Homemade Chocolate Babka recipe with a bright fresh addition of orange zest! Lovely Babka bread braided with a layer of chocolate ganache for a delicious sweet bread that everyone loves!
If you’ve never baked bread before, then you’ll enjoy how easy this “fancy” recipe is. While the name and appearance look difficult, the steps are actually quite simple and repetitive. Perfect for anyone wanting to up their bread game. With this chocolate orange babka, you’ll always have a perfect show-stopping snack to share with guests and friends.
What is orange chocolate babka?
A babka is a filled type of bread that is rolled into a log (much like a cinnamon roll) and then sliced down the middle to reveal all of the layers. Braiding the two halves together back and forth we create an incredible bumpy layer of filled bread that when baked and sliced can reveal layers and swirls of filling throughout every nice loaf. This bread is filled with a mixture of chocolate ganache and orange zest for a perfect sweet and fresh flavor.
Orange Chocolate Babka Ingredients
-Milk: I used whole milk in this recipe however you can also use 2%. You will need about 3 cups in total.
-Active dry yeast: Do not use instant or fast acting yeast in this recipe as we want a slow rise to develop texture. We need 2 tablespoons worth. For reference, a single packet of yeast has about 2 1/4 teaspoons in it.
-Sugar: We need 3/4 cups of granulated sugar, divided for various parts of the recipe.
-Salt: We need 1 teaspoon of salt to help enhance the flavors in this bread and make it taste amazing.
-Eggs & Butter: Brioche is enriched with 1 cup butter and 6 eggs hence the large quantity of both eggs and butter used in this recipe.
-Bread flour: Bread flour contains more gluten in it which creates more elasticity and a softer bread. This cannot be substituted out and we will need 2 cups of bread flour in addition to the all purpose flour for the base of this bread dough.
-All purpose flour: Whole wheat flour cannot be substituted in this recipe. We will need 5 cups of all-purpose flour.
-Chocolate chips: I used dark chocolate chips for a richer flavor however you can also use milk chocolate chips.
-Heavy cream: This will be used to make a ganache filling. You cannot substitute half and half or milk in this as it will be too runny.
-Butter: We need a total of 21 tablespoons worth of butter at room temperature so that we can easily integrate it into the dough and the filling.
-Orange zest: This adds a bright, citrus flavor to the filling to counter the sweet chocolate.
How to Make Orange Chocolate Babka
Here’s what you’ll need to do to make Homemade Babka:
Make the Brioche Bread Dough
Combine the warm milk with yeast and 1/4 cup of sugar. Allow to sit and bloom.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 1/2 cup of sugar and eggs together until whipped. Add in the salt and stir.
Add in the bloomed yeast mixture and stir again.
Add in both of the flours, switch to a dough hook, and turn the mixer speed to medium to help incorporate the flours.
Once incorporated, turn the speed up to high and let knead for 8-10 minutes. The dough will be wet and sticky but should pull away from the sides of the bowl.
Leaving the dough in the mixer bowl, cover the top with plastic wrap, and place into the fridge for an hour or until doubled in size.
Punch down the dough and remove the dough from the bowl and place it into a larger well-greased bowl. Cover the top with plastic wrap ad put it back into the fridge overnight.
After the dough has been sitting overnight, it should be doubled in size. Remove it from the fridge and let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes.
Make the Chocolate Ganache Filling
While the dough is setting, make the chocolate filling in a small microwave safe bowl.
Heat the heavy cream for 1 minute.
Pour over the top of the chocolate chips and let sit for 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Stir in the melted butter and then set aside.
Shape the Braided Babka
After 10 minutes turn the dough onto a floured surface.
Prepare a 9×5 inch loaf pan by spraying it with nonstick cooking grease and set aside.
Cut your dough in half and place one half back into the bowl in the fridge until ready to use.
Roll the dough half out to an 18 inch long by 12 inch wide rectangle. Using the back of a spatula spread half of the chocolate ganache over the top of the dough. Zest an orange and sprinkle the zest over the surface.
Roll the dough into a log.
At this point, take and cut off a small section from each end of the log to square up the ends of the dough.
Slice the log down the middle lengthwise and admire your layers. I recommend coating the knife in flour to prevent smushing layers into each other.
Once the dough has been cut into 2 long pieces, braid it.
Pick up one side and place it over the top of the second. Pull the second side under the first, overlapping the piece as you go, and continue in that motion until the bread and been wrapped together nicely. You should be able to get 3-5 braids out of this.
Pinch the ends to hold the seams so that they don’t open as the bread rises. Place into the prepared loaf pan and allow to rise until doubled in size.
Repeat this process with the second half of the dough from the fridge.
Bake the Bread
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and once the dough has been doubled, place it in the oven and bake for 45-60 minutes.
Your bake time may vary from oven to oven. You can lay a piece of tin foil over the top to prevent too much browning and then remove it towards the later portion of the baking process just to give it a nice golden crust.
Once baked, remove from the oven and let cool 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Orange Chocolate Babka
Ingredients
Brioche Dough:
- 3 cups lukewarm milk
- 2 Tbs active dry yeast
- ¾ cups sugar separated
- 6 eggs
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup butter 2 sticks, softened
- 5 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups bread flour
Chocolate Ganache Filling:
- 4 cups chocolate chips
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 5 TBSP melted butter
- Zest from two oranges
Instructions
Make the Bread Dough
- In a small bowl, combine lukewarm milk, yeast and ¼ c of sugar. Set aside to bloom.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine remaining ½ c sugar and eggs. Using the paddle or whisk attachment, on medium speed, whip together. Add in the salt and stir. Next, add in the bloomed yeast mixture and stir. Add in both of the flours. Switch to a dough hook attachment and turn to mixer speed medium to incorporate the flours. Once they are incorporated, turn up the mixer speed to high. Let the dough knead for 8-10 minutes.The dough will be wet and sticky at this point but it should pull away from the edges when mixing.
- Leave the dough in the mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place into the fridge for an hour or until doubled in size. Punch the dough down, remove and place into a larger, well greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place back into the fridge overnight.
Make the Chocolate Ganache Filling
- After the dough has set overnight and is doubled in size, remove from the fridge and let it set on the counter for 10 minutes. While the dough is setting, make the chocolate filling. In a small, microwave safe bowl, heat heavy cream for 1 minute. Pour over chocolate chips and let set for 1 minute. Stir the melted chocolate chips into the heavy cream. I find that using an emulsion blender works really well resulting in a very smooth ganache. Stir in the melted butter then set aside.
- After 10 minutes has passed, turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Prep a 9×5 loaf pan by spraying it with baking spray and set aside. Cut the dough in half and set one half back in the bowl and back into the fridge until you are ready to use it later.
Shape Babka
- Roll your dough out to 18” long and 12” wide. This dough should be significantly longer than it is wide because it will help create the pretty folds in the babka. Using a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon, spread half of the chocolate ganache over the entire surface of the dough. Zest one orange over the surface. Roll the dough into a log. At this point, I like to cut a one inch piece from each end to square them up. Using a very sharp knife, cut down the center of the dough longways. I like to gently run the knife down the center, dip my knife in flour and continue to run through the dough. Pushing the knife down through the dough can cause the layers to press into each other. Have patience and reflour your knife as many times as you need to to prevent the dough and filling from sticking to your knife.
- Once your dough is cut into two long pieces it is time to braid it. Pick up one side and place it over top of the second side. Pull the second side under the first overlapping piece and pull it over the first piece. Repeat until you have run out of dough. You should be able to braid it at least 3 times and ideally 5 times. Pinch the ends together so that they don’t open up when the dough is rising. Place into the prepared loaf pan and let rise until doubled in size. Repeat steps 6 and 7 with the other half of the dough.
Bake the Bread
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Once your dough has doubled in size, place into the preheated oven for 45-60 minutes. Your bake time will vary from oven to oven as well as how much your bread rose before baking. I like to tent a piece of tinfoil over the pan before I begin baking and removing it after it’s done baking to let it brown for an additional 3 minutes. Baking it with tinfoil on just helps to keep the top from browning too quickly and drying out. Again, browning time will vary from oven to oven.
- Once your babka is baked, remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes to prevent burns from the hot filling. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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Tips on making this bread:
Keeping this dough chilled is key for rolling it out easily as well as cutting it. If at any point you find your dough resisting you by jumping back when you roll it out, simply place it back into the refrigerator for 5 minutes.
Once you have your dough rolled out and filled and rolled into a log, I recommend placing it into the fridge for an additional 10 minutes to make cutting it easier.
How to Store Babka
Babka may be stored in an airtight container or in a bag for up to 3 days.
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You’re going to love this chocolate orange babka recipe. This bread is a unique treat that everyone can enjoy. Perfect for a sweet and savory snack any time of the year!
Homemade Chocolate Babka recipe with a bright fresh addition of orange zest! Lovely Babka bread braided with a layer of chocolate ganache for a delicious sweet bread that everyone loves!
Sage says
You forgot to list the butter in the bread dough steps.
Nicole says
Sorry about that! Add the softened butter when you add in the eggs