Chocolate babka (chocolate brioche bread)
 
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Sweet brioche bread
Serves: 2 loaves
Ingredients
  • For dough:
  • 3¾ cups (530 g) white spelt flour (or all-purpose)
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp (10 g) instant yeast
  • 3 large eggs
  • ¾ tsp sea salt
  • ½ cup (125 ml) milk (I used oat milk)
  • ⅔ cup (150 g) butter, at room temperature, cut in cubes
  • For filling:
  • chocolate filling of your choice (I used homemade chocolate hazelnut spread)
  • For sugar syrup:
  • ⅓ cup (125 ml) water
  • ⅓ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
  • Note: 1 cup = 250 ml
  • This recipe requires leaving the dough in the fridge for about 8 hours or overnight before baking.
Preparation
  1. To make the dough, place flour, sugar, yeast in a mixing bowl and stir until combined.
  2. Add eggs and milk, continue mixing for about 2 minutes, then add butter and salt mixing until all is well combined.
  3. Knead until dough gets smooth and shiny. Add a little bit of flour if needed when kneading.
  4. Cover the dough with plastic foil and place it in the fridge for about 8 h our overnight.
  5. Grease two 24 x 10 cm (9 x 4 inch) loaf pans and line the bottom of each pan with baking paper.
  6. Divide dough in half.
  7. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface and shape into rectangle with long side closest to you.
  8. Spread the chocolate filling over the rolled out dough.
  9. Use both hands to roll up the rectangle like a roulade. Start from the long side closest to you.
  10. Seal the ends of the roll using your fingers.
  11. Cut the roll in half lengthwise, twist the halves together as if braiding them.
  12. Carefully place each roll into prepared loaf pans.
  13. Cover with plastic foil and leave to rise in warm place for about 1 hour.
  14. Preheat oven to 190 C / 357 F.
  15. Remove plastic wrap and place both babkas in the oven, middle rack.
  16. Bake for about 30-40 min or until tester comes out clean with no dough on it.
  17. Cover with baking paper if it's getting too brown on top.
  18. While babkas are in the oven, prepare sugar syrup.
  19. In a small saucepan bring water and sugar to boil, remove from the heat and let it cool.
  20. When you remove babkas from the oven, brush the sugar syrup over them.
  21. Let them cool slightly before removing from the loaf pans. Serve warm or at room temperature and enjoy!
  22. You can also freeze them for later.
Recipe by Travelling oven at https://www.travellingoven.com/2019/12/chocolate-babka-chocolate-brioche-bread/