Updated: Aug 7, 2020
On Sunday, my husband asked me if I could make a Babkah. He was craving the delicious goodness and honestly, I had never made one - but figured this was a great time to learn. After reading through reviews and recipes, I decided to come up with my own version. Not only was it fun to make, it turned out absolutely delicious and everyone around here devoured it. A friend told me that would last all of 4 minutes in her house, and you know what, it lasted just that long in mine! This recipe takes two days and is well worth the effort.
Ingredients for the Dough
4 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons of sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup milk
1 package or 1 tablespoon yeast
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
1 stick of unsalted butter
Ingredients for the Filling
1 package semi sweet chocolate chips
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 stick unsalted butter
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons of cinnamon
To Make the Dough
Whisk the flour, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Use a stand mixer with a dough hook to combine the yeast with milk and let it stand for 5 minutes or until foamy. Add the egg and yolk as well as the dry ingredients. Mix everything at a low to medium low speed for 2 - 3 minutes scraping down the sides until well incorporated. Add all of the butter and mix until it is fully integrated and a dough begins to form. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone sheet. I love this two pack from Amazon. and place the dough on top. Divide the dough in half and mold each half into a square. Cover with plastic wrap and place into the refrigerator overnight.
Make the Filling
In the morning, remove the dough from the refrigerator and set aside. Using a double broiler, place chocolate chips, chocolate, butter, honey and cinnamon in the bowl and melt until smooth.
Take 2 loaf pans and line with parchment paper. Roll each dough half into a square using a rolling pin. Take a spatula and spread the filling inside leaving 1/2 inch border around the edge. Tightly roll the dough in a log. Cut the log in half and place them on top of each other. Take your hands and twist the 2 halves so that you create a swirl. Next, take your spatula and coat the entire loaf with the filling. Place the loaf in the loaf pan and cover with a towel. Repeat for the second square. Let rise for 2 hours.
Bake the Loaves
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the loaves for 45 minutes. Let cool and remove from the loaf pans to rest on a rack. Discard the paper.
Enjoy the deliciousness. Store anything that is left in the refrigerator.