Chocolate Sourdough Babka

You are probably not going to believe what inspired this chocolate sourdough babka recipe

Recently my husband and I started watching an old sitcom show called Seinfeld. In one of the episode Jerry and Elaine came to a bakery, and wanted to buy the most delicious chocolate babka in town. It made drool on the screen. 

And of course, next morning I set the dough

Are you ready?

Here are some notes first.

100% sourdough babka is possible to make, but proofing time will take forever, because of all the enrichments (butter, sugar and eggs), plus the tangy taste will be present, which is not liked many.

To speed up the process and eliminate the sour taste the recipe will require a very tiny amount of instant yeast. Less than 0.5% from total amount of the dough.

Ingredients

Sourdough starter 

• 7g sourdough starter
• 35g water
• 35g bread flour

Dough

• 59g whole milk
• 50g sourdough starter
• 0.7g active dry yeast 
• 60g  granulated sugar
• 280 grams bread flour, more if needed
• 5g fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature,
• 70g unsalted butter, at room temperature 

Fudge Filling

• 100-150g hazelnut spread Nutella  

Directions 

Day 1

Starter

• 10 pm add starter to the water and whisk together, add flour, mix well, cover loosely, let it sit at a room temp 74-78F for about 8-10 hours until starter reaches its peak (at least triples in volume).

Day 2

Dough

• 8 am dissolve dry yeast in milk, sugar, sourdough starter (50g on its peak, the rest use for future feedings) vanilla and eggs.

• Let it autolyse for 30 minutes .
• During the autolyse process the flour becomes fully hydrated. This activates gluten development.

• 8.30 am mix dough on low speed of your mixing machine for 2-3 minutes, or KitchenAid on speed 3 for 3-4 minutes until well incorporated.
• Add salt, increase the speed till medium mix for about 5-7 minutes, until dough will start to come up together, will clear up the bowl, but still will stick to the bottom.

Note. Mixing until the dough is comes together is a very important step, we have to develop gluten carcass, so it can hold the butter. 

• After the gluten developed add soft butter, mix for 10-15 more minutes on medium to high speed of your mixing machine or KitchenAid on speed 4-5 until the dough comes up together and doesn’t stick to the bottom.

• Perform a windowpane test. Wet your hands and stretch the dough. You should be able to stretch it very thin, that’s a sign of a well developed gluten, and that your final product will have a soft and light structure.

• Cover and let it proof for 3-4 hours at 76-80F/ 24-28C.
• During that time perform 2 stretches and folds. The dough should become slightly puffy.

• 1 pm transfer the dough to the fridge for cold fermentation till the evening.
• 9 pm Remove the dough from the fridge.
• Roll it into a 9-by-17-inch rectangle. Spread with the filling (there’s no need to leave borders).

• Starting with a long side, roll into a tight coil. Transfer the coil onto a tray covered with parchment paper. Stick it in the freezer for 10 minutes.
• Slice the dough in half lengthwise to expose the filling. Twist the halves together as if you are braiding them. Place it into a prepared baking/loaf pan covered with parchment paper, letting it curl around itself if it’s a little too long for the pan.

• Cover the pan.
• Let it proof overnight on the counter till next morning (temp 22-24C/71-76F)

Note: if it’s too hot in you’d kitchen, better transfer the babka to the fridge overnight for cold fermentation. In the morning let it proof at a warm temperature for 3-4 hours until it doubles in volume and bake.

Day 3

• If babka was proofing on the counter by the next morning (6-7 am) it should be double in volume.
• Preheat oven 375F
• Egg wash the babka.

• Bake 375F for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown.

Enjoy your chocolate sourdough babka 🙏

Chocolate Sourdough Babka

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Prep 45 minutes mins

Cook 35 minutes mins

Total 1 day d 2 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Intensely rich, beautifully twisted, and layered with a decadent fudge profile, this holiday pan loaf incorporates a high-fat brioche dough around an indulgent chocolate spread. Enriched with whole milk, egg yolks, and ample unsalted butter, this hybrid sourdough utilizes a microscopic addition of yeast to counteract heavy fat structures, delivering a feather-soft, meltingly tender slice with zero sharp acidity.

Cuisine Eastern European (Ukrainian / Ukrainian Orthodox)

Ingredients

Sourdough Starter (Night Before)

• ▢ 7 g Sourdough starter culture
• ▢ 35 g Water
• ▢ 35 g Bread flour

The Enriched Brioche Dough

• ▢ 280 g Bread flour (100% – adjust with a few extra grams if overly sticky)
• ▢ 59 g Whole milk (21%)
• ▢ 60 g Granulated sugar (21.4%)
• ▢ 1 g (approx. 1/4 tsp) Vanilla extract
• ▢ 2 Large eggs (at room temperature)
• ▢ 50 g Active levain (18% – From the stage above)
• ▢ 0.7 g Active dry yeast (Purely utilized to stabilize and assist the heavy fat lift)
• ▢ 5 g Fine sea salt (1.8%)
• ▢ 70 g Unsalted butter, softened at room temperature (25%)

The Fudge Filling

• ▢ 150 g Hazelnut chocolate spread (such as Nutella, warmed slightly for easy spreading)

The Golden Glaze

• ▢ 1 Large egg (beaten with 1 tbsp water for egg wash)

Equipment

• ▢
  9×5 Inch Standard Loaf Pan (Deep enough to cradle the braided loaf structures vertically during the rise)
• ▢
  Stand Mixer (Highly recommended to smoothly incorporate the eggs and emulsify the high volume of butter)
• ▢
  Kitchen Scale
• ▢
  Rolling Pin
• ▢
  Bench Scraper
• ▢
  Parchment Paper
• ▢
  Baking Sheet

Method

Prevent Sleep ModePrevent Sleep Mode

Night Before – Levain Optimization

1. 10:00 PM – Starter Initialization: In a small glass jar, dissolve your 7g of mature starter culture into 35g of room-temperature water. Stir in 35g of bread flour until a uniform paste forms. Cover loosely and let it sit at room temperature 74–78°F (23–26°C) overnight for 8 to 10 hours until it bubbles aggressively and at least triples in volume.

Day 2 – Enriched Autolyse & Intensive Butter Mixing

1. 8:00 AM – The Enriched Autolyse: In your stand mixer bowl, combine all 59g of whole milk, 60g of sugar, 1g of vanilla extract, 2 large eggs, 50g of your active overnight levain, and the 0.7g of active dry yeast. Whisk together briefly to dissolve the elements, then add all 280g of bread flour. Stir with a heavy spoon until a sticky, dense dough mass forms. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes to fully hydrate the flour starches and activate early gluten networks.
2. 8:30 AM – Developing Gluten Netting: Secure the bowl onto your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix the autolysed dough on low speed for 2 to 3 minutes (or KitchenAid speed 3 for 3 to 4 minutes) until a uniform structure forms. Sprinkle in the 5g of fine sea salt, increase the speed to medium, and knead continuously for 5 to 7 minutes until the dough forms a cohesive ball that clears the sides of the bowl but remains slightly anchored to the bottom.
3. Soft Butter Emulsification: Turn the mixer up to medium-high speed (KitchenAid speed 4 or 5) and drop in the 70g of softened room-temperature butter one tablespoon at a time. Once all the butter is introduced, knead vigorously for 10 to 15 minutes. The greasy dough will gradually absorb the fat matrix completely, transforming into an extraordinarily smooth, glossy, and pliable dough that clears the bowl completely.
4. The Windowpane Verification: Wet your hands with water, pinch a portion of the dough, and stretch it gently upward. It should stretch into a paper-thin, translucent, light-yielding windowpane membrane without tearing, signaling proper gluten formation.
5. Bulk Proofing Window: Cover the bowl tightly and leave it to ferment at a warm room temperature for 3 to 4 hours. Perform 2 gentle rounds of stretch-and-folds during the first 2 hours to organize the dough’s internal strength. The high-fat dough should look visibly relaxed, lighter, and slightly puffy.
6. 1:00 PM – Cold Fermentation Stabilization: Slide the entire covered container directly into your refrigerator. Leave it to rest slowly for 8 hours to solidify the high butter fats and mature the dough structure for tight, mess-free shaping.

Day 2 (Night) – Lamination, Braiding & Shaping

1. 9:00 PM – Rolling the Matrix: Remove the cold, firm dough from the refrigerator and tip it cleanly onto a lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, flatten and expand the chilled dough into a precise 9-by-17-inch rectangle of uniform thickness.
2. The Fudge Layering: Using an offset spatula, spread all 150g of the hazelnut chocolate spread uniformly across the entire surface of the dough rectangle, taking it right to the edges without leaving any raw borders.
3. The Log Tension Roll: Starting from the long 17-inch side closest to you, roll the dough tightly away from you into a compact, high-tension log. Place the log seam-side down onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
4. Flash Freezer Rest: Slide the baking sheet with the log directly into the freezer for exactly 10 minutes. This flash-chills the chocolate filling and butter layers, preventing a messy smear during the cutting phase.
5. Exposing the Fudge Plies: Remove the firm log from the freezer. Using a sharp chef’s knife, slice the log completely in half lengthwise down the center to expose all the intricate internal chocolate and dough layers.
6. The Braided Twist: Lay the two cut halves side-by-side with the exposed fudge layers facing upward. Cross the halves over each other repeatedly to weave them into a tight, two-strand braid. Take the ends of the finished braid and fold the entire structure in half so it measures roughly 9 inches in length.
7. Pan Placement & Ambient Rise: Line your 9×5 inch loaf pan with a sheet of parchment paper. Gently transfer the folded braid into the pan, letting it curl around itself to fit snugly. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap. Let it proof overnight on your kitchen counter for 8 to 10 hours at a stable room temperature around 70–74°F (21–23°C). By morning, the dough will have doubled in volume, filling out the pan into an airy, light crown.

Day 3 – The Golden Ribbon Bake

1. 7:00 AM – The Holiday Bake: Preheat your home oven to 375°F (190°C). Brush the top crowns of your beautifully risen, twisted babka loops gently with a light coating of egg wash.
2. Baking Cycle: Slide the loaf pan onto the center rack of your oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the braided ribbons turn a uniform, deep golden brown. Carefully turn the hot bread out of the loaf pan onto a wire cooling rack and let it cool down entirely before slicing to allow the dense fudge layers to set cleanly.

Notes

-**The Strategic Role of Hybrid Yeast:** While a 100% wild-fermented artisan sourdough babka is technically achievable, adding massive amounts of enriching fats and sugars (butter, eggs, milk) severely slows down wild yeast activity. Forcing a natural proof under these heavy conditions would take an exceptionally long time and risk developing a sharp, acidic tang that clashes with chocolate profiles. Introducing a minuscule 0.7g addition of dry active yeast stabilizes the rise time while maintaining a sweet, buttery crumb profile.

– **Why the Flash Freezer Rest is Non-Negotiable:**Attempting to slice and braid an enriched dough roll while the butter and chocolate spread are at room temperature will result in the filling squishing out completely, creating a muddy, unstructured mess. Spending 10 minutes in the freezer hardens the fat matrices instantly, enabling you to slice a razor-sharp centerline and braid clean, visible layers that bake into distinct ribbon aesthetics.

– **Handling High-Fat Warmth Transitions:** If your kitchen runs notably hot (above 80°F/27°C) during the morning mixing phase, your stand mixer motor can generate enough friction heat to melt the butter as it tries to incorporate over 15 minutes. If the dough begins to look greasy, glossy, or separates instead of clearing the bowl sides, stop the mixer instantly, place the bowl into the refrigerator for 10 minutes to firm up the fats, and then resume medium-high speed mixing.

– **Preventing Bottom Crust Scorch:** Because this loaf features concentrated hazelnut chocolate oils settling near the base of the loaf pan, it can be prone to bottom-scorching on aggressive lower oven elements. To insulate your bake, slide an empty, flat baking sheet onto the rack directly underneath your loaf pan halfway through the baking cycle to deflect direct radiant heat waves.

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