Chocolate Babka

Ingredients:

For the dough:
500g flour
60g sugar
10g fresh baker's yeast (or 5g dry yeast)
3 eggs
120ml warm milk
120g softened butter
1 pinch of salt

For the chocolate filling:
200g dark chocolate (or milk according to taste)
100g butter
80g sugar
30g unsweetened cocoa powder
For the syrup (optional, for more shine and softness):
100g sugar
100ml water

Instructions:

Prepare the dough:
In a bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk (not hot so as not to kill the yeast). Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes until it foams slightly.
In the bowl of a food processor (or by hand), mix the flour, sugar and pinch of salt.
Add the eggs and the milk and yeast mixture. Knead until you get a smooth dough (about 5 minutes).
Incorporate the softened butter in small pieces, and continue to knead for about 10 minutes until the dough becomes soft and elastic.
Form a ball with the dough, cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and let rise for about 1h30 to 2h in a warm place, until the dough doubles in volume.

Preparation of the chocolate filling:
Melt the chocolate and butter together in a saucepan over low heat or in a bain-marie.
Once the mixture is completely melted, add the sugar and cocoa powder. Mix well to obtain a smooth dough.
Let cool slightly so that the filling is not too liquid when spreading it.

Shaping the Babka:
After the first rise, degas the dough by pressing on it to expel the air.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a large rectangle about 1 cm thick.
Spread the chocolate filling evenly over the entire surface of the rectangle of dough.
Roll the dough lengthwise to form a long sausage.
Using a knife, cut this sausage in half lengthwise, leaving one end attached.
Twist the two strips obtained, trying to keep the sides with the chocolate visible on top.
Place the twist in a buttered and floured cake tin.
Cover with a tea towel and let rise again for 1 hour.

Baking:
Preheat the oven to 180°C (thermostat 6).
Bake the Babka for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown.

Preparation of the syrup (optional):
While baking, prepare the syrup by heating the water and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved.
As soon as the Babka comes out of the oven, brush it generously with syrup to make it soft and shiny.

Tasting:

Let it cool before unmolding, then enjoy your chocolate Babka. It is perfect for breakfast or a snack, accompanied by a good coffee or tea.

History of Chocolate Babka:

Babka is a traditional sweet bread that has been around for hundreds of years but has become really popular in Australia and around the world over the last few years. So, what’s all the fuss and where did it come from? Let’s take a deep-dive into the delicious world of Babka.

Babka originated in the Jewish communities of Eastern Europe in the early 19th century. Part bread, part cake, the name is thought to derive from a popular Easter cake made in Poland called “baba” which means “grandmother” in Polish. The early Eastern European babka looked different to the babka we know today; it was baked in a tall, fluted pan that looked like a grandmother’s skirt. Babka is made with a dough that is similar to the dough used to make croissants. The dough is spread with a variety of sweet fillings like cinnamon, chocolate and fruit. The dough is then plaited and topped with a sugar syrup.

During the late 19th century emigrants from Europe took babka with them to the United States where it became a fixture in Jewish bakeries. It wasn’t until the 20th century though that it became known outside of the traditional Jewish and Eastern European communities where it originated. The original recipe was tweaked to add non-traditional fillings like Nutella and it started to enjoy popularity in European-style bakeries in the United States.

Babka hit the mainstream in 1994 when it featured in an episode of Seinfeld, “The Dinner Party” but it really took off in 2013 when a popular Israeli bakery, Breads Bakery opened in New York selling babka. The bakery took their babka to food influencers in New York and asked them to try it. New York Magazine deemed it the best babka in the city and Breads Bakery went from selling a few dozen babka a day to thousands a day. At the same time Instagram was growing in popularity and provided the perfect medium to showcase the beauty of babka. With luscious layers of chocolate and fruit, babka looked great in photographs and this pleasing aesthetic saw it become a social media favourite around the world.