This recipe yields 1 large loaf that will be rich, chewy and not cake-like like most recipes on the Internet. If you like those cake-y styles, this recipe is not for you. Mind is more dense and has that pull-apart feel to it. It will take aproximately 2 hours for the rise, and about 3 hours total to make it. But worth it! If you don’t have time to make your own filling as I’ve outlined it here, just buy a jar of Nutella and use that.
Ingredients for the Chocolate Babka DOUGH:
1½ teaspoons dry active yeast
2 tablespoons + ½ teaspoon granulated sugar (this includes the yeast’s “feed” sugar so do not omit this step even if you like things that are less sweet)
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons lukewarm water (approx. 105 °F / 40 °C) this is 89 gm if you use a digital scale
2¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled) this is 270 gm on the digital scale
1-TEA pure vanilla extract
¼ cup milk (whatever you have is fine – I use whole milk, but you can use 2 % milk or almond milk if you can’t have dairy)
6 TBSP of unsalted butter, melted but very slightly cooled
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk (this is for texture)
½ TEA salt, I use REAL® salt but Himalayan and even regular table salt will be ok
Ingredients for your CHOCOLATE FILLING:
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1 cup (6 oz / 170 g) finely chopped bittersweet chocolate
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2 tablespoons unsalted butter
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1½ tablespoons powdered sugar
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1 tablespoon cocoa powder
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½ teaspoon espresso powder (optional but recommended if you have it – don’t use whole bean coffee beans, they’re too coarse.)
NOTE: You can alternatively use 1 TEA of brewed liquid coffee if you don’t have fine espresso powder in the house. Or skip it altogether! -
¼ teaspoon hazelnut emulsion (optional but divine see my NOTE below)
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Pinch salt
- About 3 to 6 TBSP of milk or half & half to thin it out if it’s too thick – it needs to be spreadable. Don’t make it too thin or it will be runny.
NOTE: I love hazelnut, so sometimes I put 1/4 TEA hazelnut emulsion. But hazelnut flavoring is NOT part of traditional Babka though. NOTE: If you have hazelnut EXTRACT (not emulsion) you will add 1/2 TEA extract because it’s weaker than the emulsion.
➡️ To make the chocolate filling: Melt the butter and chocolate together over low heat in a double boiler (or glass dish stacked over a sauce pot with steam)….or even in 15-sec microwave bursts if that’s what you want to use. When melted, stir in powdered sugar, cocoa, hazelnut if you use that, espresso powder if you wish to use that and a pinch of salt. Whisk it all together until it is well mixed and let it cool to a spreadable consistency. Remove from heat and cool. This will be spread onto the batter before baking. It should be the consistencey of peanut butter, if it’s too thick to spread, you’ll have to add a teaspoon or two of milk.
Ingredients for the SYRUP:
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⅓ cup water
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½ cup granulated sugar
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1 TEA vanilla extract
➡️ Directions: Heat everything together on medium heat until the sugar dissolves completely. Set aside and keep warm for brushing. I usually make this during the baking of the dough part. If you don’t want to add this syrup you don’t have to. But keep in mind the bread won’t be sealed, that means it has to be eaten that day. It will be very dry to eat after a couple of days, that’s why most chefs put the syrup on top after it’s baked. Just one swipe is all you need. You could even cut down on the amount of sugar in it if you want to. You can alternatively make a crumble topping for the Babka.
DIRECTIONS to Make and Assemble Chocolate Babka
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Activate Your Yeast:
Combine lukewarm water with ½ teaspoon of sugar and your yeast. Whisk together and let it sit about 5 or 10 minutes until foamy. (Once I put the whole entire amount of sugar listed above in the yeast/water mixture and it worked just fine. You don’t need to add the 2 TBSP to the dough if you messed up like I did that one time. It turns out the same!) -
Make The Dough:
In a mixer bowl or KitchenAid, whisk remaining 2 TBSP sugar, flour, and salt. Add the yeast mixture you made above plus milk, vanilla, and egg, and egg yolk. Mix on low until a shaggy, sticky dough forms. Change your mixing blade to a dough hook at this point, then do step #3. -
Add Butter Gradually:
With mixer set on low, drizzle in the softened (melted) butter over about a minute. Take your time. Now, let the mixer knead the dough for about 8–10 min until smooth, elastic, and just slightly tacky. -
First Rise:
Place the dough in a slightly greased bowl, cover loosely with a wet towel, and let it rise for 2 hours (or until nearly doubled). So this is the part that gets tricky because proofing varies based on the ambient temperature of your kitchen, and many other factors. I live at elevation and it’s cold in my open kitchen, it runs about 69 – 72 degrees pretty consistently which means my proof time takes longer than yours. -
Shape & Fill:
After it’s doubled in size, roll dough into a rectangle that’s approximately 12 × 14 or even 16 inches. It will look pretty thin. Spread your chocolate filling evenly with a spatula, leaving a 1/4 inch border along the sides. Roll it tightly from the long edge. Slice lengthwise down the middle and twist the two long halves, keeping the cut sides up.Tuck ends under and place in a greased loaf pan (the kind you’d use for banana bread). Tuck it in tight, it may fold under itself a teeny bit, that’s okay.
Now it’s time to proof again, see the next step. -
Second Rise:
Cover the dough lightly that is in your loaf pan now and let it sit and rise for about an hour until puffy. (Some people like to let it rest and rise in the fridge overnight too). -
Bake:
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C) and bake uncovered for 30–35 min, until it’s golden. It is done when the internal temperature is 190 – 200°F. Any longer will dry it out. The toothpick test doesn’t work on this loaf bread very well. -
Syrup Finish:
When you remove the Chocolate Babka from the oven (totally baked) you will immediately brush the hot loaf with some of the warm sugar syrup you made until glossy. Let rest 15 min in pan, then cool on a rack. Most people use all of the syrup, it seems like a lot, but I’ll leave it up to you what to do. It tastes great using even just some of it. (The syrup will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks if you need it for something else).
🌟 Here’s what you can expect.
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Texture: Moist, layered, and tender-chewy (authentic babka pull NOT cakey or soft and fluffy).
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Flavor: Deep chocolate flavor balanced by buttery vanilla dough!
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This is how you store it: Keep it 2–3 days in an airtight container at room temperature. To re-warm it briefly, you can microwave or preferably warm it in the oven or air fryer for a minute. You can freeze it, however it won’t be as good as fresh-baked! Is anything? Not really.
Suzy Cohen, has been a licensed pharmacist for over 30 years and believes the best approach to chronic illness is a combination of natural medicine and conventional. She founded her own dietary supplement company specializing in custom-formulas, some of which have patents. With a special focus on functional medicine, thyroid health and drug nutrient depletion, Suzy is the author of several related books including Thyroid Healthy, Drug Muggers, Diabetes Without Drugs, and a nationally syndicated column.
