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The Bakery 100 · make it at home

Chocolate babka

Overnight, 45 min hands-on · 2 loaves

Rich, buttery dough rolled around a thick chocolate filling, split and twisted so every slice has layers, then soaked in syrup.

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The real one

You need

• Dough: 530 g all-purpose flour (4 1/4 cups)
• 100 g sugar (1/2 cup)
• 10 g instant yeast (1 tbsp)
• Zest of 1 orange
• 3 eggs
• 120 ml cold water (1/2 cup)
• 1 tsp salt
• 150 g soft unsalted butter (10 tbsp)
• Filling: 130 g dark chocolate (70%), chopped
• 120 g unsalted butter (1 stick)
• 50 g powdered sugar (1/3 cup + 1 tbsp)
• 30 g cocoa powder (1/3 cup)
• Optional: 4 tbsp chocolate-hazelnut spread
• Syrup: 100 g sugar and 80 ml water

How to make it

1. Dough (20 min, then overnight): Mix flour, sugar, yeast and zest. Add eggs and water and knead 5 minutes, then the salt and the butter a bit at a time, kneading 10 minutes until smooth, shiny and pulling off the bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. Filling (5 min): Melt chocolate and butter, then stir in the powdered sugar and cocoa to a spreadable paste.
3. Roll (10 min): Halve the cold dough. Roll each into a 38 x 28 cm (15 x 11 in) rectangle. Spread with half the filling (plus spread, if using), leaving a 2 cm border on the far side.
4. Roll and twist (10 min): Roll up tightly from the long near side into a log. Trim the ends. Cut the log in half lengthwise with a sharp knife, so the layers show. Lay the halves cut sides up side by side and twist them over each other, keeping the cut sides up. Lift into a buttered, lined 23 x 10 cm (9 x 4 in) loaf tin.
5. Proof (1 hr 30 min to 2 hr): Cover and proof somewhere warm until it has risen by a third and fills the tin.
6. Bake (35 to 40 min): Bake at 190C (375F) for 35 to 40 minutes until deep brown; a skewer should come out with no raw dough. Cover with foil if it browns too fast.
7. Syrup (5 min): Boil sugar and water to dissolve and brush all of it over the hot loaves. Cool in the tins.

Tips

• Cold dough is what makes the twist possible; work it straight from the fridge.
• Don't skip the syrup: it keeps the babka moist for days.

Chef Amazing's own home version of babka, in our words; not any bakery's recipe.