Mocha Babka

What is a Babka? Where did Babka Come From?

A babka, or a Jewish Babka, is a sweetened and enriched bread dough that is rolled up with some sort of filling, twisted, and baked as a loaf. It was created in the Polish, Jewish community during the early 19th century by using extra challah dough and rolling up with jams and/or cinnamon then baked along side challah bread. Early variations were not made with chocolate as chocolate was widely unavailable. The name is thought to come from the Polish Easter cake called Baba which translates to “grandmother.”

The Jewish Babka then made it’s rounds to Israel where it started popping in different European-style bakeries in the 1950’s then traveled to NYC where a pastry chef started baking Babkas in their bakery. The popularity really rose when this delicious treat was featured on an episode of “Seinfeld” in 1994. Today you can find many different variations and different filling ideas for a Jewish Babka. Check out more about it here and here!

How to Make a Mocha Babka:

What is in a Babka? What is a Babka made out of?

Babka is made with brioche dough which is sweetened and enriched, and brioche can be a good challenge for the enthusiastic baker. Sweetened and enriched doughs contain both sweetener (sugar) and fats (milk, butter, and eggs) in addition to the usual bread flour, salt, and yeast. We use bread flour because it has a higher protein content than all purpose and other flours which creates better a better protein net to produce better proofed and fluffier bread. And this particular mocha babka recipe uses dark chocolate and espresso for the filling!

How to make brioche dough:

First step, and the most important, is mixing the yeast with warm milk. Since active dry yeast needs to be activated with warmth to work, and the liquid ingredients are cold, it needs to be mixed with the warm milk first to allow for proofing. The milk can’t be too hot or else you will kill the yeast which occurs at 120*F. I start with a paddle to incorporate all the ingredients first as a dough hook doesn’t really do the trick. Slowly add in the softened butter as not to shock the dough with all of the extra fat coming in. Make sure to mix until fully incorporated before adding the next addition of butter.

Once all of the butter is fully incorporated, switch to a dough hook to mix until you achieve the windowpane test and allow to proof until it has doubled in size. The windowpane test demonstrates that the gluten in the dough has developed enough (explained more below).

Why we knead bread:

Flour is composed of starch and protein, and the proteins are called glutenin and gliadin which are long and tangled. Together, glutenin and gliadin form gluten. Kneading rubs these “subproteins” together to stretch them out, line them up, and cross-link themselves to create a net that helps retain gasses during the proofing stage. Kneading also incorporates oxygen in the dough which helps yeast breath and produce carbon dioxide. The windowpane test proves if you have developed enough gluten strands for proper structure to help retain those gasses for the final rise. 

Test for the windowpane by taking a small portion of dough and roll into a ball. Stretch it out gently starting in the middle. Stretch it into a square and until the center is a thin film. If your dough easily stretches thinly without tearing, then the dough is strong enough and enough gas can be retained in the network of gluten strands. If it rips easily, then you need to develop more gluten strands by more kneading/mixing. You should also see the network of gluten strands. It’s called the windowpane test because light should be able to pass through like through a window.

why we proof bread dough:

Proofing dough leads to light and fluffy bread instead of a dense brick. After all that work of mixing and providing a GREAT net of gluten strands, the dough needs a break. During that break the yeast activates, eats the carbohydrates, and releases carbon dioxide which leads to rising. That net you just weaved kneading is now doing its job. The amount of time it takes to proof will depend on your environment. The warmer it is, the faster it will proof; the colder, the longer. See my tips for speeding up proofing times if your environment is not ideal.

Once your dough has proofed until doubled its size, allow it to firm up in the fridge for at least 4-6 hours or overnight. This will make the dough easier to work with once we get to rolling, filling, and shaping.

Make the espresso & chocolate filling:

Time for the espresso and chocolate part of this bake! This is a simple process of melting the chocolate and butter then whisking in the rest of the ingredients. If you do not own an espresso machine, simply make 2 cups of coffee and reduce by boiling by half. This will intensify the coffee flavor to mimic that of espresso. Alternatively, you can use instant espresso following the directions on the packet. Let the filling sit out until it solidifies to a spreadable consistency, or pop in the fridge, stirring every so often, if you’re short on time.

Rolling and shaping mocha babka:

This part is tricky and can be quite messy, so make sure you have a good amount of space to work in and prep your loaf pan with pan spray and parchment paper. With a rolling pin, roll out the brioche dough on a lightly floured surface to a 12″x 18″ rectangle making sure to release the dough from the table to allow for contraction. Evenly spread the filling leaving a half-inch frame around the rectangle. Starting on the short side, tightly roll along the long side, and transfer to a plate, seam-side down, to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. This extra chill allows for an easier and less messy shaping.

Slice vertically down the center of the log through the seam on the bottom, and open up leaving the dough side on the table and the stripe side facing up. Lay one half on top of the other making an “X” then twist both sides pinching off the ends. Transfer to your prepared loaf pan. If it’s too long, you can tuck the ends under. Cover and allow its final proof until it has increased by 1.25-1.5 times it’s size. Bake at 350*F until golden brown or until the internal temperature is 180*F.

Make the espresso syrup and finish the mocha babka:

During one of the several wait times, you can prepare the espresso syrup. If you do not have an espresso machine you can again boil half a cup of coffee until it has reduced by half. This mimics the strong espresso flavor. Whisk with the sugar until the sugar dissolves. Once the espresso chocolate babka comes out of the oven, brush generously with the syrup. Slice once cooled and enjoy with a cup of coffee.

Troubleshooting Mocha Babka:

• My dough looks weird and the windowpane won’t form! That is okay; it’s supposed to look weird at first! Mine usually looks like sugar cookie dough until the gluten starts developing. Make sure your mixer attachment is actually mixing the dough. If not switch to the hook or paddle (whichever one you’re not currently using). I’ve had to switch mine multiple times in a single mix. Give it time and patience.
• This whole rolling and shaping thing is really messy! Mocha babka’s are messy but there are a few things you can do to really minimize that mess! Make sure you filling is not too soft. If it is, pop it in the fridge for a little bit. When spreading, leave a half-inch gap around the edges. Tightly roll that up! It prevents a bigger mess later on. And finally, once rolled, let it chill out in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

Something else going wrong? Reach out and we will troubleshoot together!