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MPP Michelle Cooper’s: Easy Challah and Chocolate Babka Recipe

Challah

  • 6 cups of flour
  • 2 teaspoons of salt
  • 1/2 cup of white sugar
  • 2 cups of warm water
  • 2 tablespoons of quick rise yeast
  • 1/4 cup of canola oil
  • 2 large eggs beaten

Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Mix all the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix and knead well.

Let rise for 1 hour in a bowl with oil in the bottom. You need to cover the bowl with a wet towel. Be sure to keep in mind the dough will rise.

Prepare baking sheet and line with parchment paper. After 1 hour, place dough on floured counter top and knead (the flour will take away the stickiness of the dough).

Say blessing before shaping.

Separate dough into two sections. Each section will make 1 challah.

Take the first section and separate it into three. Roll it into long pieces so that you can braid it. (As you get more advanced you can find many more complicated ways to braid and roll challah. This recipe will give you a very nice, simple braided looking challah.)

Line up the 3 long strips and start braiding from the centre and outwards. This makes it easier to braid. Then repeat with the other half of the dough (so you will be making 2 separate braided challahs).

After you have shaped the challah, place it on the parchment paper and cover with a towel and let rise for 1 hour, keeping them warm and cozy.

Preheat your own to 350 F.

Prepare egg mixture that will be brushed onto your challah (2 egg yolks to 2 table spoons of warm water).

Brush egg mixture on, then cover with seeds, poppy or sesame. You can also use a sweet crumble mixture topping using the recipe below.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until lightly brown on the top.

Sweet Crumble Topping: (my personal favourite)

  • 4 tablespoons of margarine, 1/4 cups of flour and 2/3 cup of sugar
  • Mix together by hand (so that it’s crumbly) then sprinkle on top of challah before you bake them

Chocolate Babka

Use challah dough recipe above.

Chocolate Babka Filling:

  • 2 cups finely chopped, good quality dark chocolate (two 4 oz. bars of dark chocolate)
  • 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
  • 1/3 cup of unsalted butter – cold

Streusel Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup of dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup of all purpose flower
  • 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter – cold – and cut into small pieces
  • 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt

To prepare the chocolate filling: In a mixing bowl, combine the finely chopped chocolate, ground cinnamon, and unsalted butter. Mix with hands until well combined. It should have a chunky texture.

Set aside.

Remove your dough from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature – about 1 hour. Once at room temperature, roll it on a lightly floured surface until you have a 14×18 inch rectangle.

Evenly sprinkle the chocolate filling over the dough, leaving an even 1-inch border around the edge. Then, starting with the long side, roll the dough into a tight log.

Roll the log back and forth several times, gently spreading out, until the length of the log is about 20-inches.

Twist the dough into a figure 8 and pinch the ends together. Sometime using a bit of water helps getting the ends to stick. Line your loaf pan with parchment paper, then lightly spray the parchment with non-stick cooking oil spray. Transfer the dough to the lined loaf pan. Cover the pan with a tea towel, or loosely with plastic wrap – allowing it to rise for 1 hour, or until the babka completely fills the pan.

While the dough is rising, prepare the streusel by combining the dark brown sugar, all purpose flower, unsalted butter, and kosher salt, in a mixing bowl until well combined.

Once the dough has risen, preheat your oven to 350 F.

Using a very thin skewer, poke a few holes into the babka. This will allow steam to be released during baking so you aren’t left with very large gaps between the dough and filling.

Brush the babka with an egg wash made from 1 egg white whisked together, with 1 tablespoon of whole milk.

Sprinkle the streusel over the top of the babka. It will collect more in the crevices, but this is okay. Babka should have a rustic look.

Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, then turn the pan 180 degrees, and bake for an additional 25 to 30 minutes – or until it reaches an internal temperature of 185 F in the thickest centre part of the babka. The babka will be golden brown and should have a hollow sound when tapped.

Before slicing, allow the babka to cool. This is truly the hardest part of the whole process, but trust me – cutting into it while it’s hot will leave you with quite a mess. The filling needs to to set up a bit. Even after cooling, it will crumble a bit when you slice it. That’s part of the charm.

Serve with coffee or tea and enjoy your babka bliss!