A Babka is a sweet braided bread or cake which first originated in Polish Jewish communities sometime in the early 19th century. The dish was mostly unheard of outside of these communities until the latter part of the 20th century. This is when European-style bakeries started popping up in Israel and in the US. The original dish was rolled up with fruit jam or cinnamon.
Chocolate was not originally used, and most probably originated when bakers started offering the dish with several different choices of fillings as it began to grow in popularity. In addition to chocolate, these fillings included poppy seeds, almond paste, cheese, and more. But the Chocolate Babka is by far the most popular variant made today and this is what we will be showing you how to prepare. So, why not get out your loaf pans and baking trays get ready to prepare this traditional yet delicious dish.
Ingredients
Dough
- 4 cups (600g) plain flour
- 1 tbs (14g) dried yeast
- 150g butter, chopped
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 cup lukewarm whole milk
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup (110g) sugar
Chocolate Filling
- 250g milk chocolate, finely chopped
- 85g bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 100g unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups finely ground chocolate wafer cookies
- 3 tablespoons honey
Glaze
- 1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
Preparing the Dough
Step 1: Combine the yeast, milk, water and 1 tsp of the sugar in a small bowl. Set aside until frothy; which should take approximately 5 mins. While waiting, whisk the flour with the remaining sugar and salt in a medium/large sized bowl.
Step2: Add the yeast mixture, eggs and egg yolks and mix at low speed in a stand mixer until everything is well mixed and the dough is smooth.
Step 3: Start adding butter, one piece at a time, to the mixture and knead the dough until it is very smooth and elastic.
Step 4: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough stand at room temperature for about an hour; then place inside a refrigerator overnight. It should roughly double in size the next day.
Making the Filling
Melt both chocolates together with the butter buy placing the ingredients in a heat-proof bowl over simmering water; stirring occasionally to ensure a smooth mix. Let the mixture cool to room temperature before mixing in the cookie crumbs and honey.
Preparation and Baking
Step 1: Grease two 10cm x 24cm loaf pans and line the bases and sides with baking paper. Do the same with a baking tray.
Step 2: On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into two even portions to start making the Babka.
Step 3: Roll 1 portion out into a rough 30cm x 40cm rectangle and spread roughly half of the chocolate mixture evenly across it
Step 4: Starting from 1 long end, roll the dough into a log and place it into the lined tray.
Step 5: Repeat the process with the remaining dough and filling and chill both until they are firm; this should take around five minutes.
Step 6: Place one of the logs on a clean surface and use a sharp knife to cut it in half lengthwise.
Step 7: Then Carefully twist both halves together to form a loaf and place it into the loaf pan. Repeat the process with the other log.
Step 8: Cover both with a towel and let them stand in a warm, draught-free place for about two hours or until they have roughly doubled in bulk. In the meantime, Preheat the oven to 180°.
Step 9: When ready, bake the loaves in the centre of the oven for about 35-45 minutes, or until puffed and well browned. You can also insert a skewer into it centre and pull it out to check. If it comes out clean, it is ready.
Making the Glaze
To make the glaze of th Babka, combine the sugar with about 125ml of water and the vanilla bean paste in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, for 2 mins or until sugar completely dissolves. Once it does so, increase the heat to bring it to boil. Cook it for about 2-3 mins or until the syrup thickens slightly. Pour this syrup over each of the loaves, let it cool, and it will then be ready to be cut into slices and served.
This is, however, just one way to prepare this delicious dish. There are several alterations you can make to the recipe of Babka to better suit your taste. Instead of making the chocolate filling yourself, you can instead use a chocolate spread such as Nutella. You could use water or a combination of milk and water, instead of the milk we used. You an even add a bit of cinnamon to the chocolate filling for taste (1/4 to 1 teaspoon) or even add a combination of chocolate chips and chunks on top of the filling for extra flavour and texture. The options are only limited by your creativity.