Chocolate Swirl Babka

In Europe, babka is a term usually associated with a simple Polish sweet, yeasted, bundt-shaped bread, but there is another version of babka which became extremely popular in North American cities with large Jewish populations: the rich, buttery, swirly loaf of yeasted dough, woven with ribbons of filling, historically made with leftover challah dough.

This version of babka is associated with the Eastern European Jewish tradition. It is made from a doubled and twisted length of yeast dough and is typically baked in a high loaf pan. Instead of a fruit filling the dough contains cinnamon or chocolate and the bread is usually topped with streusel.

A similar cake (or bread) called a kokosh is also popular in Jewish bakeries. Kokosh also comes in chocolate and cinnamon varieties, but it is lower and longer than babka, is not twisted, and not topped with streusel. Babka of this style has become popular in North American cities with large Jewish populations, including Montreal, New York, Miami, and Toronto.

The recipe below for a chocolate version makes a good dessert bread, and it’s great with coffee.

FMM: This is a wonderful bread that I like to make for the holidays. Using bread flour produces a much lighter bread and is highly recommended. Make just 1/2 recipe for 1 loaf.

Filling Variations:

See Babka Twist for different ways to shape the bread. Loaf, Star, circle, etc.

Strawberry (or Blueberry) Swirl Babka: I have found other similar recipes for a Strawberry Swirl Babka. Instead of the chocolate filling, the dough is spread with 3/4 - 1 cup strawberry jam. Once out of the oven, the bread is brushed with 1 Tbsp water mixed with 1 Tbsp strawberry jam to form a glaze.

Cheese Swirl Babka: For two loaves: Filling ingredients: 250 grams / 8 1/2 oz softened cream cheese, zest from one lemon, finely grated, 1 large egg yolk, 1 Tbsp. flour, 3 Tbsp. granulated sugar. Mix together and spread evenly over the dough (enough for two loaves). Also, top with Streusel Topping before baking.

Strawberry (or Blueberry) Cheese Swirl: Spread the cheese mixture (above) over the dough and top with strawberry jam. You could bake with the Streusel Topping or brush with the glaze when you take them out of the oven as for Strawberry Swirl Babka.

Lemon Cheese Swirl: lemon curd and cream cheese. See cream cheese mixture above. Lemon Curd recipe

Cinnamon Swirl: Chocolate Babka is more common today, but Cinnamon Babka is more similar to the early Polish versions made in the 1800’s. Filling ingredients for 1 bread: 1 cup dark brown sugar, 1/4 cup all purpose flour, 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, 1 egg white. Brown Sugar Streusel Ingredients: 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, 1/4 cup all purpose flour, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces, 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Another Cinnamon Filling: For 2 loaves. 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature; 3/4 cup light brown sugar (granulated sugar is ok, too); 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon. Mix together. It should have a thick spreadable consistency.
Brush with Sugar Syrup when they come out of the oven: 1/2 cup (120 ml) water 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar. Heat until the sugar is dissolved. Use all of the syrup even if it looks a lot. Let cakes cool until they are warm, then remove from pans and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before serving.

Almond Cinnamon Filling: 3/4 cup brown sugar packed, 2 tablespoons cinnamon, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup butter melted, 1/2 cup finely chopped almonds, 1/2 cup raisins

Poppyseed Swirl:

Chocolate Swirl Babka Recipe

In a large bowl of electric mixer, sprinkle yeast over the water. Add 1 tsp. sugar. Let stand until yeast is soft (about 5 minutes).

Mix in remaining sugar, milk, salt, vanilla and softened butter.

Add 2 cups flour. Mix to blend, then beat at medium speed until smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes). Separate 1 of the eggs; reserve white for glaze. Beat in egg yolk and remaining whole eggs, one at a time. Stir in about 1 1/2 cups more flour to make a soft dough.

Turn dough out onto a board or pastry cloth coated with some of the remaining 1 to 1 1/2 cup flour (I find I only need about 1/3 to 1/2 cup more). Knead until dough is smooth and satiny and small bubbles form just under the surface (10 - 12 minutes), adding just enough flour to prevent dough from sticking to the board. [This dough is a soft dough.]

Turn dough into a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel; let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk (45 minutes - 1 hour).

While dough is rising, make the Cocoa Filling: In a small bowl mix cocoa and sugar until well combined and no lumps remain. Coarsely chop the walnuts. Grease well two 4 1/2- by 8 1/2-inch loaf pans.

Place dough on a floured surface and punch down. Cover with inverted bowl and let rest for 10 minutes.

Divide dough in half. Roll out each half on a floured surface to a 10- by 20-inch rectangle. [The dough will be fairly thin.] Brush 1 1/2 tablespoons of the melted butter over each rectangle, leaving about a 1/2-inch margin on all edges. Sprinkle half of the Cocoa Filling [almost 1/2 cup for each] over buttered surface of each rectangle, then sprinkle each rectangle with 1/2 cup walnuts.

Starting with a 20-inch side, roll each rectangle of dough tightly, jelly-roll style. Pinch edge to seal. [Note: The dough is quite fragile and can tear.]

Zig-zag each roll back and forth to fit into a well-greased 4 1/2- by 8 1/2-inch loaf pan.

Let rise until almost doubled in bulk (35 - 45 minutes). Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

While bread is rising, make the Streusel Topping: In a medium bowl beat butter with cinnamon until fluffy; gradually beat in sugar, then mix in flour until crumbly and uniformly combined. [It doesn't look like the sugar will be creamed with the butter, but it will. You also need to mix in the flour longer than you would think to get a crumbly texture.]

Beat reserved egg white with 1 teaspoon water; brush egg mixture over loaves. Sprinkle each loaf with half of the Streusel Topping.

Bake until coffee cakes are well browned (30 - 35 minutes) [190 degrees internal temp]. Carefully remove loaves from pans and let cool on wire racks. [You may have to loosen the sides of the bread from the pans to get the loaves out.]

Makes 2 coffee cakes.