 cup (30 g) flour, 2 tbsp sugar and 2 tbsp cold butter rubbed together.
• Without a mixer: knead by hand 12 to 15 minutes, adding the butter gradually; the dough will be sticky at first.

Make ahead

Make the dough the day before and let it chill in the refrigerator overnight (up to 24 hours); shape, rise and bake the next morning. The filling can also be made a day ahead and kept at room temperature, covered. Baked babkas freeze very well, so you can bake them up to 2 months before the holidays.

Storage and reheating

Wrap cooled babka tightly in plastic wrap or foil and store it at room temperature up to 3 days. Freeze whole or sliced loaves, well wrapped, up to 2 months, and thaw at room temperature. To serve warm, heat slices 10 to 15 seconds in the microwave or toast them lightly in a 350°F (180°C) oven for 5 minutes.