CHOCOLATE BABKA

Makes 2 loaves

Ingredients

Dough

• 4 1/4 cups (595 g) all purpose flour, plus more for rolling and pans
• 2 1/2 teaspoons (10 g) instant yeast
• 7 tablespoons (3.5 ounces/100 g) unsalted butter, plus more for bowl and pans
• 3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons (225 g) whole milk
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon (4 g) fine sea salt
• 3 large eggs

Chocolate Filling

• 6 ounces (170 g) bittersweet (%70 cacao) chocolate, roughly chopped
• 9 tablespoons (4.5 ounces/125 g) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup (80 g) confectioner’s sugar
• 1/2 cup (50 g) Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon (2 g) fine sea salt

Caramel Syrup

• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (80 g) granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup (80 g) water

Method

1. To make the dough, in the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the flour and yeast.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the milk, sugar, and salt and whisk until the sugar dissolves. Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool for 10 minutes.
3. Whisk the eggs into the cooled milk mixture and pour it over the dry ingredients. Stir with a silicone spatula until the flour is absorbed.
4. Attach the bowl and the dough hook onto the mixer and beat at medium speed until the dough pulls away from the sides and becomes elastic and smooth, for about 10 minutes. Halfway into the beating, a portion of the dough may stick to the sides of the bowl and separate from the main dough. In that case, stop the mixer, scrape the sides of the bowl with the spatula and combine the stuck dough with the main dough, then continue beating. The dough will be smooth, sticky, and elastic. Scrape the dough into a generously buttered large bowl, cover tightly with lightly buttered plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, 60-75 minutes. After the first rise is complete, transfer the dough with the bowl to the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes.
5. While the dough chills, make the chocolate filling. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the chocolate and butter, stirring occasionally with a wire whisk. Remove the pan from the heat, add the rest of the ingredients and whisk until smooth. Transfer the filling to a bowl and chill, uncovered, until it is thick enough to spread easily, about 15 minutes.
6. Generously butter the bottom and sides of two 9-inch (23-cm) loaf pans. Dust the pans with flour and tap out the excess.
7. Remove the dough and filling from the refrigerator.
8. Turn the chilled dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Deflate the dough by pressing down in the center with your palm and roughly shape it into a small rectangle with your hands. Lightly flour the dough and roll it out into a 16-by-24-inch (40-by-60-cm) rectangle. Gently stretch out the rounded corners occasionally to make a neat rectangle, taking care not to tear the dough.
9. Using a metal offset spatula, spread the chilled chocolate filling over the surface of the rectangle in an even layer, leaving a 3⁄4-inch (2-cm) border all around. Starting at the long end of the rectangle that is closest to you, roll up the dough tightly and pinch the seam between your fingers to seal. You will have a log that is 24 inches (60 cm) long. Cut the log in half crosswise into two 12-inch (30-cm) logs. Transfer the logs to a cutting board and freeze, uncovered, until firm enough to cut without squishing the layers, 5-10 minutes.
10. Using a large heavy serrated knife, cut each of the logs in half lengthwise, exposing the layers. Place two log halves on the cutting board with the cut sides facing up and overlap the top end of one half over the other and pinch the ends together. Working your way down, fold the halves over each other as if you are braiding them until you reach the bottom ends. Pinch together the bottom ends and place the braided dough in one of the prepared pans. Gently arrange the dough so that the top is level and the ends touch the pan on both ends to ensure an even rise. Repeat the same steps for the other two log halves. Cover the pans loosely with plastic wrap and let them rise in a warm spot until they are almost doubled in size and reach 1/2 inch above the top of the pan, 60-75 minutes.
11. At least 30 minutes before baking, set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
12. Bake the babkas next to each other until the tops are well browned and a wooden tester inserted into the center goes in without any resistance and comes out without any dough clinging to it, 30-35 minutes.
13. Right after you start baking the loaves, make the caramel syrup. Put the sugar in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan and shake the pan to level the sugar. Set the pan over medium-high heat and start cooking without stirring. After the sugar liquefies and then starts to brown around the edges, lower the heat to medium. Push the caramel from the edges to the center with a silicon spatula and gently shake and swirl the pan to moisten the rest of the sugar. Once there are no visible lumps of sugar, stop stirring and cook until the caramel turns a very dark brown and starts to foam, about a minute or two. Immediately take the pan of the heat and, holding it at arm’s length, pour in the water at once using a soup ladle. Be careful; the caramel will bubble up vigorously and hot steam will rise. Stir the syrup with a spatula to make sure the caramel has completely melted and set aside to cool.
14. Remove the pans from the oven, set them on a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Brush the caramel syrup evenly all over the babkas and let them cool until they are barely warm. Unmold the babkas directly onto the rack and invert onto the serving platters.