The BEST Chocolate Babka Recipe (2022)

This chocolate babka is a real treat and pretty simple to make. The light, fluffy egg bread is twisted with a layer of chocolate and is a true work of art.

There’s nothing like a slice of tender, chocolate-swirled babka. In this straightforward recipe, we’ll teach you everything you need to know to nail the brioche dough and master the bread (trust us, it’s easier than you think).

What is Chocolate Babka?

Chocolate babka is a sweet braided brioche bread. It’s made by rolling a yeasted dough with a chocolate filling and then braiding the pieces together. Once baked, babka is tender, buttery, and makes for a beautiful presentation. Although Jewish in heritage, you’ll find this bread eaten all over Europe.

How to Make Chocolate Babka from Scratch

To make things easier, we’ve broken up the process for making chocolate babka into four different steps – making the dough, making the filling, shaping the loaf (braiding), and baking the babka.

How to Make Babka Dough

• Mix the Ingredients: Mix the all-purpose flour, sugar, active dry yeast, and salt. Add the large eggs and water, then knead to combine.
• Add in the Butter Slices: Knead the dough on medium speed while slowly adding the butter slices in until the dough is shiny and elastic.
• Refrigerate the Dough: Allow the dough to rest in a well-oiled bowl covered with plastic wrap in the fridge for at least 6 hours. Allow the dough to sit at room temperature for 40 minutes before shaping.

How to Make Chocolate Babka Filling

• Divide the Dough: Divide the dough into two pieces and roll them into rectangles with a rolling pin. Spread the chocolate filling over each rectangle with a knife or offset spatula.
• Roll & Seal the Dough: Roll the rectangle (starting at one of the long edges) into a tight roll. Pinch the end to seal.
• Braid the Bread: Cut each roll into two pieces and twist the two pieces (with the cut sides up) to form two babka rolls. Add shaped babka to loaf pans lined with parchment paper and let them rise covered with a towel in a warm spot for 45 minutes.

How to Shape Chocolate Babka

• Divide the Dough: Divide the dough into two pieces and roll them into rectangles with a rolling pin. Spread the chocolate filling over each rectangle with a knife or offset spatula.
• Roll & Seal the Dough: Roll the rectangle (starting at one of the long edges) into a tight roll. Pinch the end to seal.
• Braid the Bread: Cut each roll into two pieces and twist the two pieces (with the cut sides up) to form two babka rolls. Add shaped babka toloaf panslined with parchment paper and let them rise covered with a towel in a warm spot for 45 minutes.

Baking Chocolate Babka

• Bake the Babka: Bake the babka loaves in a preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
• Make the Soaking Syrup: While the babka is baking, make the syrup by combining the water and sugar in a saucepan and simmering until the sugar is dissolved.
• Brush the Bread: Brush the baked babkas with syrup. Remove the loaves from the pans and allow them to cool on a wire rack before serving.

Hot Tip: Add a tablespoon of cinnamon to the chocolate filling if you’d like. You can also sprinkle chocolate chips on top of the babka before baking it for extra texture.

3 Tips for Making Bakery-Worthy Chocolate Babka

These pointers will help you make a chocolate babka worthy of any bakery window.

• Use a standing mixer to speed up the process.To save your forearms the work and speed up the process, enlist the help of a standing mixer with a dough hook to turn the dough perfectly elastic.
• Shape the dough on a well-floured surface.To prevent the dough from sticking and being too difficult to work with, shape it on a well-floured surface.
• Opt for unsalted butter.Avoid altering the sweet taste of the bread but use unsalted butter for the dough and chocolate filling.

Making Chocolate Babka in Advance

There are two different ways you can prep your babka in advance – storing the dough or freezing it unbaked.

• Refrigerate the Dough: To make chocolate babka in advance, you can refrigerate the babka dough for up to two days. You can also freeze the fully baked babka that has been tightly sealed and fully wrapped.
• Freeze the Babka Unbaked: Optionally, you can freeze the unbaked babka. After you form the babka into shape, place it on aparchment-lined sheetpan and freeze. Once fully frozen you can transfer it to an airtight container. When ready to bake, allow to thaw at room temperature for 5 hours before baking.

Storing Baked Chocolate Babka

To store chocolate babka for up to 3 days, keep itat room temperature in an airtight container. You can keep it fresh for even longer by wrapping it in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and freezing it for up to 1 month. To thaw the babka, place it on the countertop for a couple of hours and optionally reheat it in the oven for a couple of minutes.

FAQ

More of Brioche & Sweet Bread Recipes

• Brioche Bread – Airy, flaky, and great for french toast!
• Brioche Buns – Fluffy, light, and perfect for your next BBQ
• Poppy Seed Rolls – No-rise sweet poppy seed rolls
• Fruit Piroshki Recipe – Eastern European jam-filled pastry