Description
Ina Garten’s chocolate babka recipe weaves rich chocolate swirls through tender bread dough. Sweet layers of chocolate and buttery pastry create an irresistible breakfast or dessert treat you’ll want to savor slowly.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 ¾ cups (340 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 stick (113 g or ½ cup) unsalted butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- ½ cup warm water
- ¼ cup water
- 6 tbsps sugar
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tsp rapid-rise/instant yeast
- ½ cup Nutella or other chocolate hazelnut spread
- 3 oz (85 g) bittersweet chocolate
- 1 1/8 tsps salt
- Generous pinch salt
Instructions
- Dough Preparation: Merge melted butter, warm water, sugar, salt, and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in whole eggs and egg yolk until smooth. Gradually incorporate flour to create a unified dough. Cover and let the mixture rest at room temperature for 2 hours, then refrigerate for 3-72 hours.
- Dough Rolling: Remove chilled dough and place on a flour-dusted surface. Knead briefly, then roll into a precise 14-inch square with ⅛-inch thickness.
- Filling and Shaping: Spread Nutella evenly across the dough, leaving a half-inch border. Sprinkle chocolate pieces over Nutella. Roll the dough into a cylinder, slice lengthwise, and twist the two strands together. Transfer the twisted dough into a generously buttered 9-inch loaf pan.
- Proofing: Cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature for 90 minutes until visibly expanded.
- Baking: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Position the babka on the center rack and bake for 45-50 minutes until golden-brown and fully set.
- Syrup Finishing: Create a light syrup by dissolving sugar in water with a pinch of salt. Once the babka emerges from the oven, brush or drizzle the syrup across the surface. Rest in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack until completely cooled before serving.
Notes
- Chill the Dough Strategically: Refrigeration helps develop complex flavors and makes the dough easier to handle, allowing you to prepare it up to 72 hours in advance for maximum convenience.
- Mind the Nutella Border: Leaving a half-inch border when spreading Nutella prevents filling from oozing out during rolling and ensures a clean, neat twist.
- Twist with Precision: When splitting and twisting the dough strands, handle gently to maintain the intricate layers and create a beautiful braided appearance.
- Syrup is the Secret: Brushing warm syrup immediately after baking adds moisture, enhances sweetness, and creates a glossy, professional-looking finish to your babka.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Jewish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 10
- Calories: 366
- Sugar: 24 g
- Sodium: 250 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 66 mg