I recently created a YouTube video on how to make the most scrumptious Chocolate Babka ever! Babkas are rich, sweet, European-style yeast breads filled with anything from cinnamon and sugar tonutsand jams and my favorite flavor– the Chocolate Babka full of chocolate bits, cocoa and brown sugar.
Now many people may say, “Oh, pleeze, it’s too much effort to making a Babka”. To the naysayers I say, you are mistaken. The small amount of effort needed is so well worth it that I guarantee you’ll be baking Babka before you know it. A little alliteration never hurt anyone either!
The yeast dough is quite easy to put together, especially since instant yeast is used. Instant yeast can be combined right in with the dry ingredients. No moreproofing the yeast with warm waterand waiting to see if it’s alive. I use instant yeast, also, known as fast-rising yeast, for all of my yeast breads.
The addition of rich ingredients such as: whole milk, butter and egg yolks makes the dough feel silky and satiny.This dough definitelyfeels different than a pizzadough.It is important to remember thatrichyeast doughwill notriseas high because the fat-based ingredients actually shorten the gluten strands within the dough which will create a more tenderbaked good. Enough baking science.
After the dough has risen, it is cut in half. Be sure that you don’t just rip it with your hands. Take a chef’sknife or a dough cutter and CUT it in half. This way you won’t destroy the gluten strands which could prevent your dough from rising later on in the oven.
Next we roll out each half to a large rectangle.Like I say in the video, try not to use any flour if you can. Too much flour can create a very DRY yeast bread. Now if you really need a bit of flour go for it, but use as little as possible. The dough is so silky that it rolls out beautifully and I don’t get need any flour at all!
Once you place thefilling overthe doughpress on it with a rolling pin to help the filling adhere to the dough. Now as you roll up the dough, from the longest edgeinto a very tight spiral, be sure to gently pull back to create an even tighter log. If you do this you will get a well formed Babka with many lovely spiraled layers of chocolate filling peaking through after baking. Trust me, it is a beautiful thing!
The log is then cut in half crosswise. The two smaller logs are crisscrossed and twisted, and then gently placed into aloaf pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, andhashad the twolongest sides covered in parchment paper and thensprayed with nonstick cooking spray. 
Next a light streusel topping is scattered on top and the loaf is baked for 40-45 minutes or until nice and brown. Every oven is different so a good rule of thumb is to rotate the loaf pan halfway through the baking time.
It’ll smell so good when it comes out of the oven, but don’t be tempted to take it out of the pan until it has cooled.Babkas,may seem old world,likea lost art. However,making and eating Babkas, is NEVER a lost art.Try this recipe and experience what I am talking about.
I’ve included the link to the YouTube video, if you want to watch me make one:
Happy Baking!
Chef Gail
