Chocolate Babka – Once Upon a Chef

Chocolate and Nutella-swirled babka makes a crave-worthy treat any time of day.

Babka is a braided yeast bread or cake hailing from the Jewish communities of Eastern Europe. It is prepared with an enriched bread dough, like challah or brioche, that is rolled out and spread with a sweet or savory filling, then rolled up and twisted before baking. Charmingly, the word “babka” comes from the Polish babcia, which translates to “grandmother,” similar to the Yiddish word for grandmother, bubbe. The story goes that babka was created by resourceful Jewish grandmothers, who would repurpose leftover challah dough on Shabbat to make an early version of the bread. The name supposedly comes from the fluted mold resembling a grandmother’s skirt the bread was traditionally baked in.

Traditional babka recipes called for oil instead of butter and weren’t overly sweet, but over time the bread evolved into the buttery and dessert-like chocolate-filled babkas of today. Perhaps the most famous babka (after the one mentioned on Seinfeld in 1994) is sold at Breads Bakery in NYC. It is outrageously good, and since it’s filled with Nutella rather than a homemade chocolate spread, it’s easy to make at home. I tweaked the recipe on their website to use my favorite brioche dough and also scale it down. While this is a very simple recipe, keep in mind that the dough requires two separate rises as well as at least 3 hours in the fridge. If you plan to bake and serve babka on the same day, it’s best to start the process the day before.

What You’ll Need To Make Chocolate Babka

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Make the dough

In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, warm water, sugar, salt, and yeast.

Whisk to combine, then add the eggs and egg yolk.

Whisk again to combine.

Add the flour all at once.

Stir with a wooden spoon until uniform and all of the flour is absorbed. The dough will be wet, lumpy and somewhat elastic (it will firm up in the fridge and smooth out when you knead it later).
Cover loosely with plastic wrap (be sure the bowl is completely covered but don’t make it airtight) and let sit at room temperature for 2 hours, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to three days.

Step 2: Form the Babka

On the day of baking, grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan generously with butter. Dust a clean work surface with flour. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, transfer it to the work surface, and dust it lightly with flour. Knead with your hands, sprinkling more flour as necessary so the dough doesn’t stick, for 30 seconds.

Roll out the dough into a 14-inch square, dusting more flour underneath and over the dough as necessary; it should be about ⅛ inch thick.

Using an offset spatula, spread the Nutella over the dough, leaving a ½-inch border.

Sprinkle the chocolate over the Nutella.

Starting with the side closest to you, roll the dough tightly into a log; turn it vertically, so one end of the log is facing you, and place seam side down.

Using a sharp serrated bread knife, cut the log in half lengthwise.

Turn the cut sides up and twist the strands together, keeping the cut sides facing up.

Transfer the twisted dough to the prepared loaf pan. (This is a messy process; just do your best – it will look pretty no matter how messy it is).

Cover the babka loosely with plastic wrap (not airtight) and let sit at room temperature for 90 minutes. It will rise just a bit. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.

Step 3: Bake and Glaze

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the babka is a rich golden brown color. A toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of the loaf should come out without any wet dough sticking to it (melted chocolate is okay). If you have an instant-read thermometer, it should read between 190°F to 200°F in the center of the loaf.

Meanwhile, make the syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the water, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Place the pan with the baked babka on a rack. Immediately brush or drizzle the syrup over top. The syrup helps to add a nice sheen to the loaf while also keeping the babka moist.

Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out and cool completely before slicing.

How To Freeze Babka

Once the babka is completely cooled, wrap it in a few layers of plastic wrap, then in foil. Store it in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw the wrapped babka at room temperature. Before serving, warm the babka in a 325°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until warmed through.

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