Chocolate Babka

Name: Chocolate Babka
Prep time: 2 h 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 3 h
Yield: 2 loaves, 18 serving(s)
Ingredients: 3/4 cup milk; 1/4 cup butter; 2 cups bread flour; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 2 teaspoons active dry yeast; 1/4 cup white sugar; 1/4 cup water; 1 large egg; 3/4 teaspoon salt; 5 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped; 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, ground; 1/3 cup white sugar; 1/4 cup butter, chilled; 1/4 cup powdered sugar; 1/4 cup all-purpose flour; 1/4 cup butter, chilled; 1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash

Submitted by Snowpeas

"A delicious babka. I love the feel of this dough and work it by hand. But feel free to make this in your stand mixer with a dough hook, or prepare the dough in your bread maker. Be careful when twisting, if you twist too much, the dough will tear. Preparation time includes rising time - make your filling and streusel topping while your dough is rising."

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photo by pammyowl

Ready In:: 3hrs
Ingredients:: 17
Yields:: 2 loaves
Serves:: 18

ingredients

Dough
³⁄₄ cup milk
¹⁄₄ cup butter
2 cups bread flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
¹⁄₄ cup white sugar
¹⁄₄ cup water
1 large egg
³⁄₄ teaspoon salt
Filling
5 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons cinnamon, ground
¹⁄₃ cup white sugar
¹⁄₄ cup butter, chilled
Streusel Topping
¹⁄₄ cup powdered sugar
¹⁄₄ cup all-purpose flour
¹⁄₄ cup butter, chilled
1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash

directions

Generously grease 2, 9x5 inch bread pans.
In a small saucepan, warm the milk and butter until butter melts.
In a mixing bowl, combine the bread flour, 2 cups all-purpose flour, yeast, and 1/4 cup sugar.
Add water, the milk-butter mixture, egg, and salt to dry ingredients and mix well.
Knead dough until smooth and elastic, about 15 minutes.
Cover dough with a warm, damp cloth and let rise in a warm draft-free area until doubled in size, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours.
For the chocolate filling: In a medium bowl, stir together the finely chopped chocolate, cinnamon, and 1/4 cup sugar.
Cut in 1/4 cup chilled butter.
For the streusel topping: In a medium bowl, combine the powdered sugar and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour.
Cut in 1/4 cup chilled butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
When the dough has doubled, punch down and cut it into two equal pieces.
Loosely shape each piece into a ball.
Cover the dough with a warm, damp cloth and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Roll out one portion on a lightly floured surface to form a 15 inch square.
Sprinkle with half the chocolate filling, roll up to form a log, and seal the seam and ends.
Twist the dough, like wringing out a towel.
Bring the two ends together, folding the dough in half.
Twist the dough again on itself, in a twisting motion, to form the loaf.
Place loaf in prepared pan, cover with warm, damp cloth and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
Repeat with second dough ball.
Preheat an oven to 350°F.
Brush the loaves with the egg wash, if desired.
Sprinkle streusel on top.
Bake the loaves for 25 to 30 minutes until the bread is a deep golden brown.

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Reviews

This was very good and quite easy to make. A tip for the poster; I assumed the dough needed to rise a second time while in the pan, so that would be confusing for a new bread baker. I hope my pictures are kind of like what it is supposed to look like. I have never made Babka before, in fact never even seen it, so please forgive any errors! Te Hee! Made for New kids on the block tag game, 2013

pammyowl