Description
Soft chocolate babka recipe with a rich chocolate filling and beautiful swirls (10-inch / 25 cm loaf – 8 to 10 slices)
Ingredients
Dough
- 285 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 40 g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 2 tsp instant yeast
- 100 ml (1/3 cup) lukewarm milk
- 50 g (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 pinch salt
Chocolate filling
- 120 g (2/3 cup) semi-sweet chocolate
- 50 g (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions
- Mix yeast with warm milk and let sit for 10 minutes until slightly foamy.
- In a stand mixer bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, and egg, then add yeast mixture and knead for about 3 minutes until combined.
- Add softened butter gradually and knead 5–7 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly sticky.
- Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour until doubled in size.
- In a bowl, melt chocolate, butter, brown sugar, and cocoa until smooth and spreadable, then let cool slightly.
- On a floured surface, roll out the dough into a large rectangle, then spread the chocolate filling evenly over the surface.
- Roll into a tight log, then slice lengthwise to expose the chocolate layers.
- Twist the two strands together into a braid, keeping the cut side up, then place in a lined loaf pan.
- Cover and let rise again for 30 minutes until slightly puffy.
- Brush with egg wash, then bake at 180°C / 356°F for 20–30 minutes until golden brown.
- Let cool in the pan, then remove, slice, and serve.
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze slices up to 2 months.
Tips:
- Use lukewarm milk to activate yeast properly
- Knead until elastic dough forms
- Let dough rise fully for a soft texture
- Use thick chocolate filling for clean swirls
- Twist tightly for defined layers
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: bread, cake, Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Polish
Nutrition
- Calories: 224
- Sugar: 9
- Sodium: 26
- Fat: 7
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Carbohydrates: 35
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 6
- Cholesterol: 19