Chocolate Babka

My Lithuanian family makes a potato cake that we call babka. It wasn't until much later in life that I realized it's not really babka.

A quick online search came up with more babka recipes than I can ever make in a lifetime.
Eventually I will get to a good mix of them all...

A co-worker of mine recently went to a Polish festival and tried cheese babka. She was going on and on about how delicious it was. I mentioned chocolate babka to her and her eyes got that really dreamy glazed look about them.
"Mmmm chocolate" is all she could say.

So, in my quest to authenticate babka, I decided to try my hand at Smitten Kitchen's version of chocolate babka. Since it does make three loaves, I will be a good co-worker and bring her a surprise on this coming Monday!

Ingredients:

1 ½ Cups warm milk (110 degrees)

2 (¼ oz each) packages active dry yeast

1 ¾ Cups (plus a pinch) of sugar

3 Whole large eggs (room temperature)

2 Large egg yolks (room temperature)

6 Cups all purpose flour

1 Tsp salt

3 ½ Sticks unsalted butter (room temperature)

2 ¼ Lbs semi sweet chocolate (finely chopped)

2 ½ Tbsp ground cinnamon

1 Tbsp heavy cream

Streusel Topping

1 ⅔ Cup confectioner’s sugar

1 ⅓ Cup all purpose flour

1 ½ Stick butter (room temperature)

Directions:

1. Pour warm milk into a small bowl.

2. Sprinkle yeast and a pinch of sugar over milk. Let stand about 5 minutes.

3. In a bowl, whisk together ¾ cup sugar, 2 eggs, and egg yolks.

4. Add egg mixture to yeast mixture. Combine.

5. Mix until all the flour is incorporated.

6. Add 2 sticks butter and beat until incorporated

7. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth

8. Butter a large bowl, place dough in, and turn to coat

9. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and set aside to rise 1 hour

10. Place chocolate, 1 cup sugar, and cinnamon in a large bowl, stir to combine

11. Cut in remaining 1 ½ sticks butter until well combined. Set aside.

12. Grease 3 loaf pans, line with parchment paper.

13. In a bowl, beat remaining egg with 1 tbsp cream

14. Punch back the dough and transfer to a clean surface. Let rest for 5 minutes

15. Cut dough into 3 equal pieces. Keep covered with plastic wrap when not in use.

16. On generously floured surface, roll dough out into a 16 inch square that is about ⅛ inch thick.

17. Brush edges with reserved egg wash

18. Crumble ⅓ of the chocolate filling evenly over dough, leaving a ¼ inch border

19. Roll dough up tightly, jelly roll style, pinch ends together

20. Twist roll 5 or 6 turns

21. Crumble 2 tbsp filling over the left half of the roll.

22. Fold right half over the coated left half. Fold ends over and pinch to seal

23. Twist roll two more times

24. Let rolls stand in loaf pans while oven preheats to 350

25. Brush the top of each roll with egg wash

26. Crumble ⅓ of streusel topping over each loaf

27. Bake loves, rotating half way through, about 55 minutes

28. Lower oven temp to 325 and bake 15-20 minutes further until babkas are deep golden

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Ingredients

Streusel Topping Ingredients

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