This chocolate babka is soft and sweet, made from rich yeasted dough swirled with chocolate filling. It’s the perfect chocolatey treat with a cup of coffee, just try to stop at one slice!
If you’re looking for another traditional babka recipe, check out my homemade cinnamon babka, next.
Why I Love This Chocolate Babka Recipe
If there’s one thing that puts our household in a holiday mood (besides a dozen batches of kolaczki cookies), it’s the smell of babka baking! This chocolate babka is impressive to look at and easy enough to make, with a little patience and a few hours to chill the dough. There’s something almost therapeutic about kneading the dough from scratch and twisting it up around the chocolate filling. Here’s what makes this traditional bread recipe so special:
Rich and chocolatey. The babka dough bakes up ultra-soft, dense, and buttery, like the inside of a croissant or homemade cinnamon bun. Then, there’s the chocolate filling, that’s a lot like chocolate ganache. It’s woven throughout, creating delicious little pockets in every bite.
Simple ingredients. There are really only 6 ingredients in the dough. It’s a flexible bread recipe that you can adapt with any fillings you’d like. Everyone needs a good babka recipe!
Easy method. Traditional Eastern European babka might not be a quick recipe, but it is easy to follow. All those gorgeous twists and chocolatey ridges might look like a challenge, but I promise, you’ll get the hang of it in no time. The longest step is chilling the dough in the fridge!
What Is Babka?
Babka is shaped like a loaf, so it’s sometimes confused for cake. However, babka is a kind of braided yeasted bread that’s soft and sweet, a bit like cinnamon rolls. It comes from Poland, where it was originally made from challah dough that was twisted around a filling before baking, and soaked with honey syrup afterward. You’ll find babka filled with everything from jam to cinnamon to Nutella, and chocolate babka, like the kind we’re baking here.
Babka is made with enriched dough similar to brioche. The main ingredient in rich dough is fat, like butter, milk, and eggs, which is key to a soft texture and buttery flavor. I’ve included some quick ingredient notes below, and you’ll find a printable list with the full recipe details in the recipe card after the post.
Flour – All-purpose flour is best.
Active Dry Yeast – This kind of yeast can go straight into the dough with the other ingredients, without being activated beforehand. Check the expiration date on the yeast packaging to make sure it’s fresh.
Sugar – Granulated sugar works perfectly here, plus a pinch of salt.
Milk – The milk should be lukewarm, no warmer than 110ºF.
Eggs – Two whole eggs and one egg yolk, at room temperature.
Butter – Salted or unsalted butter, softened and cut into cubes.
For the Filling
Heavy Cream – I don’t recommend substituting regular milk or cream with a lower fat content.
Butter and Sugar – This can be the same butter and granulated sugar you used for the dough.
Vanilla – Vanilla sugar or real vanilla extract both work well in this recipe. Take care not to use artificial vanilla.
Chocolate – I recommend high-quality, dark chocolate bars (like Lindt or Guittard) that you can chop into pieces. Chocolate chips won’t melt as smoothly.
For the Syrup
Sugar – You’ll dissolve the sugar in water to make a simple syrup.
Honey – You could also use maple syrup, or skip the honey if you don’t have it.
How to Make Chocolate Babka
There are several steps involved in making homemade babka, but they’re all very easy to follow. You can also do some of them simultaneously. I like to prepare the chocolate filling and the honey syrup while the babka is in the oven! Follow along below. Scroll down to the recipe card for the printable instructions.
Mix the dough ingredients and work in the butter.Knead to form the dough.
Make the dough. Start by whisking together the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Then, add your milk, eggs, and egg yolk and stir to bring the dough together. Finally, drop in the butter cubes, gradually working it in with your hands.
Knead. Continue kneading the dough for 10 minutes using your hands or a stand mixer. It’s fine if it feels a bit sticky.
Let the dough proof for 8 hours.Punch down the risen dough.
Proof the dough. Plop the dough ball into a greased bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and place it into the fridge to proof for 8 hours (I usually do this overnight). When you take the dough out of the fridge, punch it down to remove the air.
Prepare the chocolate filling.Make the honey syrup.
Prepare the filling. Gather your filling ingredients, and add the heavy cream to a saucepan with butter, sugar, and vanilla. Gently heat the mixture so it steams, but don’t boil it. Stir in the chopped chocolate so that it melts.
Prepare the syrup. Meanwhile, in a new pan, combine the syrup ingredients and bring that to a simmer. Stir as the sugar dissolves.
Assemble the Babka
Once you’ve prepped the layers, it’s time to put it all together. Follow these steps to fill, twist, and bake your chocolate babka:
Roll out the dough and add the filling.Roll into a tight log.
Fill and roll the dough. To start, roll the babka dough into a large, 12×16” rectangle. Spread the chocolate mixture over the dough, right to the edges.Afterward, roll the dough up around the filling in a tight log.
Slice the log in half lengthwise.Twist the halves together.
Shape the babka. Slice the log in half lengthwise. Arrange the halves parallel to each other, cut side up. Now, twist the halves together while keeping the cut sides facing upward. Fold and tuck the ends under, then place the babka into a lined loaf pan.
Let the bread rise.Bake!
Proof again. For the second proof, leave the babka somewhere warm to rise for 1 ½ hours.
Bake. After the second rise, bake the chocolate babka at 350ºF for 35-40 minutes. While it’s still warm from the oven, brush the honey syrup all over top. Cool, then slice and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
Use quality chocolate. I’ve found that the filling turns out best when I make it with chopped dark chocolate. You can also add 1-2 tablespoons of cocoa powder to the filling in place of solid chocolate.
Chill the dough. While it’s actually fine to proof the dough for the first time at room temperature (rather than in the fridge as directed), I still recommend that you pop the dough into the fridge for at least 1 hour before rolling it into a log. The chilled dough is much easier to roll, cut, and handle.
Check that the babka is baked. You can test the babka for doneness using a toothpick, the same as you would a cake. If a toothpick stuck in the center of the babka comes out clean, it’s done. You can also check a babka for doneness using a thermometer. The bread is done when the internal temperature is 190ºF.
Don’t skip the syrup! Not only does the honey syrup add shine, but it also prevents the babka from drying out.
Cool before slicing. This is the best way to ensure that the babka slices nicely, and keeps the filling inside the bread.
Avoid separation. A handy trick to keep the bread and the filling from separating as they bake is to poke a few small holes over the dough before you place the babka in the oven.
How to Store
At room temperature. Store your chocolate babka airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for 5-7 days. If your babka goes a bit stale before you finish it, turn the leftover slices into French toast or bread pudding!
Freeze. To freeze your babka, double-wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and freeze it for up to 1 month. Thaw the loaf at room temperature before serving.
Chocolate babka is soft, sweet yeasted bread swirled with a buttery chocolate filling. It’s a traditional Eastern European treat that’s perfect with a cup of coffee or tea!
For the Dough
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup lukewarm milk
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 egg yolk, room temperature
1/2 cup butter, softened, cut into pieces
For the Filling
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped good quality dark chocolate
For the Syrup
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon honey
Prepare the Dough
Whisk together the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a bowl or a stand mixer bowl.
Add milk, eggs, and egg yolk. Stir until the dough starts to come together.
Add the butter, cutting it into pieces gradually, and work it in with your hands or using a stand mixer with the dough hook attached. Knead the dough for 10 minutes by hand or 6 -7 minutes with the stand mixture. The dough will feel sticky, but it is okay.
Place the dough into a bowl that you previously greased with butter or oil. Cover the dough with a plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours, or overnight. (Alternately you can allow the dough to rise more quickly covered in a warm room or on the proof setting in your oven). Once the dough has risen, punch down the dough to remove the air.
Prepare the Filling
Prepare your ingredients and chop the chocolate.
Add heavy cream in a saucepan with butter, sugar, vanilla sugar, or vanilla extract. Do not boil the mixture, allow it just to steam.
Chop your chocolate into small pieces. Add the chopped chocolate to the heavy cream and stir until it is melted. Set your chocolate aside until it cools down completely.
Prepare the Syrup
Add all ingredients in a small sauce pan. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sugar is dissolved. Set the syrup aside.
Assemble the Babka
Roll the dough on a floured kitchen surface into a 12×16-inch rectangle.
Stir the filling and spread it all over the dough, edge to the edges, except the second longer edge.
Roll the dough firmly into the log. Cut the dough in half by length. Position each half parallel to the other, facing the cut side up. Twist the halves together, keeping the cut sides up, and folding and tucking the ends under. Transfer the babka to the loaf pan lined with parchment paper.
Allow the babka to rise for 1 ½ hours at a warm spot.
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Bake the babka for 35-40 minutes. Remove the babka from the oven and while still warm, brush it with the prepared syrup.
Cool the babka completely before slicing and serving.
Notes
You can make the syrup while the babka is baking. It does not have to be in advance.
For the babka use quality dark chocolate. You can add 1-2 tablespoons of cocoa powder to the filling mixture.
You can proof the dough for the first time at room temperature, but before rolling it into the log, I advise that you chill it for 1 hour. It is easier to roll and cut the chilled dough, as well as to twist it.
If you are not sure if your babka is baked, simply insert a toothpick. If the toothpick comes out clean, you are good to go. Another method is to insert the thermometer. Once it reads 190F the babka is baked.
Do not skip the syrup. The syrup will give a nice shine to your babka, but also keep it from drying out.
