The Perfect Chocolate Babka

When it comes to babka I often think of Goldilocks (that's right, the one with the three bears). You see, somehow it's always hard to get the babka "just right". Sometimes, it's too doughy, while at other times too chocolatey, but the perfect balance seems so hard to find. 

A few years ago I got this recipe from my good friend Shaini, I'm sure you'll agree with me that the only complaint you'll hear will be " someone's been eating my piece...."

Yields: 4 large (11”) or 6 medium(9”)Babkas

Dough:

  • 2 ½ lb flour (7 ¾ cups)
  • 3 stick margarine (or 1 stick margarine + 1 cup oil)
  • 2 oz fresh yeast activated with ½ cup water + 1 tsp sugar, in a small bowl
  • 1 ¾ cup water
  • ½ scoop vanilla sugar
  • ½ T salt.
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 egg yolks (save whites for smearing)

 

Chocolate filling:

  • 1 cup cocoa
  • 1 box Osem instant chocolate pudding
  • 2 cups sugar
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 egg
  • 2 sticks margarine (or 1 cup oil)

 

Crumbs:

  • 1 stick margarine
  • 1 cup flour
  • ¾ cup sugar

 

Directions:

  1. Place all ingredients for the dough in the bowl of your mixer. Mix well.(Note: The dough will be sticky till after it rises.)
  2. Cover and Let it rise 1 hour, then divide into 4-6 equal parts.Allow to  rise an additional ½ hour.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine filling ingredients and mix well.
  4. Roll out each part of dough into a  rectangle. Smear filling on the dough. Starting fromoneof thelonger sides, roll like a jellyroll. Fold in ½ and twist 2-3 times. Place in loaf pans.
  5. Let rise an additional 15-20  minutes.
  6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  7. Mix ingredients for the crumbs in a separate bowl.
  8. Combine egg whites with a drop of water and smear on babka. Sprinkle the crumbs on top. Bake 40-45 minutes.
 

 

 

Photography by Hudi Greenberger

This article originally appeared in Mishpacha Magazine.

 

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Shlissel Challah, Whole Wheat Muffins, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Rainbow Chocolate Chip Cookies


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