If you’re making challah, you can make a babka, too. Just prepare a large batch of dry babka filling and you’ll have fresh chocolate babka every week!
Babka is a big job, right? Make a dough, make a filling, make a mess – you know what I’m talking about. But it doesn’t have to be. I’ve got it down to such a simple process that I don’t hesitate to make a fresh loaf whenever we’re in the mood.
I make challah just about every single Friday. It’s how I transition from the work week to Shabbos mode. I rotate between a couple of different dough recipes to satisfy every member of the family. The best dough for babka is one that has a larger amount of eggs, so when I make Leah’s challah, I make sure to use some of the dough for a couple of babkas. (If your recipe does not have many eggs, consider adding just one egg. This could take a couple of attempts with some trial and error. Or just use Leah’s recipe…)
I like to start with the dough shaped in a thick snake which I roll into a rectangle. [B] Once you’ve rolled your dough as thinly as possible, spread a thin layer of neutral oil (like canola) over the dough [C] and then just add the dry babka mix that you’ve prepared in advance [D] (like we’ve discussed in this post). Roll up the dough [E], bend into a horseshoe [F], twist and place in your loaf pan [G]. I like to slice into the twist about half an inch down to get a more oozy gooey babka! Then brush the babka with an egg wash and sprinkle some sweet challah crumbs on top. Bake about 5 minutes less than you’d bake your challah. By the time the challah is ready to go into the oven, the babka will be cooling on the countertop!
- 5 cups sugar
- 2 cups cocoa
- ½ cup flour
- 1 Tbl vanilla sugar
- 1 Tbl instant coffee
- 1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
- Combine in a large ziploc bag and shake it all around. Store in the bag or in an airtight container in your pantry.
- Bonus variation: After spreading the dry babka mix, add a layer of shredded halva and then continue from rolling the dough as above. After adding the crumbs, sprinkle some more shreds on top. This is just next level!
My challoh dough is hamotzei so what brocho do u make on the babka?
The Bracha is mezonos because the dough is filled with a sweet filling.
Not everyone holds that. Ask your LOR what you should do.
I tried this once, and haven’t done it again because I found that the babka tasted too salty. My challa recipe uses 3 Tablespoons salt.
Any way to get around that?
Use 2 Tablespoons of salt. That’s my recipe and the challah tastes amazing.
Me too! I stopped using my Challa dough for Babka…
I often make cinnamon buns with some challah dough. Works fine without eggs.
How much do you use per babka?
Are u supposed to let the babka rise b4 bakjng?
No need!
This post isn’t so helpful for my diet…????
Tell me about it!
I make my regular babka recipe once in 6 weeks, I divide them in 6 and freeze them separately. I freeze a container of crumbs and have a large batch of dry mix in my pantry. Whenever I want I defrost the dough from the freezer and make an easy fresh babka.
Everyone should ask their own rav but my rav told my husband that if I use part of my challah dough for babka or cinnamon buns then I shouldn’t make a bracha when I take off challah. This psak was for a a recipe that uses 5 lbs. of challah flour
While we do recommend everyone speak to their own LOR regarding matters of Halacha, before we posted this, we consulted a posek from Aish who gave us the following p’sak:
If the intention is to bake dough, then even if it will be partially baked for a cake, the dough still requires Challah to be separated, with a Bracha.
In this case, even without the cake part (even if it were to be cooked for a soft cake), which is a sixth, you have enough dough (3.06 lbs. is the minimum requirement for a Bracha, according to some opinions) for the Challah to be separated with a Bracha – (source: “Shulchan Aruch” Y.D.
329:1-2, “Shach” 1 ad loc).
Does the instant coffee get diluted in water first or actual instant coffee granuals? Thank
No. Just add to the dry mix as is.
Thank you for the recipe!! What size loaf pan should I bake it in? Also the remaining piece of dough which you use to make the Babka. Which you wrote you split into 2, does that make 2 babkas Or just 1?! Thank you in advance.
This makes an incredible babka!! it’s a real winner!
Thanks so much!!!
I’d love to try this! How much if the dry mix do you use per babka? Or how many babkas is this mix enough for?
does the mix work for rugelach
Why would there be flour in the dry mix? Can you explain? Thanks . Iimportant question for me
added half tsp sea salt… it was yum!! thanks!
can i freeze the babkas raw?