Chocolate Babka
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Chocolate and Nutella-swirled babka makes a crave-worthy treat any time of day.
Babka is a braided yeast bread or cake that originated in the Jewish communities of Eastern Europe. It is prepared with an enriched bread dough, like challah or brioche, that is filled with a sweet or savory filling, rolled up, twisted, and baked. The name “babka” comes from the Polish babcia, which translates to “grandmother,” as the bread is said to have been created by resourceful Jewish grandmothers who used leftover challah dough to make an early version of babka. Over time, the recipe evolved and the bread became sweeter and richer, with chocolate being a popular filling.
Perhaps the most famous babka, after the one mentioned on Seinfeld in 1994, is sold at Breads Bakery in NYC. It is outrageously good, and since it’s filled with Nutella rather than a homemade chocolate spread, it’s easy to make at home. I used their recipe as my starting point, but modified it to use my favorite brioche dough. Heads up: the dough requires two separate rises as well as at least 3 hours in the fridge. If you plan to bake and serve babka on the same day, it’s best to start the process the day before.
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need To Make Chocolate Babka
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the dough
In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, warm water, sugar, salt, and yeast. 
Whisk to combine, then add the eggs and egg yolk.
Whisk again to combine.
Add the flour all at once.
Stir with a wooden spoon until uniform and all of the flour is absorbed. The dough will be wet, lumpy and somewhat elastic (it will firm up in the fridge and smooth out when you knead it later).
Cover loosely with plastic wrap (be sure the bowl is completely covered but don’t make it airtight) and let sit at room temperature for 2 hours, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to three days.
Step 2: Form the Babka
On the day of baking, grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan generously with butter. Dust a clean work surface with flour. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, transfer it to the work surface, and dust it lightly with flour. Knead with your hands, sprinkling more flour as necessary so the dough doesn’t stick, for 30 seconds.
Roll out the dough into a 14-inch square, dusting more flour underneath and over the dough as necessary; it should be about ⅛ inch thick.
Using an offset spatula, spread the Nutella over the dough, leaving a ½-inch border.
Sprinkle the chocolate over the Nutella.
Starting with the side closest to you, roll the dough tightly into a log; turn it vertically, so one end of the log is facing you, and place seam side down.
Using a sharp serrated bread knife, cut the log in half lengthwise.
Turn the cut sides up and twist the strands together, keeping the cut sides facing up.
Transfer the twisted dough to the prepared loaf pan. (This is a messy process; just do your best – it will look pretty no matter how messy it is).
Cover the babka loosely with plastic wrap (not airtight) and let sit at room temperature for 90 minutes. It will rise just a bit. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
Step 3: Bake and Glaze
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the babka is a rich golden brown color. A toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of the loaf should come out without any wet dough sticking to it (melted chocolate is okay). If you have an instant-read thermometer, it should read between 190°F to 200°F in the center of the loaf.
Meanwhile, make the syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the water, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Place the pan with the baked babka on a rack. Immediately brush or drizzle the syrup over top. The syrup helps to add a nice sheen to the loaf while also keeping the babka moist.
Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out and cool completely before slicing.
How To Freeze Babka
Once the babka is completely cooled, wrap it in a few layers of plastic wrap, then in foil. Store it in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw the wrapped babka at room temperature. Before serving, warm the babka in a 325°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until warmed through.
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Chocolate Babka
Chocolate and Nutella-swirled babka makes a crave-worthy treat any time of day.
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled, plus more for greasing the pans
- ½ cup warm water
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1⅛ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon rapid-rise/instant yeast
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled off, plus more for kneading and rolling
For the Chocolate Filling
- ½ cup Nutella or other chocolate hazelnut spread, at room temperature
- 3 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (⅔ cup), best quality
For the Syrup
- ¼ cup water
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- Generous pinch salt
Instructions
- Make the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, warm water, sugar, salt, and yeast. Add the eggs and egg yolk and whisk until evenly combined. Add the flour all at once, and stir with a wooden spoon until uniform and all of the flour is absorbed. The dough will be wet, lumpy and somewhat elastic (it will firm up in the fridge and smooth out when you knead it later). Cover loosely with plastic wrap (be sure the bowl is completely covered but don't make it airtight) and let sit at room temperature for 2 hours, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to three days.
- On the day of baking, grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan generously with butter.
- Dust a clean work surface with flour. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, transfer it to the work surface, and dust it lightly with flour. Knead with your hands, sprinkling more flour as necessary so the dough doesn't stick, for 30 seconds. Roll out the dough into a 14-inch square, dusting more flour underneath and over the dough as necessary; it should be about ⅛ inch thick.
- Using an offset spatula, spread the Nutella over the dough, leaving a ½-inch border. Sprinkle the chocolate over the Nutella. Starting with the side closest to you, roll the dough tightly into a log; turn it vertically, so one end of the log is facing you, and place seam side down. Using a sharp serrated bread knife, cut the log in half lengthwise. Turn the cut sides up and twist the strands together, keeping the cut sides facing up. Transfer the twisted dough to the prepared loaf pan, tucking the ends under if necessary. (This is a messy process; just do your best – it will look pretty no matter how messy it is).
- Cover the babka loosely with plastic wrap (not airtight) and let sit at room temperature for 90 minutes. It will rise just a bit.
- Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the babka is a rich golden brown color. A toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of the loaf should come out without any wet dough sticking to it (melted chocolate is okay). If you have an instant-read thermometer, it should read between 190°F to 200°F in the center of the loaf.
- Meanwhile, make the syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the water, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Place the pan with the baked babka on a rack. Immediately brush or drizzle the syrup over top. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out and cool completely before slicing.
- Babka is best enjoyed fresh on the day of baking, but it will keep wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container for a few days.
- Freezing Instructions: Once the babka is completely cooled, wrap it in a few layers of plastic wrap, then in foil. Store it in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw the wrapped babka at room temperature. Before serving, warm the babka in a 325°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until warmed through.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (12 servings)
- Serving size: 1 slice
- Calories: 273
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated fat: 9 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Sugar: 11 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Sodium: 162 mg
- Cholesterol: 67 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Hi Jenn
I just made your recipe for Babka! Oh my gosh, it was so good, I had to freeze some of it so we would stop eating it. Very easy dough to work with and a wonderful result. Thanks for another great and reliable recipe!
I love this recipe and have made it twice. However, each time my bread tends to almost burn on the outside and not cook enough on the inside. I have a thermometer in my oven and the temperature is at 350. Maybe next time I make it I will cover it with foil for the first 25 minutes of baking. Any ideas of why you think this happening?
Hi Rachel, glad you like the babka but sorry that you’re having a problem with it baking unevenly. Are you using a metal loaf pan?
Made this New Years Day. Might be a new tradition. Amazingly yummy. Just be prepared for the various rise times. As suggested, make the dough ‘day 1’ and bake ‘day 2’. My family said this was the best Babka they have ever eaten!!!
Wow! I am a very novice baker, but this turned out tremendously well. it actually wasn’t very complicated and the end product was outstanding. Scrumptious and divine!
Made this for a Christmas gift my son had requested. This is outstanding and easy to make. He loved the texture of the dough and the Nutella / bittersweet chocolate combo. Could not have turned out better and will definitely make it again….thank you!
Another winner from Jenn – thank you! We couldn’t wait for it to cool too long, and it was amazing 🙂 I’d recommend starting with very small portions of Nutella on your spatula, as it’s very hard to spread if you put too much down at first. I probably could have added more to my bread, but not sure if it would make it too wet?
Hi Stephanie, So glad this turned out well for you! Re. the Nutella, I’d stick to 1/2 cup for best results.
I made this recipe the other day as a Christmas gift for my neighbors and although I didn’t get to taste it I received rave reviews from them saying how beautiful and delicious the bread was. The recipe is so easy to make, without a ton of ingredients and it came together quickly. I will be making more of these as gifts and one of them I will be certain to keep for me and my family to taste.
I really didn’t think I could pull this off as a novice baker, but it’s actually a very forgiving recipe! no excessive kneading
My kitchen is in a cold garage, the sugar-butter mixture was solidifying as I mixed in the yeast; due to work I left it in the fridge for a whole week; after braiding it, it was jammed on one side of the pan;
I thought for sure it’d be dead but it turned out FANTASTIC and stunning!! I wish I could post a picture.
I used Ovalmaltine instead of Nutella, and a diluted apricot jam solution instead of making a sugar syrup.
These cost $30/ pop in Breads Bakery I think. Definitely worth a try.
it came out delicious!!!! Jen, would you also recommend how the spread should be if made in cinnamon version?
Glad you liked it! I’d use the filling from this recipe for a cinnamon version.
I’ve made this recipe before, as written, (and its fantastic!) but I decided to get creative today.
I made the dough and proved it as written. I rolled out the dough, then spread one half of it with nutella and the other half with strained raspberry preserves. I scattered some roughly chopped dark chocolate throughout and rolled it up, cut it, and twisted it. Then, I used floss to slice the braid up and baked it in a muffin pan. I made 11 “muffins” but they expand a lot, so I could have gotten away with 12.
Baked for about 25 minutes at 350.
Added 6 raspberries to the simple syrup, then strained out the seeds.
Absolutely delicious, and I’ll definitely make it again!