Sourdough Babka with Almond Chocolate Filling
Get ready to dig into some seriously delicious sourdough babka with a creamy filling of chocolate and almond goodness! It's tangy, sweet, and basically the perfect treat for any occasion.
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Servings: 2 loaves
Equipment
- Small saucepan
- Measuring cups/spoons or scale
- Stand mixer with dough hook attachment
- Large Bowl
- Medium heatproof bowl
- Whisk
- 2 9" x 5" loaf pans
- Serrated or sharp knife
- Kitchen towels
- Plastic wrap
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 125 g milk 1/2 cup
- 115 g unsalted butter 1/2 cup, melted
- 70 g granulated sugar 1/4 cup, plus 2 tbsps
- 200 g active sourdough starter 1 cup
- 200 g eggs 4 eggs, beaten
- 600 g bread flour or all-purpose flour 5 cups
- 10 g salt 2 teaspoons
- 2 tsp sesame seeds optional
For the Filling:
- 1 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
- 115 g unsalted butter 1/2 cup, browned
- 1/4 cup almond butter
- 67 g granulated sugar 1/4 cup
- 4 g salt 3/4 tsp
For the eggwash:
- 50 g egg egg
- 2 tsp water
For greasing:
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter softened
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Instructions
Mix:
- Mix warm milk, melted butter, sugar, and active sourdough starter in the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment.125 g milk, 115 g unsalted butter, 70 g granulated sugar, 200 g active sourdough starter
- Add the beaten eggs to the starter and milk mixture and mix it again until it's well combined.200 g eggs
- Add the flour and salt to the wet mixture. Mix on low for the first 2 minutes and then increase the speed to medium-low (I increase it to #2 on my Kitchen Aid mixer).600 g bread flour or all-purpose flour, 10 g salt
- Knead the dough for about 5-6 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic.
- While the dough is kneading, grease a bowl with vegetable oil.
Bulk fermentation:
- When the dough is ready form a smooth ball and transfer it to the greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let the babka dough rise at room temperature until doubled in size.
Prepare the almond chocolate filling:
- In a medium heatproof bowl, add dark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate. Set aside.1 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
- In a small saucepan, add the unsalted butter and let it melt over medium heat. Cook until browned (about 5-6 minutes). Quickly remove it from the heat to prevent the butter from burning and pour it over the bowl with chopped chocolate.115 g unsalted butter
- Add granulated sugar, salt, and almond butter and mix to combine. Let the mixture cool to room temperature.1/4 cup almond butter, 67 g granulated sugar, 4 g salt
Shape babka:
- Generously butter two 9" x 5" loaf pans to prevent sticking.
- Remove the babka dough from the bowl and divide it into two equal pieces. I like using a scale to ensure that each piece is exactly the same.
- Roll out one of the dough pieces into a 12" x 14" rectangle on a lightly floured work surface. It will be about 1/4" thick.
- Spread half of the almond chocolate filling on top of the rolled dough, leaving 1 inch around the border.
- Start rolling up the chocolate sourdough babka dough from one of the long sides of the rectangle. Roll the dough tightly into a log and pinch the seams to seal it. Cut the log in half lengthwise.
- Twist the two halves together, with the side with the chocolate filling facing up, and pinch the seams to seal. Transfer the twisted dough to one of the buttered loaf pans.
- Repeat the same steps for the second piece.
Bake sourdough chocolate babka:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C).
- Prepare an eggwash with one egg and 2 teaspoons of water. Brush the eggwash over the sourdough chocolate babka.50 g egg, 2 tsp water
- Sprinkle both babkas with sesame seeds (optional).2 tsp sesame seeds
- Bake for about 45 minutes until your sourdough chocolate babka is golden brown. The internal temperature needs to reach 185°F (85°C).
Cool:
- Remove from the oven and let the baked babka cool in the pan for 5 minutes.
- Transfer the sourdough chocolate babka to a wire rack and let it cool completely before slicing.
