4 cups (450 g) all purpose flour, divided plus more for dusting
½ cup (110 g) granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon instant yeast *
3 large eggs
½ cup water
¼ teaspoon salt
⅔ cup salted butter at room temperature, cubed
Vegetable oil
Chocolate Filling:
4 oz bittersweet chocolate
½ cup salted butter
½ cup powdered sugar
⅓ cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
½ cup chocolate chips (optional)
Sugar Syrup:
½ cup water
½ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
For Dough:
Place 3¾ cup flour, sugar, and yeast in a stand mixer bowl and combine with a spatula.
Add eggs and water and mix in the stand mixer with the dough hook attachment on medium speed until the dough comes together.
Add salt, sprinkling it around so it doesn't end up in a clump.
Add butter a few cubes at a time on low speed.
Beat the dough on medium speed for 10-18 minutes until it is elastic, smooth, and pulls away from the side of the bowl. If at 12 minutes your dough is still sticking to the bowl, gradually add the extra ¼ cup of flour.
Lightly grease a bowl with the oil. Place the dough in the greased bowl and turn it over so that the dough ball is lightly covered. Cover with plastic wrap.
Refrigerate the dough for 7 hours up until overnight. The dough should be doubled in size.
For Filling: Start this about 15 minutes before you can pull the dough out of the fridge.
Melt the 4 oz of bittersweet chocolate and the butter in the microwave in 20 second increments.
Whisk in the powdered sugar, cocoa, and cinnamon until smooth.
Let cool.
Assembly:
Grease 2 loaf pans with cooking spray and line the bottom and long sides with parchment paper.
Divide the dough ball in half and cover the half you aren't using and put it back in the fridge.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and shape it into a somewhat rectangular shape that is 15 x 11 inches. See photos above to clarify the assembly instructions.
Spread half of the filling over the dough leaving a ½ inch border all the way around. As the filling cools it might get really thick. If it gets too thick to spread, microwave it for 10 seconds.
Sprinkle ½ of the chocolate chips over the chocolate.
Roll the dough up tightly like you would for cinnamon rolls so that you end up with a 15 inch long roll and the 11 inch side is all rolled up.
Cut about ½ inch off each side of the roll.
Cut the roll in half lengthwise. So the filling should be very visible along the length of both halves. See photos.
Roll the halves over so that the filling is facing up and not to the side.
Twist the two halves together so that you have a plait with the filling showing on top. See photos.
If the plait is longer that your loaf pan, sort of squish it together so that it is fatter and not as long.
Lift the plait up and put it in the loaf pan. Don't worry if there are gaps between the dough and the pan.
Cover the pan with a damp tea towel and place in a nondrafty place for 1½ hours so it can rise. I put mine in the turned off oven or the microwave.
Repeat the assembly steps for the second dough ball.
When there is about half an hour left of rise time, preheat the oven to 375ºF and make the syrup by heating the sugar and water in a saucepan until all of the sugar is dissolved. Let cool.
Bake the cakes for 25-35 minutes until it is browned on top and not doughy in the middle. If they start to brown too much, cover the pan with aluminum foil shiny side down and keep cooking.**
When the cakes come out of the oven, brush the syrup over the top. Use most of the syrup between the two cakes but you don't have to use all of it.
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then remove to cool completely on a wire rack.
Store in an airtight container. Stays fresh for two or three days.
Yields 2 loaves.
Notes
* Make sure you use instant yeast and not active dry yeast. Instant yeast doesn't need to be dissolved in warm water like active dry yeast needs to. ** I usually have to cover it for the last 10 minutes of baking.
Recipe by Birch Tree Baking at https://www.birchtreebaking.com/chocolate-babka/