Keto Chocolate Babka Recipe (Brioche Bread) (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between chocolate babka and brioche? ›

What is the difference between brioche bread and babka? Both babka and brioche are made with an enriched dough. Brioche does not include a filling and can be used as a sandwich bread. Babka is a sweet bread with a chocolate or cinnamon filling.

Don't have enough loaf pans? You can bake some or all of the babkas directly on sheet pans instead.

Too much flour can create a very DRY yeast bread. Now if you really need a bit of flour go for it, but use as little as possible. The dough is so silky that it rolls out beautifully and I don't get need any flour at all!

To be extra sure that your babka loaf has finished baking, you can use an instant-read thermometer to check if the internal temperature has reached 190°F. This method is also great if you don't have a long enough toothpick to get to the middle of the loaf. Don't skip the sugar syrup at the end.

Although I am sure there are many professional bakers that could create a phenomenal list of the differences.... When you get down to the nitty gritty of things, babka is simply filled and twisted brioche. Brioche is the dough itself that resembles a buttery and fluffy bread flavor that is beyond fluffy in texture.

One theory says Babka is indigenous to the Ukraine, part of an ancient fertility symbol. The story of chocolate and the Jewish community is a bit different in the Mediterranean. There, Jews and chocolate went together like bagels and cream cheese. Don't miss what matters.

Pullman Pan

The reason is twofold: I love the resulting straight-sided and presentable sourdough babka. Second, the USA Pan has a natural silicone lining, which, combined with parchment paper, makes cleanup a snap. If you don't have a Pullman pan, a typical 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.75-inch loaf pan will also work well.

Use a Sheet Pan

Rolls, boules (that's a round loaf of bread), braided loaves and many soda breads are baked right on a sheet pan—no loaf pan required. If you want to bake bread on a cookie sheet, look for breads that retain their shape (you don't want overly soft doughs here).

Store your babka at room temperature in the provided packaging using the reseal tab on the back if opened; do not refrigerate. Our babkas are baked daily and, if you can resist eating them, will stay delicious for up to 5 days after purchase.

A babka is a sweet braided bread which originated in the Jewish communities of Poland and Ukraine. It is popular in Israel (often referred to as simply a yeast cake: עוגת שמרים) and in the Jewish diaspora.

How do you make babka less dry? ›

Brush the warm, just-baked babka with simple syrup. This will help keep it moist. You want to get the sugar on the outer crust and let it drain through the cake, but take care not to drench it. "You should have a good idea of when the babka is absorbing the syrup, and when to stop.

Why is my dough so sticky? Your dough can become sticky when you add too much water or the flour isn't suitable for the type of dough you are making. Over proofing or fermenting the dough can also result in the gluten structure weakening causing sticky dough.

Babka Recipe Variations

Cinnamon, poppy seeds, almond paste and cheese are all traditional companions for the cake with the challah-like crumb. But it doesn't get more popular than chocolate babka nowadays, which adds an element of decadence to the dense loaf.

Challah bread is very similar to brioche, since it is made with eggs. It has a slightly sweet flavor and a soft, pillowy interior. Another substitute for brioche are croissants. Although these are not bread, but pastry, brioche is said to be more similar in texture to croissants than bread.

Lots of people ask “is brioche bread or cake?”. The truth is that brioche is considered a Viennoiserie – a sweeter, more indulgent form of bread, made with an enriched dough. This is what makes brioche the magnifique treat that it is, with it's signature golden colour, light sweetness and rich taste.

Israeli style babka (עוגת שמרים) is made with a laminated dough, enriched with butter, which is then folded and rolled multiple times to create many distinct layers, similar to that used for Israeli style rugelach, and also croissant dough. Israeli style babka is available with a wider array of fillings and shapes.

The babka that you'll find in New York starts with a sweet, eggy, brioche-style dough that closely resembles the dough used to make challah.