Babka, a rich and sweet yeasted bread, is a beloved treat with origins in Jewish baking traditions. Known for its intricate chocolate swirls and tender crumb, it often evokes nostalgic memories and warm, comforting scents of home baking.
What if you could make a babka so moist and tender that it stays fresh for days? By using a few clever techniques, you can achieve bakery-worthy results right in your kitchen. Read on to discover how to transform your babka into an unforgettable delight.
A Brief History of Babka
Babka is a sweet, yeasted bread traditionally filled and twisted with cinnamon or chocolate. It has been a mainstay on the Jewish dessert table for decades. According to the late food historian Gil Marks, babka can be traced back to early 19th-century Poland.
Marks notes in his 2010 book, ‘Encyclopedia of Jewish Food,’ that bakers would use extra dough from preparing Sabbath egg challah, spread it with jam or cinnamon, sprinkle some raisins, roll it up, and bake. This tradition travelled to the United States with Polish immigrants in the late 1800s and early 1900s. By the mid-20th century, babka had become a staple at Jewish bakeries in Manhattan’s Lower East Side.
Enrich the Dough with Butter
After extensive testing, it was determined that butter is essential for making a rich and tender babka. Butter creates an enriched dough reminiscent of the challah babka was originally made with and can hold up to a hefty chocolate filling.
On a technical level, butter plays an important structural role by coating the gluten proteins with fat, limiting gluten development. This results in a loaf with a lush texture similar to brioche.
Use Bread Flour
Enriching the dough with butter requires a flour that can produce sufficient gluten. The answer lies in bread flour, which typically has a protein content of 12 to 14%. This higher protein content helps form enough gluten, producing a loaf that has structure, rise, and can support the chocolate filling.
By combining the gluten-limiting properties of butter with the gluten-producing ability of bread flour, a perfect balance is achieved. The resulting babka is tender but still substantive, with a satisfying chew.
It’s hard to get a similar result with all-purpose flour when making a fat-enriched dough.
Incorporate Tangzhong
Part of the mission to create a tender and moist babka crumb involves using a tangzhong. This simple cooked flour slurry, commonly used in Japanese milk bread, allows the dough to incorporate more liquid than it otherwise could, yielding a soft and plush bread.
Tangzhong, also called ‘stealth hydration,’ makes bread more resistant to staling. The technique involves briefly cooking a bit of flour with water. In this method, a microwave is used instead of the traditional stove preparation.
Knead Well—and Avoid Adding More Flour
The babka dough will be sticky due to the dairy content. Though it might be tempting to add more flour, it is essential to resist. Let a stand mixer do the hard work of kneading until the dough is elastic.
The windowpane test is a useful technique to determine if the dough has developed enough gluten. A small piece of dough is stretched until it becomes a thin, translucent window without tearing.
For the Most Flavorful Filling, Use High-Quality Dark Chocolate
Chocolate has become synonymous with modern babka, even though cinnamon is the more traditional filling. Opt for high-quality dark chocolate, preferably in the 70-72% cacao range, for a bittersweet filling that balances out the sugar.
The filling for this babka is a rich ganache made with heavy cream, dark chocolate, butter, sugar, vanilla, and espresso powder. Once prepared, it should be allowed to cool to a peanut butter-like consistency to avoid seeping out during rolling.
Freeze Before You Slice the Dough
After rolling up the dough, freezing it until slightly firm, about 15 minutes, makes slicing easier. This ensures a clean cut when splitting the dough before twisting, ultimately creating the dramatic chocolate swirl.
Twist with Confidence
Splitting the dough down the center and twisting it before setting it in the loaf pan creates babka’s signature swirl. This twisting method isn’t complex, but it is essential to work quickly to avoid the dough becoming too warm.
Aim for two full twists on each side of the X-shape formed during this process. Consistency in keeping the cut sides facing up enhances the visual appeal of the loaf.
Proof Adequately
Adequate proofing is key to a flavorful and well-risen babka. The dough proofs for about an hour at room temperature before chilling in the refrigerator. This slows fermentation and makes the dough easier to handle.
Once filled and twisted, the dough proofs a second time, allowing it to regain volume and relax the gluten.
Bake the Loaves in the Lower Third of the Oven
Baking the babka loaves in the lower third of the oven at 350°F ensures they cook without becoming too dark on top. A baking sheet under the loaf pans helps prevent over-darkening of the bottoms.
After baking, brushing the loaves with simple syrup helps keep them moist and gives them a beautiful shine. Allowing the loaves to cool in the pans before transferring to a wire rack ensures the bread and filling have time to firm up.
Creating a bakery-worthy chocolate babka at home might seem daunting, but with these techniques, it is more than achievable. From the rich, buttery dough to the bittersweet chocolate filling, each step ensures a delicious and tender loaf.
By incorporating methods like using tangzhong and high-quality ingredients, you will not only make a babka that tastes phenomenal but also stays fresh longer. Enjoy the process and, most importantly, the delightful results.
Source: Seriouseats