Chocolate and Cinnamon Babka Bread

This beautiful Babka needs a lot of rising time and a stand mixer or a regular one and a love of kneading, but as something you have been meaning to make, or need to make, a challenge, that is great because you will have Chocolate and Cinnamon Babka Bread that is truly something to be proud of.

In the end, you will have 2 loaves of beautiful brioche bread, filled with chocolate that freezes well and fits the afternoon tea, dessert, snack, weekend breakfast categories.

Someone (Elaine from Seinfeld, 1994, “The dinner Party”) called a Cinnamon Babka the inferior Babka.  Well I put cinnamon into this Chocolate Babka as well and it is super superior.

This is something leisurely to do, like a craft and you can really enjoy the finished product after that is so delicious.

There are a lot of steps, but I’m going to say, as you go, you will find that each step is quite easy.  It really will be so worth it.

I start the Chocolate Babka dough the day before I would like to bake it and leave it to rise in the fridge overnight and get to it at least 3 hours before I really need it finished. It needs to rise one more hour after shaping, before baking.  From there it is a mere 35 minutes of baking time!

How to Make Chocolate and Cinnamon Babka Bread

Dough

Line 2 loaf pans with baking parchment.

1. In a large mixer bowl, combine the warm water and a teaspoon from the measured ⅓ cup (70g) sugar.

Your large bowl may be cold, so check the temperature after the water has gone in, or at least don’t start with a cold bowl.

2. Sprinkle the yeast over and let it foam to make sure it is active, it should only take about 5 minutes.

3. Once you know that your yeast is good, whisk in ½ cup (64g) of flour from the measured 4 cups (520g) of flour.

4. Let that sit and foam for 30 minutes.

5. Add the milk, which should be about the same temperature as the bowl and its contents.

6. Whisk in the eggs and the sugar.

7. Add about a third of the remaining 3½ cups (455g) flour.  Combine, using the hook attachment if you are using a heavy duty stand mixer.

If you are not, beat in with a hand blender.

Keep scraping down the bowl and the dough hook or blender.

8. Scrape up from the bottom of the bowl to make sure you get all the yeast and any dry flour.

Make sure to scrape right up from the bottom to get all of the yeast and flour in.

9. Once incorporated, add another third of the flour, still beating.  It may become difficult if you are using a hand blender at this point.  Switch to something like a wooden spoon and be ready to use your hands, depending on the type of hand blender you have.

10. Add the rest of the flour and the salt.

Remember to scrape the bowl and the dough hook from time to time.

11. Use your mixer with the dough hook for 10 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and pulls away from the sides. 

It will start to look like it is trying to escape your dough hook.

12. You will need to have it at least medium speed to get the dough where it should be.

Give it another scrape down if needed and beat for another 5 minutes or so, or knead for longer.

13. After 10-15 minutes, the dough should look smooth and round and it will be less sticky to the touch.

5. Add the milk, which should be about the same temperature as the bowl and its contents.

6. Whisk in the eggs and the sugar.

7. Add about a third of the remaining 3½ cups (455g) flour.  Combine, using the hook attachment if you are using a heavy duty stand mixer.

If you are not, beat in with a hand blender.

Keep scraping down the bowl and the dough hook or blender.

8. Scrape up from the bottom of the bowl to make sure you get all the yeast and any dry flour.

9. Once incorporated, add another third of the flour, still beating.  It may become difficult if you are using a hand blender at this point.  Switch to something like a wooden spoon and be ready to use your hands, depending on the type of hand blender you have.

10. Add the rest of the flour and the salt.

Remember to scrape the bowl and the dough hook from time to time.

11. Use your mixer with the dough hook for 10 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and pulls away from the sides. 

It will start to look like it is trying to escape your dough hook.

12. You will need to have it at least medium speed to get the dough where it should be.

Give it another scrape down if needed and beat for another 5 minutes or so, or knead for longer.

13. After 10-15 minutes, the dough should look smooth and round and it will be less sticky to the touch.

14. Add the butter, about a tablespoon at a time, adding more only as each bit gets incorporated. 

If you add too much at one time, it will just play chase around the bowl.

As you add the butter, it will start to stick to the bowl again, but will pull away as you go.

15. Take your time, you will have to let this beat for about another 10 minutes after all of the butter is incorporated.

As the dough gets more stretchy it will again pull away and you should hear it slap against the bowl if the speed is high enough.

16. When it is a really neat stretchy round of dough, grab it with both hands and slowly pull up and apart,  You will see that it can really stretch and get quite thin.

It’s really fun dough!

17. Cover it loosely and let it rise for 30 minutes, to start it off, then put it in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.

I put it in the fridge and get to it when I get to it the next day, so 8-24 hours.

Why the long time span? The longer the dough has to proof, the more the good yeasty flavours develop.  It doesn’t make such a big difference that it won’t be as good after 8 hours of proofing, but it certainly will not hurt.  The slower and more controlled the dough proofs, or rises, the yeasts are fermenting more of the sugars.

Filling 

Later, or the next day, combine the filling ingredients.

1. Slightly melt the butter.

2. Stir in the icing sugar, cocoa and cinnamon until smooth. Set aside.

3. Prepare your chocolate and if using, your chocolate cookie or brownie bits.

For the Filling

Later, or the next day, combine the filling ingredients.

1. Slightly melt the butter.

2, Stir in the icing sugar, cocoa and cinnamon until smooth. Set aside.

3. Prepare your chocolate and if using, your chocolate cookie or brownie bits.

4. Pull your dough out with wet hands.  The water acts as a barrier.  

5. Flour the surface a bit, but try not to use too much excess flour.

Cut the dough in half and work with one at a time.

6. Roll each into a 10”x18” (25x45cm) rectangle pressing out any bubbles.

7. Spread with half of the cocoa mixture and sprinkle half of the chocolate, or chocolate and crumbs evenly over the surface.

8. Slowly roll from the long side (so you end up with an 18” (45cm) long roll).

Slowly because you want to try to avoid gaps in the dough.

9. Place it on a baking sheet and refrigerate, or freeze for about 30 minutes to make moving and cutting easier.

10. After refrigerating, slice all the way down as if splitting a log, cutting right through to expose each long layer.

11. Place the halves side by side and lift one side across, over the other.

It is basically a twist, but do not pull to make it long, your loaf pan is not that big.  Keep each twist close so you don’t have holes in your finished Chocolate Babka.

12. Grab both ends with your palms and give it a squish inwards as you lift it into the prepared loaf pan.

13. Lightly cover and let rise an hour.

14. Brush with egg wash

15. Bake 375°F (190°C) for 35 minutes.

Remove from the oven to a rack and leave to let it finish baking and slowly cool a bit.  Just 5-10 minutes.

16. Combine the water and sugar for the glaze and brush or spoon over the loaves while they are still hot.

This keeps it moist longer.

Do not cut until completely cooled. Well you can try but it will be really messy.  Try to wait.