The Ultimate Babka: Just Right Every Time
Finding the Perfect Babka Balance
When it comes to babka we often think of Goldilocks (that’s right, the one with the three bears). You see, somehow it’s always hard to get the babka “just right”. Sometimes, it’s too doughy, while at other times too chocolatey, but the perfect balance seems so hard to find.
A few years ago we got this recipe from a good friend, we’re sure you’ll agree with us that the only complaint you’ll hear will be ” someone’s been eating my piece….”
Our Hot off the Press Babka, Babka Board Mishloach Manos and Babka and Blossoms are three creative ways to package the babka.
Photography by Hudi Greenberger
This article originally appeared in Mishpacha Magazine.
The Perfect Chocolate Babka
4 large (11”) or 6 medium(9”)Babkas
Ingredients
Dough
- 2½ lb flour (7 ¾ cups)
- 3 sticks margarine (or 1 stick margarine + 1 cup oil)
- 2 oz fresh yeast activated in ½ cup water + 1 tsp sugar, in a small bowl
- 1 ¾ cup water
- ½ scoop vanilla sugar
- ½ Tbsp salt
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg yolks (save whites for smearing)
Chocolate Filling
- 1 cup cocoa
- 1 box Osem instant chocolate pudding
- 2 cups sugar
- ½ cup water
- 1 egg
- 2 sticks margarine (or 1 cup oil)
Crumbs
- 1 stick margarine
- 1 cup flour
- ¾ cup sugar
Instructions
- Place all ingredients for the dough in the bowl of your mixer. Mix well. (Note: The dough will be sticky till after it rises.)
- Cover the dough and let it rise 1 hour.
- Divide the dough into 4-6 equal parts. Allow to rise an additional ½ hour.
- In a separate bowl, combine filling ingredients and mix well.
- Roll out each part of dough into a rectangle.
- Smear the filling on the dough. Starting from one of the longer sides, roll up the dough. Fold the rolled dough in ½ and twist 2-3 times. Place in loaf pans.
- Let babka rise an additional 15-20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix ingredients for the crumbs in a separate bowl.
- Combine egg whites with a drop of water and smear on babka. Sprinkle the crumbs on top.
- Bake babka for 40-45 minutes.
