Wordless Weekend: Chocolate Babka

Chocolate Babka
adapted from The Modern Baker
makes 2 loaves

Dough:
1 1/4 c. whole milk
2 packets yeast
8 tbsp. + 2 tbsp. melted butter
6 egg yolks
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
4 c. AP flour

Filling:
8 oz. dark chocolate
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. cocoa
1/2 c. sugar

Make the Dough: Heat the milk to 110 degrees. Put it in the bowl of your handy-dandy stand mixer and whisk in the yeast, followed by 8 tbsp. of the butter, the eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt.

Stir in 2 cups of the flour with a wooden spoon, then put the bowl into the mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Working on low speed, mix in the remaining 2 cups of flour 1/2 a cup at a time. When all the flour is incorporated, mix on low for 2 minutes. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes, then mix for another 2.

Use one of the remaining tablespoons of butter to coat the inside of a bowl. Scrape the dough (it will be sticky) into the buttered bowl. Toss it over to get it covered in butter, then cover with plastic wrap and chill for 1 1/2 hours.

Make the filling: Put all the ingredients into the FoPro and whiz until finely chopped.

Form the dough: Plop the risen dough onto a floured board. Press it out into a rectangle that’s approximately 12×16 inches. Scatter the filling evenly over the dough, the roll the dough up into a log. Cut the log in half.

Prep the loaf pans: Use the remaining tablespoon of butter to grease 2 loaf pans. Line the bottoms with parchment, and grease that.

Put the dough into the loaf pans, cover with a kitchen towel and let rise another 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350. Bake the loaves for 45-50 minutes. Let cool in the pans for a few minutes, then de-pan and let cool on a cooling rack.