Babka – What is and How to Make it?

Well, I can not resist a yummy Chocolate Babka and neither can my family! So what is and how to make Chocolate Babka? I create my Chocolate Babka using a lightly sweetened dough and filling it with hazelnut spread and dark chocolate chips for layers of chocolate flavor. It is then rolled, cut and twisted for a pretty presentation that highlights the chocolate filling. New to bread baking? Check out this informative post on the 12 Steps of Bread Baking before starting your recipe. Now, is your mouth watering for babka, yet? Read onwards Bread Bakers and learn how to make this treat!

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What is a Chocolate Babka?

A chocolate babka is a bread that is rolled out, filled with a chocolate filling, rolled up, cut in half, twisted and baked in a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan. However, in my husband’s native Poland, babka refers to what American’s call a bundt cake. It’s amazing how words as descriptors can change depending which culture you are in. But, no worries, regardless of what you call this, this is delicious!

I always use organic bread flour that is unbleached and processed without harsh chemicals.

I love the sweetness and hazelnut flavor of this original hazelnut spread.

Bittersweet chocolate gives this twist deep chocolate flavor without too much sweetness.

Is Babka Hard to Make?

Well, this recipe is moderately difficult but the results are so very much worth it, but even less than perfect results are delicious, so give it a go. The most difficult part is getting the twist made and placing it into the pan to bake. Even if the twist does not look good it will still taste good!

The basic bread dough is known as an enriched sweet dough vs. a straight dough. This means that the dough has eggs, a sweetener (in this case honey) and butter mixed in. This results in a slightly sweetened, soft and fluffy dough. When mixed with the chocolate filling, the result is heavenly.

This recipe is enough for two Chocolate Twists, so I use two 9″ x 5″ loaf pans to bake these yummy treats.

An inexpensive but absolutely essential tool, a simple bench scraper can portion and cut bread dough and clean the sticky bits off your counter!

For precision in baking, I recommend using a digital scale to pre-measure all your ingredients before you get going on your recipe.

Inspiration for Chocolate Babka – Welcome to Paris!

Paris is one of our favorite destinations and we find ourselves going back there over and over. On one memorable trip in April 2019, we arrived just after the fire started at Notre Dame. We had planned to attend Easter services there, which of course, were rendered impossible due to the devastating fire.

On this trip, we stayed in a wonderful, small apartment in the 9th arrondissement. One of the things I loved most about this location were the surrounding bakeries. I found three wonderful ones all within a block of the apartment – I was in heaven!

Shopping for Breakfast – Parisian Style

In the morning, I would wake up before my family and walk out to my chosen bakery, stop by the green grocer (for fresh fruit) and buy provisions for breakfast. I would be back with my goodies in no time. One of the local bakeries served up fresh bread every day. The bread, surprisingly, was purchased by weight. I had never seen that done before. Simply request how many slices or how big a piece you want and the counterperson cuts it off the loaf. Of course, that is, if you speak French…which, I don’t. So, for me it was a lot of hand gestures and smiles. Thankfully, the baker was very patient! This method allows you to buy only what you need and there’s no waste. Locals have fresh bread every day. Genius!

One of the local bakeries made a chocolate bread that I absolutely loved. When I came home, I was on a mission to recreate it in my own kitchen. The answer is this Chocolate Babka. I use a few tablespoons of Nutella and dark chocolate bits with 62% cacao. This gives my bread a beautiful layer of chocolate flavor without being overly sweet, a hallmark of European bread – great flavor without a ton of sugar.

Sharing is Caring

This recipe makes two Chocolate Babka so keep one and give one away to a neighbor, co-worker or friend. It is sure to delight them! As always, please post a picture on Facebook or Instagram and tag me @christinasbreadbakes. I love to see your beautiful creations. Happy baking Bread Bakers!

Chocolate Twist (AKA Babka)

Christina

This recipe makes two Chocolate Twists (AKA Babka) about 15 slices each. A slightly sweetened bread filled with a hazelnut spread and dark chocolate bits.

5 from 7 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Resting Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 3 hours hrs

Course afternoon tea, Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American, European, French

Servings 30 Slices

Calories 98 kcal

Equipment

• Stand Mixer w/bowl and dough hook
• Whisk
• 4 Liter food container (or bowl)
• Cover for container (or plastic wrap)
• Digital Scale for metric measurement
• Bench scraper
• Parchment Paper
• Baking Sheet Pan
• Pastry Brush

Ingredients

  

• 220 grams Warm Water 100-110 F degrees (1 cup)
• 6 grams Instant Yeast (1 ½ tsp)
• 56 grams Butter melted (4 T)
• 1 each Large Egg room temperature
• 55 grams Honey (2.5 T)
• 475 grams Bread Flour (3 ¾ cups)
• 5 grams Sea Salt (1/2 tsp)

Filling

• 3 T Hazelnut Spread (I used Nutella)
• 45 g Dark Chocolate Bits (62% or higher cacao)

Topping

• 1 ea Egg
• 2 tsp water

Instructions

 

Scaling

• Using a digital scale set to metric, scale (or measure) all ingredients.
  

Mixing

• Mix yeast and honey with very warm water (100 – 110 F degrees). Set aside for 10 minutes.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer and using the whisk attachment, mix the foamy yeast/honey with 150 g (1 cup) of flour.
• Whisk in melted butter and egg with 75 g (1/2 cup) more of flour.
• Add remainder of the flour and the salt and switch to the dough hook.
• Turn mixer to level one and mix until a rough dough is formed and all ingredients are hydrated, about 2-3 minutes.
  
• Turn mixer to level two and mix for 5 more minutes, until bread pulls away from the sides of the bowl but sticks to the bottom. If dough is too wet, add 1 T of flour at a time until dough pulls from the side but sticks to the bottom.
  
• Remove bowl from stand mixer.
• Lightly flour a countertop. Turn dough out and finish kneading by hand into a smooth, uniform ball.
  

Bulk Fermentation

• Coat plastic container or large bowl with spray oil.
• Place dough into container and flatten surface of dough. Mark container at the right height for triple the bulk of the original. Cover and set container aside.
  
• Prepare two loaf pans with baking spray while waiting for bulk fermentation to be complete.
• When dough has risen to triple the original volume, move on to the next step.

Folding

• Gently dump the dough onto a slightly floured counter. Punch dough down and using fingers, push dough into a 30 cm (12 in.) x 30 cm (12 in.) square. Fold dough in thirds by lifting the outer edge and folding into the center, do this once from the bottom and once from the top.

Shaping

• Flip the folded dough over so the folds are on the bottom and you have a 30cm / 12 in. long rectangle.

Dividing

• Flour down the center of the the rectangle short ways. Using a bench scraper, gently push through to cut the dough in half. Set one half under the kitchen towel (or in the refrigerator if warm in the kitchen) while you work with the second half.

Bench Proof

• A bench proof step is not necessary for this bread; move on to the next step.

  Hint: If you find that the dough is hard to roll out in the next step, you can allow it to rest for 10 minutes and then proceed.

Shaping

• Roll the dough out into a 30 cm (12 in.) wide x 22 cm (8 in.) tall rectangle (with long side parallel with the edge of the work surface facing you).
• Using a spatula, spread 3 T of the hazelnut spread evenly on the lower 90% of the rectangle all the way to the edges. Spare about 3 cm / 1 in. at the top of the rectangle.
  
• Sprinkle 45 grams (about 40 large bits) of chocolate on top of the spread.
• Starting with the edge closest to you, roll the dough away from you (as you would for cinnamon rolls or a roulade) to enclose the chocolate.
  
• Using a bit of water on the exposed end part of the dough, pinch the seam together.
• Turn it so the seam is under the roll and flip the roll so it is perpendicular (forms an upside down T) with the edge of the counter.
• Starting 3 cm / 1 in. from the top of the roll, split the roll in half by cutting through from top to bottom.
  
• Then, twist the two parts of the roll together, ensuring that one length shows chocolate face up while the other length is showing bread side face up. Pinch the ends together and tuck them under.

  Hint: If you think your twist is not tight enough you can now grab either end and turn like a screw to tighten the twist.
  

Make Up/Panning

• Gently pick the braid up (supporting it from below) and place it in to the prepared loaf pan.
  
• Repeat with the second half of dough until you have two prepared twists in loaf pans.

Proof

• Cover the loaf pans with a bit of plastic wrap or a clean, cotton (or linen) kitchen towel.
• Allow to rest for 30 minutes until doubled in size.

Bake

• While loaves are proofing, preheat oven to 375 F degrees.
• Mix 1 egg with a 2 tsp. of water to make an egg glaze.
• Push any chocolate bits that have worked their way out back into the bread.
• Egg wash the bread side up first, then egg wash the chocolate side up second

  Hint: Coat the chocolate very well as it will help prevent it from burning.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until top of loaves are golden brown. Cover with aluminum foil if the chocolate looks as if it may burn before cooking time is up.
  

Cooling

• Remove bread immediately from the pans to a cooling rack.
• Cool for a minimum of 30 minutes before cutting.

Storing

• Store any unused bread on the counter in an airtight plastic wrap.

Notes

Keyword Braided bread, Chocolate Babka, Chocolate Bread, Chocolate filld bread, Chocolate Twist