Babka au Chocolat Brioche

Name: Babka au Chocolat Brioche
Cuisine: European, Mediterranean, French, Eastern European
Ingredients: 3 cup (425 grams) bread flour; 2 1/2 sticks (280 grams) cold, unsalted butter; 1 envelope active dry yeast; 1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon (70 grams) sugar; 1/4 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F); 5 large eggs, cold; 1 tablespoon plain yogurt or sour cream; 1 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (225 grams) brown sugar; 3 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder (I prefer natural cocoa powder, but Dutch process is fine); 2 tablespoon instant espresso powder (or a little more regular instant coffee power); 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon; Scant 1/4 teaspoon salt; 12 ounce (340 grams) dark chocolate (60-66 % cacao works nicely), chopped; 1 egg thoroughly whisked with 1 teaspoon of water and a pinch of salt, for the egg wash

Instructions

You're going to need to start this holiday-perfect bread one day ahead. You can use semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips in place of the dark chocolate in the filling, but results are not quick as decadent. You're going to need a stand mixer with a paddle attachment and a dough hook and a 8 to 10 cup tube pan with a removable bottom (greased) for this recipe.

Updated at: Sun, 21 Dec 2025 00:01:49 GMT