Chocolate Babka by Donald Wressel and Josh Johnson

May 29, 2023

1042

Pastry Chefs, Guittard Chocolate Company

Sponsored by

Originating in Poland and Ukraine in the early 19^th century, Babka has evolved and been reinvented many times over. The earliest iterations used extra challah dough, made with either cinnamon sugar or with jam, rolled up and twisted into loaves. This first generation of babka, popularized by Jewish communities and eventually finding a way into Jewish bakeries, was made with oil instead of butter so it would remain dairy free. Babka eventually became a staple across New York City and beyond in both Jewish and non-Jewish bakeries, with many crediting a very unlikely source for its resurgence.

In 1994 a cinnamon babka became the subject of a Seinfeld episode, and like so many culinary creations that have become intertwined with the fabric of our culture, babka started to take on a new life. Many babka recipes nowadays are very similar to brioche – lending to a wide variety of versatility, including added spices, citrus zest, candied peel, assorted seeds, sweet and savory. Fillings are only limited by the imagination of the baker and, of course, baking science – think chocolate fillings, frangipane nut fillings, fruit fillings, Nutella-type fillings, and plenty of variations of classic cinnamon sugar and topped with streusels, toasted nuts, infused syrups or even simple icings and glazes.

A recent trip to France revealed that babka is alive and well and taking on refreshed role in bakeries around the country. One of the most inspiring was a shop that sold only babka and seemed to be thriving. In the fast and furious social media world where we all live, it’s so fantastic to see shops specializing and delivering top quality in a focused menu. It shows that consumers are not only ready, but excited to seek out and enjoy a perfectly-executed specialty item like babka.

The three recipes shared below are just that – they appear simple, but yield so much satisfaction from the customer. One dough is modified slightly for each variation, which feature three fillings that are a mix of reminiscent and unique. Sometimes we just need to see one idea in order to be inspired to create another. We hope you have as much fun making these as we did creating them.

Chocolate Babka

The buttery richness of this honey-spiced chocolate babka is accompanied by a fudge-like spreadable filling made with a robust blend of Cacao Rouge and the rich flavor of 72%. The slight orange undertones complement the combined complexity of the two chocolates.

Yield: two 3-lb (1.36-kg) loaves

Preferment

200 g King Arthur Sir Galahad flour
120 g milk 70°F (21°C)
0.2 g instant dry yeast

Mix all ingredients until smooth.

Cover and store at room temperature overnight.

Chocolate Filling

44 g unsalted butter
16 g glucose
25 g water
0.2 g salt
56 g brown sugar
15 g Guittard Cacao Rouge Cocoa Powder
36 g Guittard 72% Cacao Coucher du Soleil

Melt butter with glucose, water, salt, and sugar.

Add cocoa powder and mix until smooth. Add chocolate and incorporate.

Keep slightly warm until ready to use.

Dough

324 g King Arthur Sir Galahad flour
80 g whole eggs
112 g milk
60 g granulated sugar
15 g honey
10 g instant dry yeast
9.5 g salt
10 g vanilla extract
Zest of 1 orange
1.2 g ground cinnamon
0.3 g ground cardamom
136 g unsalted butter

Place all ingredients except the butter in a mixing bowl and mix on low speed to incorporate ingredients, about 1 minute.

Add the plasticized butter in pieces and continue mixing until a well-developed window is realized. Bulk ferment for 1 hour.

De-gas and flatten the dough on a sheet pan. Freeze for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough into a 12ʺ (30.5 cm) wide band. Spread filling over dough with spatula. Roll into a log and split down the middle. Braid and place into a buttered 2-lb loaf pans. Proof 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Bake in a convection oven at 350°F (177°C) for about 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 190˚F (87.8˚C).

Milk Chocolate Praline Babka

This filling is made from 60% praline and roasted hazelnut flour to intensify the hazelnut flavor. The 38% Guittard Soileil D’Or adds caramel notes and richness to the praline; the orange and cinnamon syrup glaze adds depth and complexity, complementing the base notes.

Yield: two 3-lb (1.36 kg) loaves

Preferment

200 g King Arthur Sir Galahad flour
120 g milk 70°F (21°C)
0.2 g instant dry yeast

Mix all ingredients until smooth.

Cover and store at room temperature overnight.

Hazelnut Praline Filling

200 g unsalted butter
80 g granulated sugar
4 g fine sea salt
160 g hazelnut praline 60%
200 g toasted natural hazelnut flour
160 g whole eggs
45 g all-purpose flour

Cream together butter, sugar, salt and praline until well blended.

Add hazelnut flour, incorporate, then add eggs. Add flour and mix until homogeneous.

Syrup

138 g granulated sugar
113 g water
1 cinnamon stick
Zest and juice from 1 orange

Bring all ingredients to a boil, reserve.

Dough

324 g King Arthur Sir Galahad flour
320.2 g Preferment (from above)
80 g whole eggs
112 g milk 4%
60 g granulated sugar
15 g honey
10 g instant dry yeast
9.5 g salt
10 g vanilla extract
Zest of 2 oranges
2.4 g ground cinnamon
0.5 g ground cardamom
136 g unsalted butter
225 g Guittard 38% cacao Soieil D’Or milk chocolate, pulsed in a food processor) for sprinkling on filling

Place all ingredients except the butter and chocolate in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on low speed to incorporate ingredients, about 1 minute. Add plasticized butter in pieces and continue mixing until a well-developed window forms, about 10 minutes.

Bulk ferment for 1 hour.

De-gas and flatten the dough on a sheet pan. Freeze for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough into a 16” (40.6 cm) wide band, 0.078ʺ (2 mm) thick. Apply filling over dough with a spatula. Sprinkle chopped chocolate over the filling.

Roll into a log and split down the middle. Braid and place into 3 buttered 2-lb loaf pans. Proof 60 to 75 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Bake in a convection oven at 340°F (171°C) for about 30 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 190°F (87.8°C).

Brush warm syrup on babka when it comes out of the oven. Allow to cool for 15 minutes and then remove from the pan.

Pistachio Babka

This is a bright and zesty take on babka, thanks to pistachios, lemon and anise. For the best pistachio flavor, choose a mix of California and Sicilian pistachios. The lemon glaze offers a very bright note and acidity to balance the richness of the pistachio filling. Anise seed is woven into the dough, delivering a very subtle licorice flavor that bridges that gap from pistachio to bright lemon. The 31% cacao Crème Francaise white chocolate that’s sprinkled into the filling adds a great creamy dairy note that rounds out the entire piece.

Yield: two 3-lb (1.36 kg) loaves

Preferment

200 g King Arthur Sir Galahad flour
120 g whole milk 70°F (21°C)
0.2 g dry yeast (gold)

Mix all ingredients until smooth.
Cover and store at room temperature overnight.

Pistachio Filling

160 g roasted pistachios
126 g confectioners’ sugar
156 g unsalted butter, softened
63 g whole eggs
63 g all-purpose flour
1.8 g salt
95 g pure pistachio paste

Process the pistachios and confectioners’ sugar in a food processor to a very fine powder.

Place into a 5-qt mixer with the soft butter and mix until smooth. Add the eggs and mix until emulsified. Scrape well. Add the flour and salt, and mix until just combined. Add the pistachio paste and mix until the batter is homogeneous.

Lemon Glaze

138 g granulated sugar
72 g water
42 g lemon juice
1.2 g anise seed
Zest of 1 lemon

Combine everything into a saucepan and bring to a simmer.

Strain out the anise seeds and zest. Store until needed.

Dough

320 g Preferment (above)
324 g King Arthur Sir Galahad flour
80 g whole eggs
112 g milk 4%
60 g granulated sugar
16 g honey
10 g dry yeast (gold)
9.5 g salt
136 g unsalted butter
10 g vanilla extract
3.5 g anise seed
136 g unsalted butter
235 g Guittard 31% cacao Crème Francaise white chocolate, finely chopped, for sprinkling over filling

Place all ingredients except the butter and white chocolate into the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low to incorporate for about 1 minute. Increase speed to develop dough for 4 minutes.

Add plasticized butter in pieces and continue mixing until a well developed window is realized. Bulk ferment 1 hour.

De-gas and flatten the dough on a sheet pan. Freeze for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough to an approximate 16ʺ (40.6 cm) wide band and 0.078ʺ (2 mm) thick. Spread filling over dough with a spatula. Liberally sprinkle on chopped chocolate.

Roll into a log, split down the middle, braid and place into three buttered 2-lb loaf pans. Proof 60 to 75 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Bake in a convection oven at 340°F (171°C) for about 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 190°F (87.8°C).

Brush glaze on babka when it comes out of the oven.

Photos by Audrey Ma

(This article appeared in the Spring 2023 issue of Pastry Arts Magazine)