CHOCOLATE BABKA

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Chocolate Babka image

Laden with chocolate, butter, and old-world charm, this babka is luscious served as dessert, with coffee, or as breakfast. While baking, the rich dough becomes incredibly tender, so it pulls apart in buttery pieces that melt in your mouth.

Yield Makes 2 loaves

Number Of Ingredients 21

For dough
3/4 cup warm milk (105-115°F)
1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar
3 teaspoons active dry yeast (from two 1/4-oz packages)
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting
2 whole large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces and softened
For egg wash
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon heavy cream or whole milk
For chocolate filling
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, well softened
2 (3 1/2- to 4-oz) bars fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (no more than 60% cacao if marked), finely chopped
1/4 cup sugar
2 8 3/4- by 4 1/2- by 2 3/4-inch loaf pans
1 parchment paper
Special Equipment
a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment; 2 (8 3/4- by 4 1/2- by 2 3/4-inch) loaf pans; parchment paper

Steps:

  • Make dough:
  • Stir together warm milk and 2 teaspoons sugar in bowl of mixer. Sprinkle yeast over mixture and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If yeast doesn't foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)
  • Add 1/2 cup flour to yeast mixture and beat at medium speed until combined. Add whole eggs, yolk, vanilla, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low, then mix in remaining 2 3/4 cups flour, about 1/2 cup at a time. Increase speed to medium, then beat in butter, a few pieces at a time, and continue to beat until dough is shiny and forms strands from paddle to bowl, about 4 minutes. (Dough will be very soft and sticky.)
  • Scrape dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
  • Assemble babkas with filling:
  • Line each loaf pan with 2 pieces of parchment paper (1 lengthwise and 1 crosswise).
  • Punch down dough with a lightly oiled rubber spatula, then halve dough. Roll out 1 piece of dough on a well-floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into an 18- by 10-inch rectangle and arrange with a long side nearest you.
  • Beat together yolk and cream. Spread 2 1/2 tablespoons softened butter on dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border all around. Brush some of egg wash on long border nearest you.
  • Sprinkle half of chocolate evenly over buttered dough, then sprinkle with half of sugar (2 tablespoons). Starting with long side farthest from you, roll dough into a snug log, pinching firmly along egg-washed seam to seal. Bring ends of log together to form a ring, pinching to seal. Twist entire ring twice to form a double figure 8 and fit into one of lined loaf pans.
  • Make another babka with remaining dough, some of egg wash, and remaining butter and chocolate in same manner. Chill remaining egg wash, covered, to use later. Loosely cover pans with buttered plastic wrap (buttered side down) and let babkas rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until dough reaches top of pans, 1 to 2 hours. (Alternatively, let dough rise in pans in refrigerator 8 to 12 hours; bring to room temperature, 3 to 4 hours, before baking.)
  • Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Brush tops of dough with remaining egg wash. Bake until tops are deep golden brown and bottoms sound hollow when tapped (when loaves are removed from pans), about 40 minutes. Transfer loaves to a rack and cool to room temperature.

Monday Franklin
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This recipe sounds interesting. I might try it sometime.


Samantha Gutscher
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I've never heard of this recipe before.


chevy chevy
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I'm not sure if this recipe will turn out well.


Punam Magar
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This recipe seems a bit too complicated for me.


Kensor Jhonson
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I'm not sure if I have all of the ingredients for this recipe.


David Wood
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This recipe looks delicious. I'm going to make it this weekend.


Mercedes Safa
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I can't wait to try this recipe!


Ermias Derbe
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This recipe is a keeper!


Rana Adnan214
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I would definitely recommend this recipe to others.


Mtshali Mtshali
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This is the best chocolate babka I've ever had!


Taleeq Yaseen
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I'm not a big fan of chocolate, but this babka was surprisingly good.


Kedibone Mokoena
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This recipe is a bit too complicated for me, but it looks delicious.


Abdulqadir Jani
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I forgot to add the chocolate filling, but the babka was still delicious.


janae
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The babka didn't rise as much as I expected, but it still tasted great.


Debbie ann Wright
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This babka is a bit too sweet for my taste, but it's still very good.


ASAF Sharon
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This chocolate babka is so good! I will definitely be making it again.


Anita Roy
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I love this recipe! The chocolate babka is always a crowd-pleaser.


Azaan Azaan
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This was my first time making babka and it turned out great! The instructions were easy to follow and the results were delicious.


Rana Pappu
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I've made this babka several times now and it's always a winner. It's a bit time-consuming to make, but it's definitely worth the effort.


apurba Saha
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This chocolate babka was a huge hit with my family! It was so moist and fluffy, and the chocolate filling was rich and decadent.


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