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
FAQs
Roll it up: starting with the rectangle closest to you, roll it up from the bottom along the longer edge, working evenly side to side and pulling back with your fingertips to make the roulade as tight as possible. Repeat for the second rectangle. The tighter the roulade, the more layers of chocolate you'll have.
How to know when babka is done baking? ›
Bake the babka for about 45–55 minutes. —set your Extra Big & Loud timer for 45 minutes, and check the babka's internal temperature when the timer sounds. Use your Thermapen ONE to check the temperature, looking for a temp between 180 and 190°F (82 and 88°C).
Why didn t my babka dough rise? ›
Add more yeast, blend in the starter, or knead in more flour to help initiate rising. Dough that has expired yeast, too much salt, all-purpose or cake flour, or antifungal spices like cinnamon might have trouble rising.
Does chocolate babka need to be refrigerated? ›
Babkas
- Storage. Store your babka at room temperature in the provided packaging using the reseal tab on the back if opened; do not refrigerate. ...
- Kept your babka past its prime? Substitute your leftover babka for the bread in your favorite French Toast, Bread Pudding or Monkey Bread recipes.
Do NOT underbake your loaves. I recommend checking them with a thermometer to make sure they're done. If you pull them out too early, the babka will sink in the middle and be doughy (it's happened to me before and it's a total bummer).
Why is my babka dough dry? ›
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!
Why do Jews eat babka? ›
Like many Jewish-American specialties, babka originated in Eastern Europe – Poland and Ukraine in particular – in the early 1800s. As a way to use extra challah dough, Jews there would roll up the dough with cinnamon or fruit jam and bake it alongside the challah.
What if my babka dough is too sticky? ›
If at any point, the dough gets too soft and sticky, then place the dough on a baking tray and cover it with plastic wrap and chill in the freezer for a few minutes, until the dough becomes firm.
How do you know when the dough is done? ›
Gently press your finger into the dough on the top. If the dough springs back quickly, it's underproofed. If it springs back very slowly, it's properly proofed and ready to bake. Finally, if it never springs back, the dough is overproofed.
What temperature kills yeast? ›
Regardless of the type of yeast you use, if your water reaches temperatures of 120°F or more, the yeast will begin to die off. Once water temps reach 140°F or higher, that is the point where the yeast will be completely killed off.
But almost as good as a proofing box is taking a Mason jar filled halfway up with water, microwaving it for two minutes, then putting your bowl of dough into the microwave with the jar to rise. The other thing you can do is place your lidded container or bowl of dough into a second, larger bowl of warm water.
How to tell if babka is done? ›
Transfer to oven and bake until a tester goes into the cakes without any rubbery resistance and comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. The cakes will also sound hollow if you unmold them and tap on the bottom. An instant-read thermometer will read between 185 and 210 degrees.
Should you warm babka? ›
Homemade babka is best when served slightly warmed up, or at room temperature. Is brioche and babka the same? Brioche and babka are very similar. A babka is often filled with chocolate, cinnamon, or other sweet fillings and shaped into a loaf, while brioche is twisted and baked into a knot.
How long is homemade babka good for? ›
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.
How do you layer a cake successfully? ›
A cake straight from the oven will not stack well. I like to chill my layers in the freezer for a bit to make them extra easy to work with- it helps keep all the crumbs stuck to the cake instead of all over my spatula. Once cooled (or semi-frozen!) use a large, sharp serrated knife to trim the domes off of your cake.
What makes pastries fluffy? ›
Cakes and pastries are fluffy and light in nature due to the presence of baking soda in it. When baking soda is combined with both an acidic ingredient and a liquid, it becomes activated. Upon activation, Carbon dioxide is produced, which allows baked products to rise and become light and fluffy.
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.
