Chocolate Babka

How to prepare chocolate babka

1. In a cup, put the warm water with a pinch of sugar and dissolve the yeast in it. Let it sit in a warm place for 5-10 minutes until you see it foam on top, a sign that the yeast is ok and active.
   
2. In a stand mixer with dough hook, put the flour, fine sugar, eggs and lemon zest. Add the water with yeast and knead for 3 minutes, just until the dough comes together. You'll get a dense dough. If kneading by hand, knead the same way until the dough comes together.
3. Then add the salt and gradually, one tablespoon of butter at a time until you've used it all. With the stand mixer it will take about 7 minutes, then knead for another 3 minutes until the dough is soft and shiny. It may be slightly sticky, that's ok. Hand kneading will take longer. What's important is that the dough is elastic and shiny. When kneading by hand, the butter will melt from the warmth of your hands, so be patient until you incorporate it all.
   
4. Grease a large bowl with oil and place the dough in it. Cover it with plastic wrap that comes in contact with the dough.
5. Put the dough in the refrigerator overnight (at least 8 hours). I prepared it in the evening at 7 and left it until the next morning at 8. The dough will rise in the refrigerator.
6. For the filling, melt the chocolate broken into pieces over a double boiler. Gradually add the butter and stir until it melts. Remove the bowl from the steam and add the sugar, cocoa and cinnamon. Mix well until the cream is smooth. Put the cream in the refrigerator until it becomes firm/spreadable (it will need about 30 minutes).
   
8. Grease two loaf pans (25 cm x 10 cm) with oil everywhere. If you know your pans stick, line them with parchment paper greased with oil.
9. Take the dough out onto the work surface dusted with flour. The dough will be firm while cold, that's ok. Cut it into 2 equal pieces.
10. Put one piece of dough in the refrigerator and roll the other one into a thin rectangular sheet (one of the sides should be about 35 cm).
    
11. Spread the sheet with half of the chocolate cream leaving the edges free about 2 cm. Spread the cream as evenly as possible (I used a table knife).
12. Roll the sheet on the long side. Cut the roll in half lengthwise. Braid the pieces as tightly as you can.
14. Place the babka in the greased pan. Repeat with the second piece of dough.
    
15. Cover the pans with towels or plastic wrap and let them rise in a warm place (I put them in the oven at 30C/85F; or near a heated radiator) for 1.5 hours. The rolls will approximately double in size during this time.
16. While the babka rises, preheat the oven to 190C (375F). Put the pans in the oven for 25-30 minutes. The babka will rise more in the oven. At the end they should be golden brown.
    
17. Remove the pans from the oven and let them cool.
18. Put the water with sugar on the heat and leave just until the sugar is completely dissolved. With a brush, soak/brush the two babkas one by one until you finish the syrup. Brush well, everywhere including the sides. Let the babka cool in the pan until they can be handled, then you can remove them and let them cool completely.
    
20. Babka is good warm or at room temperature. I liked it more on the day I baked them.
    

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