Chocolate Babka (and the Lamination Technique That Creates Those Dark Swirls)

Created by: TheBreadNerd

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Proof the yeastWarm the milk to 105–115°F — it should feel like very warm bathwater, not hot. Stir in 2 teaspoons of sugar and all 4 teaspoons of yeast. Wait 5–10 minutes. You're looking for the mixture to foam up and roughly double in volume — that's your sign the yeast is alive. If nothing happens, toss it and start over with fresh yeast.
2. Build the doughAdd the foamy yeast mixture to a stand mixer bowl. Add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup of the flour, and stir to combine. Add both whole eggs, one egg yolk, the vanilla extract, and salt, and mix again. Add the remaining 2 3/4 cups flour, switch to the dough hook, and mix until the dough comes together. It will be very soft — that's correct.
3. Work in the butterWith the mixer running, add 10 tablespoons of softened butter a piece at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition before adding more. Once all the butter is in, knead with the hook for 4–5 minutes. The dough should be shiny and pull away from the bowl in long strands. It will still be quite soft — resist the urge to add more flour. That fat is precisely what makes babka so tender.
4. First riseScrape the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set in a warm spot. Let rise until doubled in size — plan for at least 1.5 to 2 hours. Enriched doughs like this one rise slower than lean doughs because the butter and sugar compete with the yeast for moisture. Don't rush it. The dough is ready when it has clearly doubled and doesn't spring back quickly when you poke it.
5. Make the egg washWhisk together one egg yolk and the tablespoon of heavy cream. Set aside. You'll use this twice: once to seal the seam before rolling, and again to brush the tops before baking.
6. Roll, fill, and twistPunch down the dough, knead briefly until workable, then divide in half. On a well-floured surface, roll one half into an 18x10-inch rectangle. Spread 2.5 tablespoons of softened butter evenly over the surface, leaving a half-inch border on all edges. Brush a thin stripe of egg wash along the far long edge. Finely chop about 5 oz of the chocolate chips — a food processor makes quick work of this. Scatter half the chopped chocolate and half the whole chips over the buttered surface. Sprinkle with half of the 1/3 cup sugar. Starting from the long edge nearest you, roll the dough into a snug log. Pinch the egg-washed seam firmly to seal. Bring the two ends of the log together to form a ring, pinch the ends closed, then twist the entire ring twice to create a double figure-eight. This twisting step is the lamination: it multiplies the layers of chocolate and dough that you'll see in every cross-section.
7. Second riseLine a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper. Gently press the twisted dough into the pan — it won't look pretty at this stage and that is fine. Cover loosely with plastic wrap sprayed with nonstick spray. Let rise in a warm spot for another 1.5 to 2 hours, until the dough has risen to at least the rim of the pan. Repeat the entire roll-fill-twist process with the second piece of dough. Refrigerate the remaining egg wash while you wait.
8. BakePlace the oven rack in the middle position and preheat to 350°F. Brush the tops of both loaves generously with the chilled egg wash — this is what gives babka its distinctive deep, lacquered crust. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the tops are a deep golden brown and the bottoms sound hollow when you tap them (remove the loaves from the pans to check). Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing. The swirl sets as it cools.

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