It’s only one more week until Easter, and at home, we would typically make a Hefezopf, a brioche-like braided yeast bread, for our Easter brunch. I like baking with yeast. It’s like magic when the yeast is working, making the dough to rise until double in size. That’s one of the reasons why I love baking. It’s not just about preparing food; it’s real science. The key is to measure the ingredients accurately, consider their temperature, and have patience! Only time can turn the simple ingredients into a delicious bread or pastry.
There are a lot of great yeast recipes like cinnamon rolls, brioche, etc. and I like all of them. But it wasn’t until I visited Breads Bakery in NYC that I discovered the most incredible treat: chocolate babka. Babka is a Jewish recipe and became quite popular in the US (and is finally making its way over to Germany).
It is a so-called enriched dough because compared to simple yeast dough (e.g., pizza dough), it is “enriched” with eggs, sugar, butter, and milk. That’s what makes it rich in flavor and gives it a soft texture. But that’s not what makes this recipe so special. It’s the chocolate filling and the sugar syrup. Yes, you might have noticed already that this is not going to be one of the healthy recipes 🙂 And it’s not supposed to be. It is a pure indulgence, and that’s a good thing!
After I had my first bite of Breads Bakery’s Babka, I wanted to make it at home to see if I can reproduce the incredible flavor. And here it is!
Instead of Nutella, I made the chocolate filling from scratch as I am not a fan of processed food and try to avoid it wherever I can.
Another thing that I like about yeast dough is that you can turn it into fun shapes. Traditionally you cut the logs in half, twist them and transfer them to a loaf tin. This time I tried a different braiding method that looks even prettier on your Easter brunch table. And it’s not as complicated as it might seem.
If you want to make this year’s Easter brunch a special one, try this recipe. If you are looking for a healthier addition to your Easter brunch, try these Carrot Banana Muffins or my Banana Bread – both have no added sugars and are still delicious.
Love,
Marion
Chocolate Babka
This rich chocolate babka is a tribute to the famous Nutella Babka from Breads Bakery in NYC.
Ingredients
- For the dough:
- 530g all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
- 100g sugar
- 2 teaspoons dried yeast
- Zest of ½ orange
- 3 organic free range eggs
- 120ml water
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 150g butter, at room temperature
- Sunflower or other neutral oil, for greasing
- For the filling:
- 130g dark chocolate
- 120g unsalted butter
- 50g powdered sugar
- 30g cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
- For the syrup:
- 75ml water
- 75g sugar
Directions
- Step 1 To make the dough, combine the flour, sugar, yeast and orange zest in a large bowl. Add eggs and water, mixing with the dough hook until it comes together. Add the salt and the butter and mix on low speed until it’s incorporated. Then, mix on medium speed for another 10 minutes until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
- Step 2 Coat a large bowl with oil and place the dough inside. Cover it with plastic foil and refrigerate for at least half a day, preferably overnight.
- Step 3 To make the filling, melt the butter and chocolate in a bowl over a pan with simmering water. Stir in the powdered sugar and cocoa
- Step 4 it should form a spreadable paste. Add cinnamon, if desired.
- Step 5 Remove half of the dough from the fridge and roll it out on a well-floured surface. It should form a rectangle about 30x15cm in size (the thinner you roll it out, the more layers your babka will have).
- Step 6 Spread half of the chocolate mixture evenly over the dough, leaving a 1cm border all around. Roll the dough up lengthwise and seal the ends properly. Repeat with the second dough.
- Step 7 Gently cut the logs in half lengthwise. You can simply form two twists by lifting one over the other, keeping the cut sides facing out. Transfer each twist into a greased loaf pan. If you prefer to do a braided shape like the one I did, I recommend watching the instructions here and transfer the braid to a lined baking tray.
- Step 8 Cover the dough with a damp kitchen towel and leave to rise another 1-2 hours at room temperature.
- Step 9 Pre-heat the oven to 190°C (375°F). On the middle rack of your oven, bake for 25-30 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the babka should come out clean without any resistance. If the babka browns too quickly, you can cover it with foil.
- Step 10 In the meantime make the syrup: Bring the sugar and water to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly. As soon as the babkas come out of the oven, brush generously with the syrup. It will seem like too much, but keep going. Let cool slightly before eating – it’s so good if it’s still a bit warm.
- Step 11 You can also make the Babkas in advance and freeze them. Defrost them by placing them in the oven and enjoy when still warm.
