Double Chocolate Babka

 Chocolate babka, but double the chocolate! This very special babka has cocoa in the dough itself, lending an even richer chocolate taste to every bite.

Ingredients

• Cocoa Challah
• 1 cup warm milk or water (the former adds a slightly richer taste)
• 1 package rapid rise yeast (instant)
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar
• 2 eggs, plus 1 yolk at room temperature (reserve white for egg wash)
• 1/2 cup canola oil or melted unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup dutch process cocoa, sifted if lumpy
• 450g bread flour, plus more as needed
• Dark Chocolate Filling
• 3/4 cups dark chocolate, chopped
• 1/3 cup butter, salted (if using unsalted, add a pinch of salt)
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup dutch process cocoa
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Step 1

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the water (or milk), yeast and sugar. Set aside for 5 minutes for yeast to foam.

Step 2

To the bowl add the oil or butter, honey, eggs and yolk and vanilla. Whisk to combine.

Step 3

Add the flour, cocoa and salt to the bowl and knead on medium until dough starts gathering around the hook. It will be wet and sticky and fall as soon as you lift the dough hook it will fall off. Add flour as needed if the dough seems impossible to gather.

Step 4

Set the dough in an oiled bowl and turn around a few times to coat with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise.

Step 5

After about two hours, the dough should be doubled in size. Punch it down and divide into two halves.

Step 6

Ready your loaf pans by buttering them and placing a parchment sling.

Step 7

Make the filling: over low heat add the butter to a small pot. Once it has melted add the chocolate and stir until it’s melted. Add the powdered sugar and cocoa and stir to combine. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Set aside.

Step 8

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and roll it out to a large rectangle with the shorter side being just a bit longer than your loaf pan. The longer side can be as long as you can get without tearing the dough.

Step 9

Spread half of the filling over the dough leaving an inch border.

Step 10

Roll the dough from the short side to create a log. Slice it in half with a sharp knife lengthwise.

Step 11

Chocolate filling side up, twist the two logs around each other. Place your babka twist in the loaf pan.

Step 12

Repeat with the second dough. Set both in a warm place for a second rise, for about 45 minutes to an hour.

Step 13

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Step 14

Once the babkas are tender and puffy, add a bit of water to the egg white and use it to brush over the babka (avoiding the exposed filling).

Step 15

Bake for 25 minutes. Check for doneness with a thermometer, a fully baked bread will register at 190F. If they aren’t there yet, cover with foil and bake for another 10 minutes.

Step 16

Allow loaves to cool in pan for about 10 minutes before turning them out onto a cooling rack. Babka is best day of baking but will warm up nicely in a microwave the next day.

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