Chocolate brioche babka
Buttery, indulgent, chocolatey, fluffy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. This chocolate brioche babka is definitely a dessert you want to make. Takes a while from start to finish, a great dessert to make on a Sunday in.
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Servings: 8 people, 1 loaf
Calories: 396kcal
Equipment
- Stand mixer with a dough hook
- Rolling pin
- loaf tin
Ingredients
Sponge
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon instant yeast 1.5g/0.05oz
- ⅓ cup milk warm, full fat
- ½ teaspoon caster sugar
Brioche dough
- prepared sponge
- 1½ cup all-purpose flour
- 115 g /1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 eggs
- 1½ tablespoon caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Filling (cinnamon butter + chocolate)
- 100 g /3.5oz milk chocolate block (note 1)
- 50 g /1.8oz dark chocolate block 70% cocoa or more (note 1)
- 50 g /1.8oz unsalted butter about ½ a stick, at room temperature
- 50 g /1.8oz dark brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
Instructions
Making the sponge
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl, mix well with a spoon until a paste is formed.
- Cover with plastic film/cling wrap and set aside for about 30 minutes or until foamy and bubbly.
Making the brioche dough
- Add all ingredients except the butter into the large mixing bowl that can be attached to the stand mixer.
- Fit the stand mixer with a dough hook and mix on medium until a ball is formed. You may need to pause the mixer and scrape the sides with a silicone spatula once or twice.
- Cut the room temperature butter into 6 parts. Add 1 part into the dough and mix on high. Once butter is fully incorporated into the dough, add another part of butter. This should take about 1 - 2 minutes.
- Repeat until all of the butter has been incorporated into the dough.
- By now, the dough should be quite soft and malleable. Continue to mix the dough on high until it has passed the windowpane test. About 8 - 10 minutes. (note 2)
- Leave the dough in the mixing bowl and cover with plastic film/cling wrap. (note 3) Place in a warm area (but not directly in the sun) and allow the dough to rise to double its size. This takes about 2.5 - 3 hours.
Assembling the chocolate brioche babka + baking
- Whilst the brioche dough is proofing, prepare the filling. For the cinnamon butter, combine cinnamon, sugar and butter and mix to form a paste. For the chocolate, chop the chocolate blocks into small rough chunks. Set the filling aside.
- Once the dough has doubled its size, flatten the dough with a fist and then scrape the dough onto a lightly floured (clean!) surface.
- Roll the dough out to a large rectangular sheet with a rolling pin. About 30cmx40cm/ 12inx16in.
- Spread the cinnamon butter evenly across the dough with a large spoon.
- Sprinkle chopped chocolates evenly across the dough.
- Gently but tightly roll up the dough from the long side, from one end to the other.
- Now, horizontally half the rolled dough with a knife (or a dough scraper) and gently plait.
- Gently place the dough plait into a lightly buttered loaf tin. If necessary (if the plait is a little long), lightly push in the ends of the plaits so that it fit the loaf tin.
- Cover the loaf tin with plastic film/cling wrap and proof the dough. Place in a warm area (but not directly in the sun), allow the dough to almost double in size, takes about 2.5 - 3 hours.
- Once proofing is done, remove plastic film/cling wrap and bake at 180°C/360°F in the middle shelf of the oven for 30 minutes.
- Allow loaf to cool for 5 minutes before transferring onto a cooling rack.
- Dig in whilst it's still warm.
Notes
Note 1. Chocolate blocks or chocolate chips chocolate blocks are used here which is then roughly chopped into small chunks. This means chunks of all different sizes which brings the element of surprise when eaten. Plus, the added bonus of powder/crumb-like chocolates ensures great distribution across the brioche loaf. This kind of magic is just not there with chocolate chips IMO.
Note 2. The windowpane test super important test to pass. You know the dough has passed the test when it has become stretchy, elastic and can be pulled so thin that it's a little translucent without the dough breaking.
Passing the windowpane test means the brioche dough will rise proudly and come out (of the oven) fluffy.
Note 3. Allow the dough to rise overnight in the fridge At this point, if you feel like you need a break or have run out of time (life happens!), place this covered dough in the fridge. Let it develop and rise slowly overnight. By the next morning, the dough should have risen and doubled in size. Simply continue to the following instructions.
Rising the dough in the fridge overnight has great benefits.
Tip on freezing: thickly slice the babka before freezing. Comes in handy when you only need that one cheeky slice. Lasts in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- The yeast in the dough will have extra time to develop and will have a finer flavour
- The dough will be firm to touch and thus much easier to roll out and fold into a large plait.
Tip on freezing: thickly slice the babka before freezing. Comes in handy when you only need that one cheeky slice. Lasts in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Tried this recipe?Mention @Casuallypeckish or tag #casuallypeckish!
Nutrition
Calories: 396kcal | Carbohydrates: 36.2g | Protein: 6.7g | Fat: 25.1g | Saturated Fat: 15.3g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 149mg | Potassium: 106mg | Fiber: 1.7g | Sugar: 10.5g | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 5mg