Chocolate Babka | Cookies & Cups

Why I Love This Chocolate Babka Recipe

If there’s one thing that puts our household in a holiday mood (besides a dozen batches of kolaczki cookies), it’s the smell of babka baking! This chocolate babka is impressive to look at and easy enough to make, with a little patience and a few hours to chill the dough. There’s something almost therapeutic about kneading the dough from scratch and twisting it up around the chocolate filling. Here’s what makes this traditional bread recipe so special:

• Rich and chocolatey. The babka dough bakes up ultra-soft, dense, and buttery, like the inside of a croissant or homemade cinnamon bun. Then, there’s the chocolate filling, that’s a lot like chocolate ganache. It’s woven throughout, creating delicious little pockets in every bite.
• Simple ingredients. There are really only 6 ingredients in the dough. It’s a flexible bread recipe that you can adapt with any fillings you’d like. Everyone needs a good babka recipe!
• Easy method. Traditional Eastern European babka might not be a quick recipe, but it is easy to follow. All those gorgeous twists and chocolatey ridges might look like a challenge, but I promise, you’ll get the hang of it in no time. The longest step is chilling the dough in the fridge!

What Is Babka?

Babka is shaped like a loaf, so it’s sometimes confused for cake. However, babka is a kind of braided yeasted bread that’s soft and sweet, a bit like cinnamon rolls. It comes from Poland, where it was originally made from challah dough that was twisted around a filling before baking, and soaked with honey syrup afterward. You’ll find babka filled with everything from jam to cinnamon to Nutella, and chocolate babka, like the kind we’re baking here.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Babka is made with enriched dough similar to brioche. The main ingredient in rich dough is fat, like butter, milk, and eggs, which is key to a soft texture and buttery flavor. I’ve included some quick ingredient notes below, and you’ll find a printable list with the full recipe details in the recipe card after the post. 

• Flour – All-purpose flour is best.
• Active Dry Yeast – This kind of yeast can go straight into the dough with the other ingredients, without being activated beforehand. Check the expiration date on the yeast packaging to make sure it’s fresh.
• Sugar – Granulated sugar works perfectly here, plus a pinch of salt.
• Milk – The milk should be lukewarm, no warmer than 110ºF.
• Eggs – Two whole eggs and one egg yolk, at room temperature.
• Butter – Salted or unsalted butter, softened and cut into cubes.

For the Filling

• Heavy Cream – I don’t recommend substituting regular milk or cream with a lower fat content.
• Butter and Sugar – This can be the same butter and granulated sugar you used for the dough.
• Vanilla – Vanilla sugar or real vanilla extract both work well in this recipe. Take care not to use artificial vanilla.
• Chocolate – I recommend high-quality, dark chocolate bars (like Lindt or Guittard) that you can chop into pieces. Chocolate chips won’t melt as smoothly. 

For the Syrup

• Sugar – You’ll dissolve the sugar in water to make a simple syrup.
• Honey – You could also use maple syrup, or skip the honey if you don’t have it.

How to Make Chocolate Babka

There are several steps involved in making homemade babka, but they’re all very easy to follow. You can also do some of them simultaneously. I like to prepare the chocolate filling and the honey syrup while the babka is in the oven! Follow along below. Scroll down to the recipe card for the printable instructions.

Assemble the Babka

Once you’ve prepped the layers, it’s time to put it all together. Follow these steps to fill, twist, and bake your chocolate babka:

Recipe Tips

• Use quality chocolate. I’ve found that the filling turns out best when I make it with chopped dark chocolate. You can also add 1-2 tablespoons of cocoa powder to the filling in place of solid chocolate. 
• Chill the dough. While it’s actually fine to proof the dough for the first time at room temperature (rather than in the fridge as directed), I still recommend that you pop the dough into the fridge for at least 1 hour before rolling it into a log. The chilled dough is much easier to roll, cut, and handle.
• Check that the babka is baked. You can test the babka for doneness using a toothpick, the same as you would a cake. If a toothpick stuck in the center of the babka comes out clean, it’s done. You can also check a babka for doneness using a thermometer. The bread is done when the internal temperature is 190ºF.
• Don’t skip the syrup! Not only does the honey syrup add shine, but it also prevents the babka from drying out.
• Cool before slicing. This is the best way to ensure that the babka slices nicely, and keeps the filling inside the bread.
• Avoid separation. A handy trick to keep the bread and the filling from separating as they bake is to poke a few small holes over the dough before you place the babka in the oven.

How to Store

• At room temperature. Store your chocolate babka airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for 5-7 days. If your babka goes a bit stale before you finish it, turn the leftover slices into French toast or bread pudding!
• Freeze. To freeze your babka, double-wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and freeze it for up to 1 month. Thaw the loaf at room temperature before serving.

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