CHOCOLATE BABKA

Makes 2 loaves

Ingredients

Dough

• 4 1/4 cups (595 g) all purpose flour, plus more for rolling and pans
• 2 1/2 teaspoons (10 g) instant yeast
• 7 tablespoons (3.5 ounces/100 g) unsalted butter, plus more for bowl
and pans
• 3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons (225 g) whole milk
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon (4 g) fine sea salt
• 3 large eggs
Chocolate Filling

• 6 ounces (170 g) bittersweet (%70 cacao) chocolate, roughly chopped

• 9 tablespoons (4.5 ounces/125 g) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup (80 g) confectioner’s sugar
• 1/2 cup (50 g) Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon (2 g) fine sea salt
Caramel Syrup

• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (80 g) granulated sugar

• 1/3 cup (80 g) water
Method

1. To make the dough, in the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the flour
and yeast.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the milk,
sugar, and salt and whisk until the sugar dissolves. Remove the pan
from the heat and let the mixture cool for 10 minutes.
3. Whisk the eggs into the cooled milk mixture and pour it over the dry
ingredients. Stir with a silicone spatula until the flour is absorbed.
4. Attach the bowl and the dough hook onto the mixer and beat at medium
speed until the dough pulls away from the sides and becomes elastic
and smooth, for about 10 minutes. Halfway into the beating, a portion of
the dough may stick to the sides of the bowl and separate from the
main dough. In that case, stop the mixer, scrape the sides of the bowl
with the spatula and combine the stuck dough with the main dough,
then continue beating. The dough will be smooth, sticky, and elastic.
Scrape the dough into a generously buttered large bowl, cover tightly
with lightly buttered plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature until
doubled in size, 60-75 minutes. After the first rise is complete, transfer
the dough with the bowl to the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes.
5. While the dough chills, make the chocolate filling. In a medium
saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the chocolate and butter, stirring
occasionally with a wire whisk. Remove the pan from the heat, add the
rest of the ingredients and whisk until smooth. Transfer the filling to a
bowl and chill, uncovered, until it is thick enough to spread easily, about
15 minutes.
6. Generously butter the bottom and sides of two 9-inch (23-cm) loaf pans.
Dust the pans with flour and tap out the excess.
7. Remove the dough and filling from the refrigerator.
8. Turn the chilled dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Deflate
the dough by pressing down in the center with your palm and roughly
shape it into a small rectangle with your hands. Lightly flour the dough
and roll it out into a 16-by-24-inch (40-by-60-cm) rectangle. Gently
stretch out the rounded corners occasionally to make a neat rectangle,
taking care not to tear the dough.
9. Using a metal offset spatula, spread the chilled chocolate filling over the
surface of the rectangle in an even layer, leaving a 3⁄4-inch (2-cm)
border all around. Starting at the long end of the rectangle that is
closest to you, roll up the dough tightly and pinch the seam between
your fingers to seal. You will have a log that is 24 inches (60 cm) long.
Cut the log in half crosswise into two 12-inch (30-cm) logs. Transfer the
logs to a cutting board and freeze, uncovered, until firm enough to cut
without squishing the layers, 5-10 minutes.
10. Using a large heavy serrated knife, cut each of the logs in half
lengthwise, exposing the layers. Place two log halves on the cutting
 board with the cut sides facing up and overlap the top end of one half
over the other and pinch the ends together. Working your way down,
fold the halves over each other as if you are braiding them until you
reach the bottom ends. Pinch together the bottom ends and place the
braided dough in one of the prepared pans. Gently arrange the dough
so that the top is level and the ends touch the pan on both ends to
ensure an even rise. Repeat the same steps for the other two log
halves. Cover the pans loosely with plastic wrap and let them rise in a
warm spot until they are almost doubled in size and reach 1/2 inch
above the top of the pan, 60-75 minutes.
11. At least 30 minutes before baking, set a rack in the middle of the oven
and preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
12. Bake the babkas next to each other until the tops are well browned and
a wooden tester inserted into the center goes in without any resistance
and comes out without any dough clinging to it, 30-35 minutes.
13. Right after you start baking the loaves, make the caramel syrup. Put the
sugar in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan and shake the pan to
level the sugar. Set the pan over medium-high heat and start cooking
without stirring. After the sugar liquefies and then starts to brown
around the edges, lower the heat to medium. Push the caramel from
the edges to the center with a silicon spatula and gently shake and swirl
the pan to moisten the rest of the sugar. Once there are no visible
lumps of sugar, stop stirring and cook until the caramel turns a very
dark brown and starts to foam, about a minute or two. Immediately take
the pan of the heat and, holding it at arm’s length, pour in the water at
once using a soup ladle. Be careful; the caramel will bubble up
vigorously and hot steam will rise. Stir the syrup with a spatula to make
sure the caramel has completely melted and set aside to cool.
14. Remove the pans from the oven, set them on a wire rack and let cool
for 5 minutes. Brush the caramel syrup evenly all over the babkas and
let them cool until they are barely warm. Unmold the babkas directly
onto the rack and invert onto the serving platters.
Storage: Babka is best the day it is made, but it will keep, wrapped airtight, at
room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to a month.