Brown Butter Chocolate Babka
Soft and fluffy brown butter milk bread with a brown butter chocolate swirl.
Servings 2 loaves
Equipment
- two standard size loaf pans
- stand mixer for kneading the dough
Ingredients
Dough
- 113g or ½ cup unsalted butter
- 240g or 1 cup whole milk
- 40g or ⅓ cup bread flour
- 7g or 1 packet instant yeast
- 80g or ⅓ cup warm tap water
- 67g or ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 512g or 4 cups bread flour or high protein all purpose flour
Filling
- 113g or ½ cup butter
- 80g semi-sweet or dark chocolate
- 35g or ⅓ cup dutch process cocoa
- 40g or ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- Pinch salt
- ⅔ cup crumbled halva optional
Instructions
Make the Dough
- In a small skillet over medium-low heat, melt the butter, stirring the pan frequently for even browning, until it smells nutty and most of the milk solids turn a shade of medium-brown. Immediately remove from the heat so the milk solids do not burn and transfer to a small heatproof bowl.
- Make the roux: in a small pot over medium heat, whisk together the milk and flour until it thickens into a paste. Set aside.
- Dissolve the yeast: combine the yeast, a sprinkle of sugar and warm water in the bottom of a stand mixer bowl and set aside for 5 minutes, until foamy.
- Over the yeast add the remaining dough ingredients (except the butter) and the roux. Knead on low until it starts to form around the dough hook, then add the butter and knead on medium speed for 10-15 minutes, until the dough comes back together around the hook. It will still be sticky and mostly shapeless but formed into a ball. Set in an oiled boil and cover with plastic wrap to rise for about 1.5 hours, until it's about 50% puffier. At this point I prefer to set it in the fridge for an overnight chill, this helps with getting a better shape later.
Make the Filling
- Have the chopped chocolate nearby in a heatproof bowl and brown the butter by cooking it over medium heat in a frying pan until it has brown bits at the bottom and stops sputtering. Immediately pour over the chocolate. Stir so the chocolate fully melts. Add the powdered sugar and cocoa, a pinch of salt and a dash of vanilla and stir until smooth.
- Shape the dough: Divide the dough into two equal halves. Have two standard size loaf pans greased and lined with parchment paper ready. Roll one half out so that it’s a couple inches longer than your loaf pan and as wide as you can get it (at least 12-13”). Spread the filling over the dough, leaving a 1” border and sprinkle ⅓ cup of halva over it (if using). Roll it up into a log, slice off the edges and then slice lengthwise so you have two long logs. Twist them around each other and set the babka in the loaf pan. Repeat with other dough half.
- Set the pans in a warm area for a second rise, about an hour but check for readiness by pressing the dough with a finger: if it springs back without leaving an indentation it needs more time. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Bake: Brush the babkas with eggwash and sprinkle with sugar if you like. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the inside registers 190F. If the babkas are browning too quickly, tent with foil.