​Better Chocolate Babka

Chocolate babkas are amazing - well, any babka is amazing. This recipe from Deb helps streamline a few of the more finicky steps, but the time and effort is worth it!
For the dough:
4 1/2 cups/530 g all-purpose flour
1/2 cup/100 g granulated sugar
2 tsp instant yeast
grated zest of 1 small lemon or half of one orange
3 large eggs
1/2 cup water (plus a few tbsp if needed)
3/4 tsp fine sea or table salt
2/3 cup/150 g/5.3 oz unsalted butter, room temperature
neutral oil for greasing

For the filling:
4 1/2 oz/130 g dark chocolate
1/2 cup unsalted butter (cold is fine)
1/2 cup/50 g powdered sugar
1/3 cup/30 g cocoa powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon

For the syrup:
1/3 cup water
6 tbsp75 g granulated sugar
For the dough:
Mix the flour, sugar, yeast and zest in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the eggs and 1/2 cup water and mix with the dough hook until the mass forms a shaggy dough. (If it's too dry, add water 1 tbsp at a time as needed.) With the mixer on low, add the salt. Then add the butter, 1 tbsp at a time, until it is all incorporated into the dough. Mix on medium speed for 10 minutes until the dough is well kneaded and smooth, scraping down the sides occasionally. (If the dough is still a tad too sticky, you can add 1 tbsp additional flour.)

Coat a large bowl with neutral oil, then turn the dough out into the bowl. Flip to oil all sides of the dough, cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, preferably overnight. Note that the dough won't quite double in volume during this cold rise. 

For the filling:
The next day, melt the butter and chocolate together until smooth. Stir in the powdered sugar, cocoa powder and cinnamon until a smooth paste forms. 

To assemble the loaves:
Coat two 9" x 4" loaf pans with butter or oil and line the bottoms with parchment paper. 

Cut the dough in half and take one half out of the refrigerator. Roll out on a well-floured countertop to about 10 inches in width and as long in length as you can, probably about 10" to 12". 

Spread half of the filling over the dough, leaving a 1/2" border on all sides. Roll the dough into a tight cylinder, brushing the long edge furthest from you with water to seal the log. Transfer the log to a floured baking tray and place in the freezer for 15 minutes. 

Repeat with the second half of the dough and filling. 

Remove the semi-frozen logs from the freezer; using a serrated knife, gently cut off the last 1/2" or so from the end of the logs, then cut each log in half lengthwise. Lay the log halves next to each other and let rest 10 or so minutes to warm the dough back up to pliability. 

For each pair of loaf halves, pinch the top ends together, then gently twist the halves over each other, trying to keep the cut sides up. Don't worry if this makes a mess or doesn't come out perfect; this will just increase the rustic charm of your babkas. 

Place each twist in a loaf pan, nesting the end trimmings in with them. Cover with a damp towel and let rise for another 1 to 1 1/2 hours at room temperature. 

Bake and finish loaves:
Heat oven to 375°. 

Remove towels and bake loaves on the middle rack for 30 minutes (start checking for doneness at 25 minutes). A skewer should come out clean, without any rubbery feeling. IF the top browns too quickly, you can cover it with foil. 

While babkas are baking, bring the water and sugar to a simmer and stir until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool. 

As soon as the babkas come out of the oven, brush each with syrup. (It will seem like a lot but its worth it!) Cool about halfway in the pans, then take out of the pans to finish cooling.
Source

Notes from Deb:
  • Active dry yeast and rapid rise/instant yeast are different things! If you use the former, the loaves won't proof well. 
  • You can add 1 cup toasted chopped pecans to the filling: after spreading the chocolate paste, sprinkle with half the nuts and 1 tsp granulated sugar before rolling. 
  • If you want to make this in a single day, you'll need to replace the overnight rise with an at least 3 hour room temperature rise. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes to help make rolling it out much much easier.