Ultimate Chocolate Babka Recipe

By The Nosher | Contributor

Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Yield: 3 loaves

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 1 ½ cups of warm whole milk (approximately 110°F)
• 2 (¼ oz) packets of active dry yeast
• ¾ cup of white granulated sugar, plus a pinch
• 3 large eggs at room temperature (reserve 1 for egg wash)
• 1 Tbsp of heavy cream (or substitute with milk for the egg wash)
• 2 large egg yolks at room temperature
• 1 ½ tsp of vanilla extract
• 6 cups of all-purpose flour, plus additional for the work surface
• 1 tsp of salt
• 2 sticks of unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces and at room temperature, with extra for greasing the bowl and loaf pans

For the chocolate filling:

• 24 oz. semisweet or dark chocolate chips (2 bags)
• 2 ½ Tbsp of ground cinnamon
• 1 cup of walnuts
• ½ cup of granulated sugar
• ½ cup of sugar in the raw or turbinado sugar
• ¾ cup of unsalted butter (1 ½ sticks)

For the streusel topping:

• 1 ⅔ cups of confectioners’ sugar
• 1 ⅓ cups of all-purpose flour
• 12 Tbsp (1 ½ sticks) of unsalted butter, at room temperature

Instructions

1. Heat the warm milk in a small bowl and sprinkle the yeast and a pinch of sugar on top. Stir lightly and let it sit until it becomes foamy, about 5 minutes.
2. In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine ¾ cup of sugar, 2 eggs, vanilla, and egg yolks. Add the yeast mixture and mix gently to blend.
3. In a separate bowl, mix flour and salt, then incorporate into the egg mixture. Beat on low speed until the flour is nearly combined, about 30 seconds. Switch to the dough hook, add 2 sticks of butter, and beat for approximately 10 minutes until the mixture forms a smooth, somewhat sticky dough.
4. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead a few times until smooth. Grease a large bowl and place the dough in it, turning to coat. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and leave in a warm area to rise until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.
5. For the filling, combine chocolate chips, ½ cup sugar, ½ cup raw sugar, walnuts, and cinnamon in a food processor and pulse until you achieve a coarse crumb mixture.
6. Mix in the 1 ½ sticks of butter and process until thoroughly combined; set the filling aside.
7. To create the streusel topping, combine sugar, flour, and butter in a large bowl. Mix using a fork until you reach a crumbly texture with clumps ranging from fine crumbs to approximately 1 inch.
8. Preheat the oven to 350°F and generously butter a 9-by-5-by-2 ¾-inch loaf pan.
9. In a small bowl, whisk together the reserved egg and 1 Tbsp of cream; set aside.
10. Punch down the dough and transfer it to a clean work surface. Allow it to rest for 5 minutes, then divide into three equal pieces, covering two pieces with plastic wrap while you work with the third. Roll the dough on a well-floured surface into a 16-inch square, approximately 1/8-inch thick.
11. Brush the edges with the egg wash. Evenly spread ⅓ of the chocolate filling over the dough, ensuring a ¼-inch border remains. Roll the dough tightly like a jelly roll and pinch the ends to seal. Twist the rolled dough 5 to 6 times.
12. Fold the twisted roll in half, brushing the top with egg wash. Sprinkle an additional 2 Tbsp of filling on top and twist the folded roll a few more times.
13. Place the twisted roll into the prepared loaf pan; it may be slightly messy.
14. Brush the top with egg wash and evenly distribute ⅓ of the streusel topping over each loaf. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm spot for 20-30 minutes.
15. Bake the babkas for about 35 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until golden brown. To check if they’re done, insert a toothpick; it should come out clean from the dough. After baking, transfer to wire racks to cool before removing from the pans; serve warm.

Notes

• This recipe yields approximately three babkas using 9-inch loaf pans. You can choose to bake one, two, or all three loaves, while extra dough can be stored in the freezer for later use.
• The recipe consists of three main parts: the dough, the filling, and the topping. It is advisable to prepare the dough first, and while it rises, work on the other components.
• A stand mixer is recommended for this recipe, although you can also utilize a large bowl with a hand mixer and finish the dough by hand.

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