American Style Chocolate Babka Recipe

DessertBread

Dec 10

Discover > Texas Recipes > American Style Chocolate Babka Recipe

Babka is an Eastern European dessert that was virtually unheard of outside of Jewish communities until the latter part of the 20th century. It's made with a leavened dough that is rolled out, spread with a filling like chocolate, poppy seeds (how long do poppy seeds last?), cinnamon, fruit, or cheese, braided, then baked in a hot oven.

Hanukkah, Hebrew for 'dedication' is celebrated from the 10th to the 18th of December. The eight-day holiday celebrates the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem after it was retaken by the Maccabees, a group of Jewish warriors, from the Greeks in the 2nd century BCE.

The menorah is the symbol most associated with Hannukkah. It is described in the bible as the seven-lamp (six branches) ancient Hebrew lampstand made of pure gold and used in the portable sanctuary set up by Moses in the wilderness and later in the Temple in Jerusalem.

How to Make Babka Dough

Babka dough is very similar to challah bread (how long does bread last?). It is leavened by yeast which you need to activate by mixing 3/4 of a cup of milk (heated to 90f) with one tablespoon of sugar (how long does sugar last?) and a standard packet of dried yeast. Cover with a dishtowel and let it foam up for 10-15 minutes while you prepare the rest of the dough.

Combine 3 cups of all-purpose flour (how long does flour last?) with 1/4 cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt in a mixing bowl then pour in one large egg, and egg yolk, 1/4 cup of melted butter, and the activated yeast. Combine the ingredients into a rough dough using whichever method or equipment (dough whisk, stand mixer, etc). Knead the dough until a silky dough forms then transfer it to a bowl greased with olive oil. Roll the dough around in the bowl to give it a light coating of the oil then leave in a warm place to proof for 1 1/2 hours.

How to Make a Hazlenut Chocolate Filling

Preheat your oven to 400°F and prepare to blanch 65g of hazelnuts by bringing a cup of water to the boil then dropping the nuts (how long do nuts last?) in there for 3 minutes before transferring them to a bowl of ice water. Raw hazelnuts taste bitter with their skin, blanching them makes the skin really easy to feel off.

Place a saucepan with water onto the stove and bring it up to a rolling boil. Place a glass bowl over the boiling water and pour in the 70 grams of semi-sweet chocolate, 3/4 cup of sugar, and 1/3 of a cup of butter then slowly heat until melted and smooth. Take off the heat then whisk in 1/2 a cup of cocoa powder until smooth.

Place the hazelnuts into a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped then pour in the melted chocolate mixture. Pulse again until smooth then transfer to a bowl to cool and thicken.

How to Shape & Bake a Babka

After your dough has doubled in size, punch the air out of it and turn it out onto a floured surface. Use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough out into a 5x10 inch rectangle. Spread the chocolate spread onto the dough and roll it into a tight log then cut an inch off both sides.

Cut down the middle of the log to split it into two pieces. Tightly twist the two halves into a tight braid and lay it into a parchment paper-lined bread pan to proof for another 30 minutes while your oven preheats to 400°F.

Brush the loaf with egg wash then bake the bread for 30 minutes until the top has nicely browned. Remove the loaf from the oven and cover with a dishtowel to let it steam slightly and stay soft.

Yield: 12

Author: Mariano Clement Gupana