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Polish

Chocolate babka

Contains egg (no meat or fish)

A soft, rich yeasted loaf rolled around a dark chocolate and butter filling, cut and twisted to show swirling layers, then soaked with syrup for a glossy, sticky crust.

Chocolate babka is a Polish bread, ready in about 15 hours 25 minutes and made with all-purpose flour and dark chocolate (70–85%). It serves 16 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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A close-up of a freshly baked chocolate babka with a rich and textured surface.
Photo: alleksana / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
45 min
Cook
40 min
Rest
3 h
Total
15 h 25 min
Serves
16
Level
Intermediate
Calories
349

Includes an overnight (8–12 hour) chill of the dough, which makes it easy to roll and shape.

Ingredients

16 slices (2 loaves)

Dough

Filling

Syrup

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Mix the flour, sugar (opens in a new tab), yeast, lemon zest (opens in a new tab), eggs (opens in a new tab) and milk (opens in a new tab) in a stand mixer (opens in a new tab) for 5 minutes, add the salt, then add the soft butter a little at a time and knead 8–10 minutes until smooth, glossy and stretchy. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

    Hands kneading dough on a floured surface
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Filling: melt the chocolate (opens in a new tab) and butter together over low heat, then stir in the icing sugar (opens in a new tab) and cocoa to a spreadable paste. Let it cool to room temperature.

    Chocolate melting in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Anna Tarazevich on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Line two 900 g (2 lb) loaf tins (opens in a new tab). Halve the cold dough. Roll one half into a 25 × 38 cm rectangle, spread with half the filling right to the edges, and roll up tightly from the long side. Chill the log 10 minutes, then cut it in half lengthways to expose the layers.

  4. Step 4

    With cut sides up, twist the two strands over each other and pinch the ends. Lift into a tin. Repeat with the second half.

    • 6 min

  5. Step 5

    Cover and proof 1½–2 hours at warm room temperature (about 26 °C) until puffy and risen by about half. Heat the oven (opens in a new tab) to 190 °C (fan 170 °C).

    • Step 6

      Bake 35–40 minutes until deep brown; a skewer in the bread part should come out clean and the centre read about 88–90 °C. Cover with foil if the top darkens early. Meanwhile, boil the sugar (opens in a new tab) and water for 1 minute to make syrup.

    • Step 7

      As soon as the loaves come out, brush all the syrup over them. Cool in the tins for 30 minutes, then lift out and cool completely on a rack.

      Food safety: Hot syrup can burn; brush rather than pour.

    About this dish

    Origin
    Not attributed to one place · Origin disputedBabka comes from Ashkenazi Jewish baking in Poland and Ukraine, where it was often filled with cinnamon or fruit; the twisted chocolate loaf was popularised much later in North American and Israeli bakeries.Also popular in Poland, Ukraine, Israel, United States
    Dish
    Breakfast · Snack · Dessert · Breads & flatbreads · Cakes
    Cooking method
    Oven-baked, Fermented
    Taste
    sweet, rich, bitter, buttery
    Diet
    Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)
    All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free
    Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    Festive & celebration · Make-ahead · Freezer-friendly
    Cook more with
    All-purpose flour · Dark chocolate (70–85%) · Milk · Egg · Sugar · Instant yeast
    Techniques
    Baking · Kneading · Fermentation

    Allergens

    • Contains: Milkfrom milk, unsalted butter, dark chocolate (70–85%)
    • Contains: Eggsfrom egg
    • May contain: Peanutsfrom dark chocolate (70–85%)
    • May contain: Tree nutsfrom dark chocolate (70–85%)
    • Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour
    • Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour
    • May contain: Soyfrom dark chocolate (70–85%)

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    349 kcal per serving

    Calculated

    1 serving ≈ 94 g · recipe makes 16

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 7%
    • Carbohydrate 49%
    • Fat 44%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g
    Energy349 kcal373 kcal
    Protein6 g6.4 g
    Carbohydrate43.7 g46.6 g
    Net carbohydrate41.1 g43.9 g
    Sugars16.8 g17.9 g
    Added sugars——
    Fibre2.5 g2.7 g
    Fat17.4 g18.5 g
    Saturated fat10.2 g10.9 g
    Trans fat——
    Cholesterol68 mg73 mg
    Sodium167 mg178 mg
    Salt equivalent0.4 g0.4 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    151 mg
    Calcium
    32 mg
    Iron
    2.9 mg
    Magnesium
    37 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    121 µg
    Vitamin C
    —
    Vitamin D
    —
    Vitamin B12
    0.2 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    —

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: lemon zest.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Tips

    • Chilling the rolled log before cutting keeps the layers neat.

    Common mistakes

    • Under-baking — the chocolate layers hide raw dough. Check the temperature.

    Serve with

    • In thick slices with coffee, or toasted with butter the next day.

    Storage

    • Keeps 3 days wrapped at room temperature; freezes well.

    Reheating

    • Warm slices briefly in the oven or toast.

    Variations

    • Cinnamon babka: Fill with butter, brown sugar and cinnamon instead of chocolate.

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    The body of the dish

    Syrup

    Used in steps 1, 6

    Baker’s notes

    Customise in Bread & Bakery

    Timeline and readiness cues

    1. Mix and knead · about 45 min

      Weigh everything. Knead until smooth and elastic: a small piece stretches thin enough to see light through (the windowpane test).

    2. First rise (bulk) · about 10 h

      About doubled, domed, jiggly, with bubbles on the sides. A floured finger poked in leaves a dent that fills slowly.

    3. Final proof · about 1 h 45 min

      Poke test: the dent springs back slowly and only partly. Springs back fast = needs longer; doesn't spring back = over-proofed, bake now.

    4. Bake · about 40 min at 190 °C

      Deep golden; bread sounds hollow when tapped underneath, or reads 93–96 °C inside (enriched breads 88–90 °C).

    5. Cool · about 1 h

      Cool on a rack before slicing — the crumb is still setting; cutting hot bread makes it gummy.

    6. Start to finish: about 14 h 10 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.

    The dough

    The dough in baker's percentages. Flour = 100%.
    IngredientRoleWeightBaker’s %
    All-purpose flourFlour500 g100%
    EggEgg150 g30%
    MilkOther liquid124 g24.7%
    Unsalted butterFat120 g24%
    SugarSugar80 g16%
    Instant yeastYeast7 g1.4%
    SaltSalt6 g1.2%
    Total flour
    500 g
    Hydration
    —
    With milk, eggs…
    44%
    Wholegrain
    0%

    Hydration = water ÷ flour × 100. Milk is about 87% water and eggs about 75%, so they’re shown separately as “with milk, eggs…”.

    • Salt 1.2% — on the low side (1.8–2.2% is typical for bread).
    • Sugar 16% — an enriched, sweet dough; rises more slowly and browns quickly.
    • Fat 24% — a rich, tender dough.

    If something goes wrong

    • Dense, heavy loaf

      Likely causes

      • Under-kneaded (weak gluten)
      • Under-proofed
      • Old or dead yeast/starter
      • Too much wholegrain flour without extra water

      What to do

      • Knead to the windowpane stage
      • Proof by the poke test, not the clock
      • Test yeast in warm water with sugar; feed the starter and use it at its peak
      • Add 5–10% more water for wholegrain flours and give them a rest
    • Gummy or wet crumb

      Likely causes

      • Under-baked
      • Sliced while hot
      • Hydration too high for the flour

      What to do

      • Bake to 93–96 °C inside (cakes: clean skewer)
      • Cool completely on a rack before slicing
      • Reduce water by 3–5% or use a stronger flour
    • Spreads flat / no oven spring

      Likely causes

      • Over-proofed
      • Weak shaping (no surface tension)
      • Oven not hot enough
      • Too much water for the flour

      What to do

      • Shorten the proof; bake when the poke springs back slowly
      • Shape tightly so the skin is taut
      • Preheat fully (30+ minutes; with a stone or Dutch oven, 45)
      • Lower hydration or use bread flour
    • Collapsed or sunken middle

      Likely causes

      • Oven door opened too early
      • Too much leavening or sugar
      • Under-baked centre
      • Over-proofed yeast dough

      What to do

      • Don't open the oven for the first two-thirds of baking
      • Measure leaveners exactly with spoons, levelled
      • Test the centre before removing
      • Proof less
    • Pale crust

      Likely causes

      • Oven too cool
      • Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
      • Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)

      What to do

      • Check the oven with a thermometer
      • Brush with egg wash or milk
      • Shorten the fermentation
    • Burnt bottom

      Likely causes

      • Tray too close to the heat
      • Dark tray absorbs more heat
      • Too much sugar in the dough

      What to do

      • Bake on the middle shelf
      • Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
      • Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
    • Cracked or domed top

      Likely causes

      • Oven too hot (crust sets before the centre rises)
      • Too much leavening
      • Overmixed batter

      What to do

      • Lower the oven 10–15 °C
      • Use the exact leavening amount
      • Fold just until combined
    • Big holes or tunnels

      Likely causes

      • Overmixed batter (cakes, muffins)
      • Air trapped while shaping bread
      • Uneven proof

      What to do

      • Mix quick breads only until no dry flour shows
      • Degas gently and shape tightly
      • Proof covered in an even, warm place
    • Dough didn't rise

      Likely causes

      • Dead yeast (expired or killed by hot liquid)
      • Kitchen too cold
      • Salt in direct contact with fresh yeast
      • Starter not active

      What to do

      • Liquid should be lukewarm (no hotter than 40 °C)
      • Proof somewhere warm (an oven with just the light on)
      • Mix the salt into the flour, not onto the yeast
      • Feed the starter until it doubles in 4–8 hours
    • Over-proofed (sour smell, collapses when scored)

      Likely causes

      • Too warm
      • Too much yeast
      • Left too long

      What to do

      • Knock back, reshape and proof again briefly (yeast doughs)
      • Use less yeast or a cooler proof
      • Set a timer and check early with the poke test
    • Dry or crumbly

      Likely causes

      • Too much flour (scooped, not weighed)
      • Over-baked
      • Too little fat or sugar

      What to do

      • Weigh flour, or spoon it into the cup and level
      • Check 5 minutes early
      • Don't cut fat or sugar by more than a quarter without another moisture source

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