Chocolate Babka

Chocolate Babka is perfect for special occasions or weekend brunch. This impossibly fluffy and buttery brioche is filled with a deeply sweet and silky chocolate fudge filling. This loaf is special and takes time, but trust us! This fluffy decadent loaf is worth the wait.

Ingredients 

Brioche

2 eggs

1 stick unsalted butter, ½ cup

3 ½ cup all purpose flour

1 ¼ cup whole milk

¼ cup granulated sugar

2 tsp yeast

1 tsp salt

Fudge Filling

6 oz Bixby Semisweet Baking Chips

¼ cup powdered sugar

¼ cup unsalted butter

¼ cup heavy cream

Simple syrup

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup water

Directions 

1. Add ½ cup milk to a microwave safe bowl and warm in the microwave until it is just warm to the touch, about 10 seconds. Add milk, 2 teaspoons of yeast, and ¼ cup of granulated sugar to a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Set aside for 5 minutes, or until foamy. If it doesn’t foam, try again with fresh yeast!
2. Cut one stick of butter into 8 pieces. Add two eggs, remaining 3/4 cup milk, 3 ½ cup all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt to the foamy yeast mixture. Mix on low speed with the dough hook until the dough begins to come together into a single mass. Once the dough has come together, increase to medium speed and continue kneading for about 5-6 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Scrape down the sides as needed.
1. Note: if the dough is really wet and shaggy after kneading, add flour, one tablespoon at a time until the dough can come together and form a single, smooth mass.
3. Once the dough is smooth and kneaded, continue mixing on low, and add butter one piece at a time. Add a new piece every 30 seconds, allowing each piece to incorporate fully before adding the next. Continue beating until all of the butter is fully incorporated.
4. Grease a large bowl and transfer the dough into the bowl using a rubber spatula. Cover with a kitchen towel and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
5. Once the dough has proofed and doubled in size, punch it down. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least four hours, or overnight.
6. Once the dough has rested a second time, prepare the filling. In a small saucepan, add the semisweet baking chips, powdered sugar, butter, and heavy cream over low heat until smooth and melted.
7. Prepare a standard loaf pan by lining it with parchment paper or greasing thoroughly. Roll the dough into a rectangle about ½ inch thick. Spread the chocolate filling evenly over the dough. 
1. Note: this dough can also be halved to make two smaller loaves. This is great if you want to enjoy one now and freeze the second for another time. Simply cut the dough in half and follow the recipe as written, cutting the bake time to 40-50 minutes.
8. Starting with the long side, roll the dough into a loose coil, don’t worry if filling seeps out. Slice the coil in half lengthwise, exposing the filling and layers and twist the dough