The Recipe

Makes: 1 medium loaf
Preparation: overnight proofing
Baking Time: 30-40 minutes

The traditional babka, meaning “Little Grandmother” is an Eastern European bread that is dense, rich and light all at the same time. Swirled with chocolate, nuts and cinnamon – this was only a version that seemed to develop mid-century by the American Jews.

Babka is not the easiest bread to make but it is also not the most difficult. It takes a bit of time and patience, a lot of love but the benefits and joys of munching down on this nutty, dense, chocolatey bread is worth it.

A sweet, yeasted bread that finds its origins in Eastern Europe, developed by the Ashkenazi Jews in Poland, Ukraine, Russia, and Lithuania. This Jewish community has a very coloured history with ancestral routes tied to Germany and Austria. It is a bread that is traditionally served on special occasions such as the Jewish Sabbath (Shabbat) or holidays and represents good fortune and prosperity.

It can be found throughout the year in Jewish bakeries around the world and there are many variations of babka that exist today, yet the original recipe was either a plain or nut-filled dough that was braided and then baked into a tall cylindrical shape.

This chocolate version is messy and extremely delicious and I hope you have fun making it!

THE INGREDIENTS

BABKA DOUGH

280g plain flour
60g white sugar
7g instant yeast
150mls milk, room temperature
Zest of 1 orange
½ tsp vanilla essence
2 x medium eggs
¼ tsp salt
140g butter, cubed
Oil (for greasing)

CHOCOLATE FILLLING

120g unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tsp cinnamon
2tblsp/20g cocoa
80g brown sugar
Pinch of salt
80g semi sweet chocolate, roughly chopped or chocolate chips
80g toasted pecans, roughly chopped.

GLAZE

50g maple syrup
10g butter

THE METHOD

The Day Before

Mix milk with vanilla, salt, and eggs
Place the sugar, yeast, zest, and flour in a mixing bowl with a paddle attachment
Add milk mixture to the flour until combined
Switch to a dough hook and then start adding the butter, bit by bit until all is incorporated.
Mix for about 5-8 minutes until the dough is nice and smooth
Place in a well-oiled bowl and cover with cling film and allow the dough to rise and double in size then place in the refrigerator overnight so it can work its magic

The Next Day

Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and roll it out into a rectangle 25cm width x 40cm length
For the chocolate filling, mix cinnamon, sugar, cocoa, and butter together until combined.
Have it on stand-by for when the dough is ready to be rolled.
Spread the chocolate mixture over the surface of the dough, leaving about a 1.5cm edge all around
Roll the dough lengthwise to form a 25cm cylinder. Place in the fridge for about 10-15minutes to firm up (you will thank me for this later)
Take out the dough and with a sharp knife, cut it in half so you have long strips
Braid the two pieces of dough over each other so they are nicely twisted firmly together
Place into a greased and lined loaf tin (about 20cm in length), cover with a damp cloth, and allow to rise for 30-40 minutes. For the maple glaze, heat the ingredients at a low temperature until the butter is just melted.
Preheat the oven to 190’C and bake the babka for 30-40 minutes until well risen and golden.
Allow the bread to cool slightly before turning it out and brush the babka while still warm with the maple glaze