CHOCOLATE BABKA RECIPE + WonkyWonderful (2024)

FAQs

Why didn t my babka dough rise? ›

Add more yeast, blend in the starter, or knead in more flour to help initiate rising. Dough that has expired yeast, too much salt, all-purpose or cake flour, or antifungal spices like cinnamon might have trouble rising.

To be extra sure that your babka loaf has finished baking, you can use an instant-read thermometer to check if the internal temperature has reached 190°F. This method is also great if you don't have a long enough toothpick to get to the middle of the loaf. Don't skip the sugar syrup at the end.

One theory says Babka is indigenous to the Ukraine, part of an ancient fertility symbol. The story of chocolate and the Jewish community is a bit different in the Mediterranean. There, Jews and chocolate went together like bagels and cream cheese. Don't miss what matters.

To my friend who posted on February 19: Your dough is dry because kneading for 16-20 minutes is WAY too long. Babka is delicate, not at all like regular bread dough and should not be kneaded but for maybe 30 seconds to combine the softened butter as the last step (far less than even this recipe recommends).

But almost as good as a proofing box is taking a Mason jar filled halfway up with water, microwaving it for two minutes, then putting your bowl of dough into the microwave with the jar to rise. The other thing you can do is place your lidded container or bowl of dough into a second, larger bowl of warm water.

To fix dough that won't rise, try placing the dough on the lowest rack in your oven along with a baking pan filled with boiling water. Close the oven door and let the dough rise. Increasing the temperature and moisture can help activate the yeast in the dough so it rises. You can also try adding more yeast.

Now as you roll up the dough, from the longest edge into a very tight spiral, be sure to gently pull back to create an even tighter log. If you do this you will get a well formed Babka with many lovely spiraled layers of chocolate filling peaking through after baking. Trust me, it is a beautiful thing!

Pullman Pan

The reason is twofold: I love the resulting straight-sided and presentable sourdough babka. Second, the USA Pan has a natural silicone lining, which, combined with parchment paper, makes cleanup a snap. If you don't have a Pullman pan, a typical 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.75-inch loaf pan will also work well.

Babka, which means “l*ttle grandmother” in Ukrainian, Russian, and Eastern European Yiddish is very popular where those languages are spoken. Babka used to be filled with scraps of Challah and seeds or nuts. It wasn't until Eastern European Jews arrived in New York that they decided to put chocolate in the bread.

borrowed from Yiddish & Polish; Yiddish babke (in sense a), borrowed from Polish babka (in sense b), literally, "old woman, grandmother," diminutive of baba "grandmother, midwife, old woman"

What nationality is Chocolate Babka? ›

Why is my dough so sticky? Your dough can become sticky when you add too much water or the flour isn't suitable for the type of dough you are making. Over proofing or fermenting the dough can also result in the gluten structure weakening causing sticky dough.

The most popular babka filling is chocolate, either in the form of melted chocolate, chocolate chips, or chocolate-hazelnut spread like Nutella. Cinnamon-sugar is also a very popular babka filling, but other flavors include: Apples. Raisins.

STORING YOUR BABKAS

Babka will always be best the same day, but they'll hold well at room temperature up to three days after baking. Store the cooled babkas in a sealed container or wrapped in plastic.

If baked too soon or too late, loaves can collapse and have a dense, gummy center. “There are so many factors that affect rise time, so exact time will vary for every baker.

Temperature is a key factor in baking up puff pasty that actually puffs. Set the oven dial too low, and the pastry is likely to fall flat. Follow this tip: As a rule of thumb, a higher oven temperature (400°F is ideal) results in puff pastry with a higher rise.

If your loaf is not rising in the oven, there could be a problem with the levain. It must be active if you want your bread to rise. The thing about levain is that it's classified as a living culture – which means it needs to be fed every 12 or so hours so it can double in size.

The key reason why your pizza dough lacks stretchiness is inadequate gluten development. Gluten provides the elasticity required to stretch the dough without tearing. Proper gluten development requires patience. While kneading helps, it's not the sole solution.