Mocha Babka
Get ready for the best babka recipe you've ever tried because this Mocha Babka is so moist and packed with chocolate and espresso flavors it will blow you away! It's also a wonderful Jewish babka to bake for the holidays and share with others.
Equipment
- Hand or stand mixer
- Pastry brush
- Loaf Pan recipe fits an 8" x 4" x 2.5" loaf pan
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
Brioche Dough
- 1 Tbs Whole milk lightly warmed
- 2 tsp Active dry yeast
- 234 g Bread flour
- 32 g Granulated sugar
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 2 ea Whole eggs
- 1 Stick Butter, unsalted softened
Mocha Filling
- 70 g Dark chocolate anywhere from 60-85%
- 5 Tbs Butter, unsalted
- 2 Shot Espresso about 35g or ¼ cup of coffee reduced by half
- 2½ Tbs Powdered sugar
- 1 Pinch Kosher salt
- 1½ Tbs Cocoa powder
- 1½ tsp Espresso powder
Espresso Syrup
- 2 Shots Espresso or ½ cup of coffee reduced by half
- ⅛ Cup Granulated sugar
Instructions
To prepare the brioche dough
- If you haven't already done so, lightly warm the milk for 10 seconds in the microwave. Make sure it is not hot. Pour into the bowl of your stand mixer and whisk in the yeast.
- Add in the rest of the ingredients except the butter and mix on low with a paddle until a dough forms.
- Increase the speed to medium and mix for 2 minutes then reduce speed to medium-low.
- Slowly add the butter in chunks only adding new additions when the current one is fully incorporated. You may need to periodically stop and scrape the contents of the bowl to the center.
- Once the butter is all in, switch to the dough hook and mix on medium speed until you achieve the windowpane test. The dough will look like soft cookie dough until the gluten develops more and more. You may need to periodically stop and scrape the contents of the bowl to the center.
- Allow to proof until doubled in size. See my tips on speeding up proofing time if you're doing all same day. Pop in the fridge for a minimum of 6 hours or overnight.
To prepare the mocha filling
- While your dough is proofing, make the filling by first melting the chocolate and butter together.
- Whisk in the espresso followed by the powdered sugar, salt, espresso powder, and cocoa powder. Allow to sit at room temperature until a spreadable consistency. If you're short on time, pop in the fridge stirring every so often.
To prepare the coffee syrup
- Whisk together the espresso and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Set aside until needed.
To roll, form, bake, and finish the mocha babka
- Begin with a floured surface and dough, and roll your dough into a rough 12" x 18" rectangle.
- Spread the mocha filling leaving a half inch frame around the edges.
- Starting on the short end, roll tightly along the long edge, and place seam side down on a plate. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Prepare your loaf pan with pan spray and parchment on the bottom.
- Slice lengthwise through the seam on the bottom and open up both sides. Place one half on top of the other stripes up in the form of an X. Twist both sides pinching the ends together.
- Place in the loaf pan, stripes up, tucking the ends under if need be. Allow to proof until 1¼ - 1½ x its size. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake for 45 - 50 minutes or until top is a golden brown and the internal temperature is 180°F.
- Immediately brush the coffee syrup on top. Once cooled, slice and serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 238kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 3gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 299mgPotassium: 97mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 387IUVitamin C: 0.02mgCalcium: 14mgIron: 1mg
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