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I once made a matcha swirl milk bread and swooned at the swirls inside of it. The green and white contrasted nicely together (although one person didn't like the green because they said it reminded them of mold), and I was so excited to try it. But when I took a bite out of it, I made a small frown. It tasted great... but I couldn't taste the matcha! I took another bite and kept searching for the smallest hint of matcha but to my dismay could not find any.
This chocolate babka is a different story.
An intense chocolate flavor thanks to a mixture of chopped dark chocolate and unsweetened cocoa powder makes this chocolate babka taste as good as it looks. It's soft with a nice crust and full of butter, like brioche. The bread isn't very sweet, which I personally liked.
When making the dough, you may panic at how sticky and thick-batter-like instead of doughy it is after adding the butter. But don't worry and have faith in it! The butter will be covering the mixer bowl and won't look like it is getting incorporated into the dough, but simply scrape down the bowl and let the mixer keep kneading. The dough will stick to the bowl like crazy, but once the dough is fully kneaded, it won't stick to the sides anymore and when you touch it gently, it will feel perfectly soft and will be worth it.
Once the dough is proofed and chilled, it is a dream to roll out. The filling is very simple to put together, and soon enough you'll have the smell of fresh-baked bread wandering in your kitchen. Although this recipe looks complicated, it's not very hard at all, just takes time.
Once you cut the bread to reveal the mesmerizing swirl, you'll be so proud of yourself, and chocolate-lovers will look at you in awe. Just try to let the bread cool before slicing, and cut thicker slices, the bread is a bit delicate!
chocolate babka
recipe from thelittleepicurean.com where it was adapted from America's Test Kitchen Bread Illustrated
makes one 8.5 inch by 4.5 inch loaf
ingredients:
for the dough:
2 1/4 cups (11 oz) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup whole milk at room temperature
1/4 cup (1 3/4 oz) granulated sugar
2 large egg yolks at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
for the filling:
2 oz bittersweet/dark chocolate, chopped (I used Ghiradelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate)
4 tablespoons (half stick) unsalted butter
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup (1 oz) powdered sugar
1 large egg white
for the egg wash:
1 large egg at room temperature
1 tablespoon water
a pinch of fine sea salt
instructions:
for the dough: using a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, mix together the flour, instant yeast, and salt on low speed until combined.
in a different bowl, whisk the milk, sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla together until sugar is dissolved.
in the stand mixer, slowly add the liquid mixture while mixing on low speed until combined. Mix for a minute on low speed until the dough is just starting to come together. With the mixer running on low speed, add the softened butter one tablespoon at a time until the whole stick is used (the butter will be all over the sides of the bowl and will look like it's not getting incorporated in, but don't panic!). Scrape down the bowl. Let the mixer knead the dough on medium speed for about 9 minutes, or until the dough is not sticking to the sides of the bowl (it will stick to the bottom still) and is smooth. Every two minutes, stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl. Don't add more flour. At the beginning of the kneading, the dough will look like a thick batter and will be very sticky but just trust me and by the end of the kneading time it will come together.
grease a large bowl and put the dough into it. Cover it with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature or a warm place until it has doubled, 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours (90 to 120 minutes). Punch down the dough by literally punching it and bringing the sides of the dough into the middle and flipping it over. Recover with plastic wrap and chill the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes of until it is cold.
for the filling: put the dark chocolate, butter, and cocoa powder in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave on half power (50%) until mostly melted. Stir until smooth and everything is fully melted. Mix in the sugar until combined. Let the mixture cool to room temperature and then whisk in the egg white until the mixture is glossy. Take one tablespoon of the filling out and reserve it in a small bowl for later.
assemble and bake: grease an 8.5 by 4.5 inch loaf pan with a butter wrapper. On a floured work surface (such as on a silicone pastry mat), roll the chilled dough into a 18 by 14 inch rectangle with the longer side parallel to you. Spread the filling evenly on the dough, leaving a half inch border on all sides. Roll the dough into a tight cylinder away from you and then seal the ends by pinching them. Place the roll seam side up. Spread the tablespoon of filling you had reserved earlier onto the seam. Fold the roll over itself, like a book, with the filling getting sandwiched. Seal the ends by pinching them. Using your hands on both ends of the roll, twist it into a double figure eight. Place the roll into the prepared loaf pan. Gently press the dough in order to fill the space to the edges of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature or in a warm space for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until the dough is level with the lip of the pan.
to make the egg wash, mix the egg, water, and salt together with a fork or chopstick.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Take the plastic wrap off and using a pastry brush, brush the dough lightly with the egg wash. Bake for 40-45 minutes, rotating the loaf halfway through the baking time. The loaf should rise a little more while baking and should be golden brown when done. Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Unmold, and let the bread cool completely on a wire rack. Slice thickly and eat!
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