Christmas Chocolate Babka Recipe

Christmas Chocolate Babka

Christmas chocolate babka is a soft yeast loaf with winding ribbons of cocoa and melted chocolate. To make the layers visible, roll the filled dough into a log, cut it lengthwise, and twist the exposed halves together. This recipe makes one loaf in a 9-by-5-inch pan.

A short chill makes the log easier to cut without smearing the filling. After baking, a thin sugar syrup gives the deeply browned crust a light sheen. Allow time for two rises and cooling, and check the center for doneness rather than relying on bake time alone.

Ingredients for Christmas Chocolate Babka

• 3 cups all-purpose flour (360g)
• 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast (7g)
• ¼ cup granulated sugar (50g), for the dough
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• ½ cup whole milk, warmed
• 2 large eggs
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (85g), for the dough
• 3 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped (85g)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (55g), for the filling
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (20g)
• ⅓ cup powdered sugar (40g)
• ¼ cup granulated sugar (50g), for the syrup
• ¼ cup water, for the syrup

Use warm, not hot, milk. Bittersweet or dark chocolate will make a less sweet filling than semisweet chocolate. Let the filling cool until it is thick enough to spread without running off the dough.

How to Make Christmas Chocolate Babka

1. Mix and knead the dough: Combine the flour, yeast, dough sugar, salt, warm milk, and eggs in a large bowl or stand mixer. Knead until the dough comes together, then work in the softened butter. Continue kneading for about 10 to 15 minutes, until smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky.
2. Let it rise: Place the dough in a lightly buttered bowl and cover it. Leave it in a warm, draft-free spot until puffy and about doubled, roughly 1 to 1½ hours. A cool kitchen may require more time.
3. Make the filling: Melt the chocolate with the 4 tablespoons butter over low heat or in short microwave intervals. Stir in the cocoa powder and powdered sugar until smooth. Let cool until thick but spreadable.
4. Fill and roll: Roll the dough into a rectangle about 10 by 16 inches. Spread the filling evenly over it, leaving a narrow bare border. Roll firmly from a long edge into a log without squeezing the filling out of the ends.
5. Chill and twist: Refrigerate the log for 15 to 20 minutes, until firm enough to cut with less smearing. Line a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with parchment, leaving overhang, and grease any exposed areas. Cut the log lengthwise into two strands with a sharp knife. Turn the cut faces up, twist the strands together, and place the loaf in the pan with the cut faces mostly upward.
6. Proof the loaf: Cover the pan loosely and let the loaf rise until puffy and expanded, about 45 to 75 minutes. During the later part of the rise, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
7. Bake: Bake uncovered for about 40 to 50 minutes, starting to check around 40 minutes. The top should be deeply browned and the center set, with an instant-read thermometer reading about 190°F (90°C). If the top darkens before the center is done, tent it loosely with foil and continue baking in short increments.
8. Brush with syrup and cool: While the loaf bakes, simmer the syrup sugar and water just until the sugar dissolves. Brush a thin layer over the hot babka. Let it cool briefly in the pan, then lift it out using the parchment. Cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting thick slices so the layers hold their shape.

How to Cut and Twist the Babka

The filling should be thick, and the chilled log should feel firmer but not frozen. Cut lengthwise with deliberate strokes rather than dragging the knife through the chocolate. Keep the exposed bread-and-chocolate faces mostly upward as you twist; those are the layers that will show on top of the finished loaf.

How to Tell When Babka Is Done

The ridges can turn dark before the thick center is baked through. Check the middle with a thermometer and look for set dough rather than a stretchy or rubbery center. A skewer should not carry raw dough, though melted chocolate may leave a dark smear. If browning gets ahead of the center, use the loose foil tent and keep baking until done.

Chocolate Babka Variations

• Nut-studded: Scatter ⅓ cup chopped walnuts or pecans over the filling before rolling.
• Cinnamon-chocolate: Stir ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon into the filling.

Make-Ahead, Serving, and Storage

To spread the work over two days, cover and refrigerate the dough for its first rise overnight. Let it become workable before rolling, filling, and shaping.

Serve thick slices at room temperature or gently warmed. For another holiday chocolate dessert, try this Chocolate Peppermint Layer Cake.

Cool the babka completely, then wrap or seal it and store at room temperature for a few days. Keep cut surfaces covered to limit drying. A well-wrapped, cooled loaf can also be frozen; thaw it before warming gently in an oven or toaster oven. Warm individual slices gently, and avoid a standard toaster if exposed chocolate could touch the heating elements.

Nutrition

Approximate nutrition per serving, based on 1 of 9 slices: 400 calories, 9g protein, 18g fat, and 53g carbohydrates. Approximate nutrition per 100g, based on an estimated baked-loaf weight: 385 calories, 8g protein, 18g fat, and 51g carbohydrates. Values will vary with the chocolate used and the loaf’s final weight.