Chocolate Babka

With a tender, perfectly dense, and chocolate swirled crumb, this chocolate babka is bakery worthy.

If you’ve ever seen the popular Seinfeld episode featuring chocolate babka, you know that nothing (not even cinnamon babka!) tops this coveted, chocolate rippled treat. Sweet, tender and perfectly enriched with eggs, sugar, and butter, this bread is worth all the hype–it’s completely irresistible!

• 3 -3 ½ cups (375-438 g) all-purpose flour divided
• ⅓ cup (66 g) granulated sugar
• 1 ¼ teaspoon instant yeast
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs + 1 egg yolk lightly beaten, room temperature preferred
• ½ cup (118 ml) milk warmed to 100F (38C)
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• ⅓ cup (75 g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature and cut into tablespoons

• 8 oz (227 g) 60% chocolate bar finely chopped
• ⅓ cup (75 g) unsalted butter
• ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream
• 2 Tablespoons natural cocoa powder
• ½ cup (65 g) powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt

• ⅓ cup (66 g) granulated sugar
• ¼ cup (60 ml) water