Royal Chocolate Babka
One of the things that stands out in French boulangeries is the lack of yeast cakes. You can find amazing pastries, wonderful breads but less work with yeast in cakes.
About two years ago, yeast buds began to appear in Paris, some of them in places where there were Israeli interns. At the same time, the trend also came from the United States (led by Breads Bakery New York) and Paris was suddenly filled with chocolate Babkas.
As part of this interesting awakening, I tasted a few Babkas in the city and for the most part I was disappointed, they were too dry and not rich enough in filling.
So i decided I have to bake my own Chocolate Babka, a recipe that I took with me from Israel when I moved to Paris, exactly 10 years ago. The smell that filled the house brought back memories and the neighbors enjoyed a Royal Chocolate Babka.
Royal Chocolate Babka
2 round Babka loaves 20 cm
Ingredients
Dough:
100 grams butter
150 grams milk
550 grams all-purpose flouer (sifted)
25 grams fresh yeast
70 grams sugar
2 eggs (M)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Filling:
140 grams butter
40 grams cocoa powder
130 grams sugar
100 grams dark chocolate
150 grams praline paste or hazelnut-chocolate paste
Brushing:
1 egg + 2 tbsp milk – mixed together
Syrup:
100 grams sugar
100 grams water
2 tbsp Cognac
1 tsp vanilla extract
Preparation
1. On a Bain-Marie or in a microwave melt butter. Pour milk into the bowl with the melted butter and set aside.
2. Combine and mix the flour, yeast, sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add eggs and vanilla and keep mixing,
3. Stir in the melted butter and the milk, keep mixing and add salt.
4. Knead the dough for about 8-10 minutes till it’s smooth and elastic.
5. Remove the dough from the mixer, divide into 4 equal parts, shape each part into a dough ball. Place in a lightly floured bowl and cover with plastic wrap to prevent dehydration.
6. Leave in fridge for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. Dough will not fully double, that’s fine!
7. Prepare the filling: Melt together butter, cocoa powder, sugar and chocolate. After dissolving, add praline or chocolate spread and mix. Cool to room temperature.
8. Roll out the first dough ball into a 28×25 cm rectangle (keep the rest of the dough balls chilled).
9. Spread 1/4 of chocolate filling evenly over the dough rectangle.
10. Roll the dough up with the filling into a tight log and refrigerate for 10 minutes (it will be easier to cut).
11. Reapet with the rest of the dough balls till you have 4 filled logs.
12. Cut the edges of the logs so that you get 4 equal length logs.
13. Gently cut the log in half lenghtwise and lay them cut sides up. You got 8 strips, 4 for each Babka.
Braiding the Babka
14. First option – free style. line a 20-cm round pan with parchment paper, place 4 strips in curved shapes inside the pan.
15. Second option – Royal braiding 🙂 For your comfort, I marked the strips with numbers (see the pictures).
Place strip 1 on strip 2
Place strip 3 on strip 4
Place strip 5 on strip 6
Place strip 7 on strip 8
Repeat the operation in the opposite direction:
Place strip 2 on strip 7
Place strip 8 on strip 5
Place strip 6 on strip 3
Place strip 4 on strip 1
Push the remaining edges under the loaf in order to get a round loaf.
16. Place the loaf in the center of a 20 cm round pan lined with parchment paper. The cake should not fill the entire pan, it should be left some space for rising.
17. Cover the 2 loaves with a damp tea towel and leave to rise another 1 hour at room temperature.
18. Preheat the oven to 180C degrees
19. Remove towels, and brush the loaves with the egg and milk mixture.
20. Place each loaf on the middle rack of your oven. Bake for about 40 minutes,
21. While babkas are baking, make syrup: Bring sugar and water, cognac and vanilla to a simmer. Remove from heat and set aside.
22. As soon as the babkas leave the oven, brush the syrup all over each till it becomes glossy and moist.
You can keep the Babkas for a few days at room temperature, I love to eat it very fresh, warm if possible.
Bon-Appetit
Sharon
Suzy
Ohhhh wowww Thank you Sharon for your wonderful recipes.
I love so much Babka and now I have the perfect recipe 🙏
It’s a very huge challenge 😉
I love so much your Blog & Instagram
Suzy
Paris Chez Sharon
Thank you dear Suzy!
Lani
Hello! Thank you for sharing this recipe! Can I sub instant yeast for the fresh yeast?
Paris Chez Sharon
Thanks 🙂 do you mean dry yeast? if yes so you have to use 9-10 grams of dry yeast.
Lani
Yes, thanks so much!
Paris Chez Sharon
Good luck 🙂
Sandra Palencia
Been dying to bake this for ages. I am using dried instant yeast. Should I have activated it before adding to the flour?
Many thanks x
Paris Chez Sharon
I don’t think so, but I didn’t try 🙂
Sandra palencia
Many thanks. Will let you know how it turns out x
Paris Chez Sharon
Great!
Suchita
Thanks a lot Sharon!!! Super excited to try this soon !!!!
Paris Chez Sharon
With love 🙂
Stefphan Gambill
Thank you! I’ll be making/eating this and dreaming of a time when Americans are allowed to Paris again! 🙏🏽🤤
Paris Chez Sharon
We can’t wait!!!
Karishma Jain
Is there any alternative for eggs here
Paris Chez Sharon
Hello 🙂 I didn’t try to replace it but i’m sure in vegan sites you can find alternatives.
Lory fleischer
A big fan of yours. I always look forward seeing your posts, refined of the fine.
Paris Chez Sharon
Thank you so much Lory!
Lailumah
Love your recipes ❤
Paris Chez Sharon
Thank you so much 🙂
חן
היי שרון אהובה! (אני קוראת לך האופה היפה 3>)
תמיד ידעתי שעוגה בעיצוב כזה נקראת קראנץ’ KRANTZ…
אם לא, מעניין אותי לדעת מה ההבדל בין קראנץ לבאבקה. תודה!!
Paris Chez Sharon
הי חן, תודה רבה! בד”כ קראנץ זו עוגה שהבסיס שלה הוא בצק שמרים כרוך, לעומת זאת בבקה עשויה מבצק שמרים “רגיל” שאינו כרוך. היום די מתבלבלים בין השמות 🙂
חן
…הבנתי- בעצם כל עוגת ‘בורג’ (ולא משנה איזה ‘בורג’ בדיוק) שעשויה מבצק שמרים רגיל, היא בבקה
נשיקות מישראל 🙂
Simina
Hi Sharon,
What do you mean by praline paste or chocolate hazelnut paste – something like Nutella?
Thank you!
Paris Chez Sharon
Hey 🙂 yes you can use Nutella.
Simina Milesi
Brilliant! Thank you! ❤️
Paris Chez Sharon
Thank you!
stamatis pappas
i love your receipes. sharon. my love from athens greece
Paris Chez Sharon
Thank you!!!
Siswahju Winoto
This is the best Babka for me. It’s still moist even on the next day. And since I don’t have hazelnut, I made my own pistachio praline. Yummy!
Paris Chez Sharon
Wooow! So happy to read, thank you!
Lucía Navarro Loperena
I don’t know what happened!!! I followed the exact recipe and first I felt like the dough was too dry, so I added 1 tsp more of milk, and I think it did the work. Then I thought, well maybe this dough is on the drier side and I’m more used to working with wetter doughs, let’s give it a chance.
I knead by hand because I don’t have an stand mixer and since I started kneading it felt really stiff. I kept kneading and the stiffness just didn’t go away! I kneaded like 2 and a half hours, 😭
I know it’s not the recipe but if you have a some tips it would really help!
Paris Chez Sharon
Hey 🙂 I think you must try again as this recipe is so so good and balanced, you shouldnt have any problem.
Roxana
Amazing babka, thank you for the recipe, it’s the best!
Paris Chez Sharon
Thank you so much!
Michelle Cervone
Sharon
Is it OK if the dough stays in the fridge longer than 8 hours? Would 24-48 hours be too much? I would like to make up the dough and bake them later in the week for Easter (after work). Also, how do you wrap this? I am worried plastic will not be appropriate. All the best and thank you for this lovely, well-written recipe.
Paris Chez Sharon
Hey, no, it’s too much.
Michelle Cervone
Thanks. Please disregard my second message. I should have checked first.
All the best, Michelle
Kayleigh
What kind of sugar did you use for the filling. ?
I’ve used white castor sugar ( the soft one) because i thaught it would dissolve better..
Tried 2 times And its still kind of grainy 🙁
Paris Chez Sharon
After baking it’s not grainy..it melts.
Valentina
I love all your recipes !! with yeast you mean baking powder? and I have almond butter, can I use it instead of the praline?
Paris Chez Sharon
Hello, no those are different products, baking powder is not yeast. I didn’t try the almond butter so I can’t tell…
Maxime D
Hello Sharon !
Je vois que la recette est faite pour 2 babkas. Est-ce réellement le cas ? Ou est-ce une erreur de votre part ? 🙂
Merci beaucoup!
Paris Chez Sharon
Indeed for 2 samll Babka.
Mai
Hey! Can we freeze the dough instead of refrigerating it so that we can use when we want ?
Thankyou 🙂
Paris Chez Sharon
No 🙂
Mary
Hi Sharon,
Beautiful recipe, does the dough have to be left for 6 hours, is it possible to make in a smaller time frame.
Paris Chez Sharon
Thanks 🙂 it’s better to follow the recipe 🙂 this what gives the amazing result!
Jenny
Is it ok to omit the cognac? I don’t have any liquor
Paris Chez Sharon
Sure!
Concita
Hi Sharon!
I would ask you how much protein must have the flour for this recipe? Thank you 🙂
Paris Chez Sharon
Hello, i use the all purpose flour.
Concita
Thank you for your reply! I’m italian and we don’t have all purpose flour, so i think that probably is what we call “Farina 0” and France call type 55?
Paris Chez Sharon
I guess it’s ok 🙂