The Perky Poppy Seed

Make them Drool Chocolate Babka… hungry yet?

Babka.  When people hear this they usually associate the Seinfeld episode about the Babka:) 

Well, now you can make your own babka.  The chocolate babka of course:)

Chocolate Babka is perfect for you Break the fast meal… or anytime…especially when it is right out of the oven:)  Perfect for brunch or tea or dessert:)  Children love it:)  Adults love it:)  Everyone Loves Chocolate Babka!!!

This from my favorite 1942 Betty Crocker cookbook.  I made a few revisions….  to turn this recipe from sweet dough into Chocolate Babka:)

Make Them Drool Chocolate Babka

Rich Sweet Dough

• 2 packages of yeast OR 4 1/2 teaspoons yeast ( I used RED STAR- I love this yeast!)
  

  Red Star Yeast

• 1 cup milk (I used 2 % )
• 1 teaspoon + 1/2 cup cane sugar ( or regular processed sugar)
• 1 teaspoon pink Himalayan sea salt
• 2 cage free large eggs
• 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour ( divide it into 2 cups + 2 1/2 cups)
• 1/4 cup shortening (I used Crisco)
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• filling recipe
• egg wash recipe
• topping recipe

Filling

• 1 cup white granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup confectioners sugar ( xxx sugar)
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup butter softened
• 1/2 cup semi -sweet chocolate chips

Egg Wash

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon Pink Himalayan Sea Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon water

Topping

• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup + 1 Tablespoon all purpose flour
• 3 Tablespoons butter softened

Start with making the rich sweet dough

1. clean a workspace on your counter so that you can work with your dough when you are ready… do this now so that you are ready when it is time to knead the dough
2. place milk in a microwave safe bowl for about a minute to make it warm when you stick your finger in it but not so hot that you have to take in out (about 110 F to 115 F no hotter)
3. once milk is warmed put into a large bowl
4. then add 1 teaspoon sugar & 2 packages yeast ( OR 4 1/2 teaspoons yeast)
5. stir around with your fingers to dissolve the yeast
   

   Before yeast proofs (warm milk, yeast & sugar)

6. then cover  with a towel, set aside for about 10 minutes
7. meanwhile, place shortening & butter in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for about 30-45 seconds until both fats are melted (don’t worry if just a little fat is still solid the carry over heat will melt the rest of the fat) Set melted fats aside
8. in a medium bowl place two eggs, 1/2 cup sugar & 1 teaspoon pink Himalayan Sea salt, whisk with wire whisk or use a fork to thoroughly combine ingredients, set aside
9. place 2 1/2 cups flour in another bowl, set aside
10. once yeast has proofed ( it has become foamy & bubbly) add egg mixture to the yeast, stir with a heavy duty spoon to combine
    

    after yeast has proofed

11. then once egg mixture is combined with yeast mixture, add the 2 cups of flour.  Stir very well to combine.
12. then add the melted fats ( they should be almost room temperature- not hot, not cold), stir very well to combine
    

    Before the fats ( melted shortening & butter are thoroughly mixed

    

13. can you feel the workout burn yet?  Go ahead keep up the pace… you are going to need the workout in order to eat this without guilt:)  LOL
14. then  (don’t you dare think about using a mixer… use your arms!!)  add the rest of the flour .. a little at a time, about a 1/2 cup at a time.  You may not need to add the whole amount.. you are looking for the dough to pull away from the sides of the bowl and to be soft but not too soft that it is sticky
15. at this point, I usually start to knead my dough in the bowl, then continue to add the flour and knead more in the bowl until I get a dough that does not stick to my hands, but is not dry
    

    Rich Sweet Dough ready to be turned out onto work space

16. then dust the CLEAN workspace with flour; and , turn out the dough onto the counter top
    

    dough just turned out from bowl, ready to be kneaded:)

17. then knead the dough from 10-15 minutes ( I kneaded mine for 15 minutes.. nice workout..LOL)  during your kneading you may have to dust the work surface with a little more flour to keep the dough from sticking … only use a little more flour at a time:)
18. once the dough springs back when you press your finger down on it… and it is soft and not sticky and smooth not lumpy then the dough is ready to take a nap..
    

    Nap time for dough:)

19. lightly oil a large clean bowl ( I use extra virgin olive oil from the squirt bottle )
20. then place the dough into the bowl
21. rub the dough around to cover the entire bottom with oil, then flip the dough over
22. then lightly dampen a clean tea towel with warm water and set tea towel over bowl
23. place bowl in a warm, draft free area ( I like to place mine in the microwave- NOT on of course)
24. let the dough sit until double in size , this takes anywhere from 2 to 4 hours depending on the temperature of your house & the air
25. clean your workspace and counter tops then….
26. While waiting for the rich sweet dough to rise, make the filling, egg wash & the topping
27. to make the filling:  in a medium bowl, sift confectioners (xxx) sugar & cocoa powder.  Then stir in the white granulated sugar, make sure to thoroughly combine sugars & cocoa.  Set dry ingredients aside.  In a separate bowl, place butter- cover with cling film (plastic wrap) and leave it on the counter top  until time to use it:)  and for the semi- sweet chocolate chips… keep the hubby & children out of them … turns out I only had 1/4 cup when it was time to use them..LOL  put them aside in a little bowl.
28. to make the egg wash: in a small bowl mix, eggs, sugar, salt, and water together until thoroughly combined.  Then store in a small plastic container in the refrigerator
29. to make the topping: in a medium bowl- with your fingers- mix the sugar & flour & softened butter.  You want to coat all the sugar & flour with the fat ( butter)
30. grease your pans, make sure they are well greased! ( I used 2 mini loaf pans and 1 regular sized pans- this is a great idea- you can use one for your guests to eat and send two people home with a mini loaf…:) set prepared pans aside:)
31. clean up again:)
32.  then go do some things that need to be done… and before  you know it your rich sweet dough will be ready!
33. preheat oven to 350 F
34. once dough has doubled in size, punch down then gently turn dough out onto work space
    

    dough doubled in size!

35. then with a bench knife, cut dough in half
36. set one half aside and cut the other half in half
37. another words… one half for large loaf pan- 1/4 for 2 mini loafs
38. then let dough rest for 5 minutes (dough does much better if you let it rest between steps:)
39. then with the big piece of dough, roll out in a large rectangle
    

    rectangle dough… well, almost:)

40. you want this pretty thin
41. then coat with softened butter that you set aside for the filling, it should be very soft now ( used my fingers for this:)
    

    Buttered with fingers:)…. I was having fun making designs:)

42. keep a little space a the top of the rectangle free from butter or filling
43. then with a spoon cover the butter with the filling mixture of sugars & cocoa powder
44. top with a few chocolate chips
    

    topped and ready to roll… see you really don’t need many chocolate chips:)

45. then start rolling up the rectangle, long ways- keeping the end that is free from butter or filling at the top
46. roll all the way to the top then, pinch the ends to close and pinch the butter free part to close the roll
    

    starting to roll up.. from bottom to top:)

47. then cut the roll in half
48. place halves side by side- then twist them together
49. then place in prepared loaf pan
    

    filled & twisted dough:)

50. do same procedure to the other pieces of dough
51. then coat all three loaves with egg wash, you can use your fingers for this, a pastry brush or a make shift pastry brush made from a piece of parchment paper that has been twisted then cut to look like a broom at the end
52. then evenly distribute the topping between the loaves
    

    After a 10 minute nap this topped Chocolate Babka is ready for the oven!

53. then let the loaves sit for about 10 minutes
54. then place in preheated 350 F oven for about 35-40 minutes until lightly golden
    

    Chocolate Babka right out of the oven… nice golden brown!

55. take out of oven…. and turn out to side on cutting board if you are going to eat a little right away… I dare you not to!!!
56. Enjoy:)
    

    Chocolate Babka sliced & ready to eat!