Chocolate Babka Bread
A rich and chocolately sweet bread that will have family and friends raving for months! Always a guaranteed crowd pleaser, this bread is very versatile. Make it for breakfast or dessert, give it as a gift, or incorporate it into your holiday food traditions.
Servings 1 loaf; 16 slices
Calories 192kcal
Ingredients
Dough:
- ¾ c. warm Milk, 105° to 110°
- 2 ¼ tsp dry Yeast
- 1 tsp + 6 tbsp Sugar, divided
- ½ tsp Vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 1 Egg Yolk, room temperature & lightly beaten
- 1 ⅔ c. All-Purpose Flour, divided
- 1 ¼ c. Bread Flour
- 5 tbsp Butter, cut into pieces & softened
Filling:
- ½ c. Sugar
- 3 tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa
- ½ tsp ground Cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground Nutmeg
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 4 oz Semisweet Chocolate Chips
Streusel:
- 2 tbsp Powdered Sugar
- 1 tbsp All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tbsp Butter, slightly softened
Instructions
Dough:
- In a mixer bowl, dissolve 1 tsp sugar and yeast in warm milk. Let stand 5 minutes.
- Stir in additional 6 tbsp sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and egg yolk.
- With a hook attachment and your mixer on low, slowly add 1 1/3 c. of all-purpose flour and all of the bread flour. Increase speed to medium and add butter. Continue to "knead" dough with the mixer until well incorporated, about 2 minutes.
- Scrape dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, adding remaining all-purpose flour 1/3 c. at a time, as needed, to keep hands from sticking. Dough will be very soft.
- Shape dough into a ball and place in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until it has doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hrs.
- Punch dough down, cover again, and let rest an additional 5 minutes.
- Use a 9x5" silicone bread loaf pan or line the bottom of a regular 9x5" pan with parchment paper & coat the sides with cooking spray.
Filling:
- Combine sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a small bowl. Carefully stir until all ingredients are evenly distributed. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Turn dough out on a floured surface and roll into a 16-inch square. Leaving a 1-inch border around the edges, sprinkle the filling evenly on the dough. Do not worry about the chocolate chips being equally distributed - it is almost better if they aren't.
- Starting at one end, carefully but tightly roll the dough into a log, pinching the seams and sealing the end with your fingers.
- Carefully twist the dough about 4 times, as if wringing a towel, and fit it into prepared pan. Cover and let rise until doubled again, about 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
Streusel:
- In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar and flour. Using a fork, cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly.
- Sprinkle evenly over dough.
Bake:
- Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until loaf is lightly browned and sounds hollow when tapped.
- Allow to cool on a wire rack, in the pan, for 10 minutes.
- Carefully remove bread from pan and place it back on the wire rack to cool completely.
- Slice and enjoy.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 192kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 4.73g | Fat: 6.25g