One of our sisters has a special interest in cooking the foods of other countries. Over time she has heard me repeat many stories of my Ukrainian mother’s experiences with food and what I learned about it through her.

Perhaps my favorite memory is that of packing our picnic boxes for our all-day blueberry picking excursions. These always contained fresh baked babka, lots of butter some fresh boiled eggs from our chickens and a little horseradish root from our garden. Today’s blog features a glorified babka bread filled with chocolate…enjoy!

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Chocolate Babka

SERVINGS 2loaves CHANGE SERVING SIZE loaves

COOK TIME 30mins

PREP TIME 20mins

READY IN 5 1/2hrs (3 hrs rising, 2 1/2 chilling)

Ingredients

• FOR THE DOUGH:
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 pkg active dry yeast
• 1/3 cup white sugar plus a pinch
• 4 1/4 cups flour more as needed
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 4 large eggs
• 10 tbsp butter
• FOR THE CHOCOLATE FILLING:
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
• 6 oz. extra bakers chocolate 66 to 74 percent coca, coarsely chopped
• 1 stick butter diced
• 2 tsp vanilla

Instructions

Babka Dough

1. Combine yeast with warm water and let stand until it begins to bubble, about 5-8 minutes.
2. Mix flour, sugar, yeast, and lemon zest in a mixer on a low speed until combined.
3. Add eggs and water, and mix on medium speed until dough comes together, 2-3 minutes. Add salt, then butter, adding a few cubes at a time, mixing until thoroughly combined. Continue mixing for about 10 minutes on medium speed, until dough is completely smooth,and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl during this step!
4. Place dough in a large greased bowl cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size.
5. Grease two 9x4 inch loaf pans with oil and line the bottom of each pan with waxed paper. Divide dough in half and keep one half covered in the fridge.

Filling and Baking

1. Whisk together powdered sugar, cocoa powder, chocolate, and butter until you have a spreadable paste.
2. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface and shape into a rectangle as wide as the pans are long.
3. Position dough so that a long side is closest to you and spread half of the chocolate mixture over the rectangle, leaving a ¾ inch/2 cm border all around.
4. Roll up the rectangle like a jellyroll, starting from the long side closest to you and ending at the other long end. Press to seal the dampened end, then use both hands to even out the roll into a uniform roll and place it on your surface seam side down.
5. Trim about ¾ inch/2 cm off both ends, and slice the loaf into even 1-inch segments. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm place for 1½ hours.
6. Preheat oven to 375°F. Remove plastic wrap and place loaves on middle rack of oven, and bake for about 25-30 minutes.
7. Remove from oven when done and let cool. Babka will stay fresh for 24 hours in an airtight container at room temperature or tightly wrapped--don’t place in the fridge.
8. Babka freezes well for up to 2 months. To thaw, leave on counter or overnight in the fridge, and leftovers make excellent bread pudding or fabulous French Toast!