adapted from Claire Saffitz
Babka, a wonderful fusion of chocolate and bread: It’s an on-the-go cinnamon roll. It’s the chocolate lover’s toast option. It’s everything you could want in a breakfast loaf. To make babka, a typical sweet yeast dough is rolled out and filled with a chocolate filling. There is definitely freedom to experiment with the filling flavors (cinnamon, Biscoff, matcha, etc.). Personally, I’m a traditionalist and prefer the chocolate.
The crux of this recipe is shaping the loaf. I suggest searching YouTube videos before diving in. I was a little disappointed with the thickness of my layers. When I make this loaf again, I am planning on rolling the dough out thinner to get more layers and give the loaf a classic Babka look. The last thing to note is the streusel topping. This is optional but HIGHLY recommended. Much like sprinkles, I have never regreted topping anything with streusel.
Warm the milk in a saucepan until warm but not hot (105°F). Pour ~ ¼ cup of milk in a separate bowl, stir in yeast to dissolve, and let sit for 5 minutes. The mixture should bubble and foam, indicating that the yeast is alive.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and butter. Make a well in the center and pour in the eggs, yeast mixture, and remaining butter. Attach a dough hook and mix on low until the flour has been wetted. Continue mixing on medium speed until the butter is incorporated and the dough is soft and sticky (~5 minutes). Stop and scrape the mixer, then continue mixing until the dough pulls away from the bowl and is smooth and supple (another 5 minutes). The dough will be soft, but if it sticks to the bowl at medium high speed, add flour one tablespoon at a time until it no longer sticks.
Place the dough in a medium sized bowl and let sit until it’s 50 percent expanded in size, 1-1 1/2 hours. Transfer the bowl to the refrigerator and let rise overnight (or at least 4 hours).
Brush the bottom and sides of two loaf pans with melted butter and line the long sides with parchment paper. Preheat the oven too 350°F
To make the filling: in a saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, cream, and salt. Simmer, stirring periodically, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Transfer to a bowl and add the chocolate, butter, and vanilla. Stir until smooth. Let cool at room temperature or in a refrigerator until it is a spreadable consistency.
To make the streusel: in a bowl, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Stir in melted butter until the mixture forms large, moist crumbs.
To shape: remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide in half. Working one at a time, roll each piece into a 9-by-17-inch rectangle (this is a minimum, you can roll it larger if you want more layers). Spread half the filling over the dough then roll into a tight coil from the long side. Transfer to the freezer for 10 minutes and repeat with the other piece of dough.
Slice the coils in half lengthwise then layer one half on top of the other. Twist the two coils over a few more times to make a twisted shape then transfer to the loaf pan. Cover the pans with a kitchen towel and let rise until puffy, 1-1 ½ hours. Once risen, top with the streusel and bake for 50-50 min. The loaves will sound hollow and a thermometer will read between 185-210 degrees when inserted. Cool completely before slicing.