Orange Glazed Chocolate Babka (Printable)
Tender brioche swirled with chocolate and glazed with orange
# What You'll Need:
→ Dough
01 - 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - ¼ cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 ¼ teaspoons instant dry yeast (1 packet)
04 - ¾ cup whole milk, lukewarm
05 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
06 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
07 - ½ teaspoon salt
08 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
→ Chocolate Filling
09 - 6 oz dark chocolate, chopped
10 - ⅓ cup unsalted butter
11 - ⅓ cup powdered sugar
12 - ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
13 - Zest of 1 orange
→ Orange Glaze
14 - ¾ cup powdered sugar
15 - 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice (about 1 orange)
16 - ½ teaspoon orange zest
# Directions:
01 - In a stand mixer bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and yeast. Pour in the lukewarm milk, add the eggs, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms. With the mixer still on low, add the softened butter one tablespoon at a time. Increase to medium speed and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and pulls away cleanly from the bowl. Transfer to a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1.5 hours.
02 - Place the chopped dark chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water. Stir gently until completely melted and smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and orange zest until well combined. Let the mixture cool for about 10 minutes until it thickens to a spreadable consistency.
03 - Punch down the risen dough to release air bubbles. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 16 by 12 inch rectangle. Spread the chocolate filling evenly across the surface, leaving a ½ inch bare border along all edges. Starting from one long side, roll the dough tightly into a log, pinching the seam to seal.
04 - Using a sharp knife, slice the log in half lengthwise down the center, keeping one end attached. Rotate the two halves so the cut sides face upward, then twist them around each other, tucking the ends underneath. Carefully transfer the twisted loaf into a greased 9 by 5 inch loaf pan. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let rise until puffy and nearly doubled, 45 to 60 minutes.
05 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the babka on the center rack for 40 to 45 minutes until the top is deep golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with aluminum foil during the last 10 minutes.
06 - While the babka bakes, whisk together the powdered sugar, fresh orange juice, and orange zest until completely smooth. Allow the baked babka to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Drizzle the orange glaze generously over the warm babka, letting it drip down the sides. Cool completely before slicing.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The orange glaze seeps into every swirl and crevice, turning a classic chocolate babka into something that smells like a bakery in Paris.
- It looks incredibly impressive on the table but the dough is surprisingly forgiving once you get the hang of the twist.
- Leftovers, if you have any, make the most absurdly good toast the next morning.
02 -
- The dough will seem impossibly sticky when you start adding butter, but keep the mixer going and trust the process because it will come together.
- Do not rush the second rise because an underproofed babka will tear and burst in the oven instead of rising evenly.
03 -
- Measure your flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling with a knife, because packed flour makes the dough heavy and dry.
- A damp kitchen towel over the dough during rising holds moisture better than plastic wrap and keeps the surface from drying out.