Sourdough Chocolate Babka

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Sourdough Chocolate Babka is made by filling sourdough Brioche with a schmear of cinnamon-spiced chocolate spread. The bread bakes up light and silky with a rich chocolate twist. This recipe makes 2 large loaves.

Prep Time: 2

Bake Time: 40

Chilling & Rising Time: 12

Total Time: 14 40

24 slices

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Ingredients
US Customary - Metric

Dough

8 oz active sourdough starter (1 cup)
4 oz whole milk (½ cup, scalded and cooled)
17 ½ oz bread flour (3 ½ cups, see note)
4 large eggs (room temperature)
3 oz granulated sugar (⅓ cup)
1 ½ teaspoons salt
8 oz unsalted European butter (at cool room temperature)

Chocolate Filling

4 oz semi-sweet chocolate (finely chopped)
4 oz unsalted butter
2 oz confectioner sugar (½ cup)
1 oz dutch process cocoa powder (¼ cup)
½ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
¼ teaspoon salt

Syrup

4 oz water (½ cup)
4 oz granulated sugar (½ cup)
½ Cinnamon stick

Instructions

Make the Dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine 8 oz active sourdough starter, 4 oz whole milk, and 1 cup (5 oz) bread flour. Mix to form a thick batter. Cover the bowl and set aside for 30-60 minutes.
Uncover the bowl. With the mixer running, add 4 large eggs, 3 oz granulated sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, and another cup of the flour. Mix until combined. Switch to the dough hook. With the mixer running on low, add the remaining flour.
Increase the speed to medium and knead the dough for 7-10 minutes until it gathers on the hook, becomes smooth and silky and slaps the sides of the bowl. You can add a little more flour if the dough is still too sticky after 7-8 minutes of kneading.
If you're using a European butter you might not need to work the butter if it's already pliable. While the dough is kneading, turn 8 oz unsalted European butter out onto the work surface and knead it with a bench scraper or pound it with a rolling pin until it's soft and pliable and has a similar texture to the dough. You want it pliable but not melted and greasy.
Turn off the mixer and scrape any dough that is sticking to sides of the bowl. At this point the dough will be very stretchy and quite sticky. Turn the mixer on to low and add the butter, a tablespoon at a time. The dough will break apart, keep adding the rest of the butter. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides if the butter builds up on the bowl. Increase the speed to medium and knead until the dough comes back together, gathers on the hook and again slaps the sides of the bowl.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. The dough should be quite soft and a little sticky at this point. Form the dough into a large ball and transfer to a lightly buttered bowl.
Cover the bowl and set it aside at room temperature for 3 hours. Every hour or so check on the progress of the dough by folding the four sides over into the center of the (keep the dough in the bowl). This will help redistribute the yeast and aerate the dough. After about 3 hours the dough should be lively, elastic and airy. If the dough is still sluggish give it another hour or two at room temperature.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough overnight. At this point the dough can be held in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Make the Filling

Place 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate and 4 oz unsalted butter in a microwave proof bowl. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until the chocolate is melted. Whisk in 2 oz confectioner sugar, 1 oz dutch process cocoa powder and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Set the filling aside to cool. The filling can be made the day before when you make the dough and held at room temperature overnight.

Assembly & Baking

Butter two 9"x5" loaf pans then line the pans across the short side with a parchment sling (see process photos). Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide it in half. Roll one piece of the dough to a 12"x16" rectangle. Spread half the chocolate filling over the dough, leaving a 1/2" border along the short sides. From the short side roll the dough to form a 12" log. Pinch the seam tightly. Transfer the log, seam side down, to the parchment lined sheet pan. Repeat those steps with the remaining dough and filling.
Slide the pan with the dough logs into the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up the logs. This makes forming the loaves much easer.
Remove the pan from the freezer. Use a sharp knife to slice one of the logs in half, lengthwise. With the filling sides up, criss-cross the two pieces of dough to form a large "X". Continue twisting the dough at least 3x on either end, keeping the cut sides up as best you can until you have one tight rope. Pinch each end of the rope together. Twist the two ends of the dough to tighten up the rope. Transfer the loaf, still with the cut side up, to one of the prepared loaf pans. Repeat with the other dough. At this point one or both of the loaves can be wrapped tightly and frozen to bake at a later date.
Cover the pans and set them aside at room temperature to rise until the dough mostly fills the pan, about 2-3 hours. The rising time will vary based on the ambient temperature and the activity of your starter.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 °F. Bake the loaves until golden brown and the interior is 200 °F, about 40 minutes.
While the bread is baking, combine 4 oz water, 4 oz granulated sugar, ½ Cinnamon stick and ¼ teaspoon salt in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until the sugar is melted and the syrup just begins to boil. Turn off the heat and set the syrup aside.
When the bread is done baking, set the pans onto a cooling rack. Remove the cinnamon stick from the syrup and immediately brush each loaf generously using about half the syrup. 5 minutes later brush the loaves again with the remaining syrup.
Allow the loaves to cool for at least 30 minutes before turning out of the pan. Cool completely before slicing.