Sourdough Babka Recipe with Chocolate Filling

What is Babka?

Babka is that indulgent, chocolatey, yeast-strung marvel that shows up at brunch tables and birthday spreads, looking like a pretentious pastry but delivering honest, tear-apart joy. It’s a tall, twisted loaf of enriched dough ribboned with melty chocolate—like cinnamon rolls but dressed to the nines. Once you master it, every coffee moment gets an upgrade. Let’s make some magic.

Why you will love this recipe:

• It’s rich and tender, thanks to sourdough’s subtle tang and dairy-fat hydrating the dough.
• Chocolate-filled doesn’t mean “I tried.” It means deep, melty, pull-apart-worthy layers.
• It’s artisanal — hands-on shaping, folding, braiding — she’s as rustic as she is elegant.
• It shows off: Guests will think you spent the day in some pastry school. Spoiler: You didn’t have to.

Sourdough Babka Making Tips:

• Use a mature, active starter—one that doubles in 4–6 hours at room temp.
• Keep your filling spreadable, not stiff. Melted chocolate + butter = ribbon heaven.
• Chill before bake: Resting the shaped babka in the fridge helps keep those layers defined.
• Bake until it’s golden, with dark swirls showing through. You want pull-apart, not crumble.

Recipe Card

Recipe Name: Sourdough Babka with Chocolate Filling
Summary: A tender, tangy, and buttery braided loaf swirled with rich chocolate filling—purpose-built for brunch indulgence.
Servings: 8–10 slices
Prep Time: 30 minutes active + 2–4 hours bulk ferment
Cook Time: 30–35 minutes
Additional Time: 1-hour final rest + optional chilling
Total Time: ~6–8 hours (active + long ferment)
Diet: Vegetarian
Method: Sourdough fermentation → Enriched dough → Filling → Braid & Bake

Ingredients

• Dough:
  • 300g bread flour
  • 60g sugar
  • 5g fine salt
  • 1 tsp instant yeast
  • 100g active sourdough starter (100% hydration)
  • 120ml warm whole milk
  • 1 large egg
  • 60g unsalted butter, softened
• Filling:
  • 150g dark chocolate (70%), finely chopped or chips
  • 30g unsalted butter, softened
  • 30g powdered sugar

Tools You May Need

• Mixing bowl or stand mixer
• Dough scraper
• Rolling pin
• Baking pan (8×4″ loaf) lined with parchment
• Plastic wrap or damp towel

How To Make Sourdough Babka

1. Mix dough
   Combine flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Whisk in milk, egg, and starter until shaggy. Add butter and knead (by hand or mixer) until smooth and elastic—about 8 minutes.
2. Bulk ferment
   Let dough rest in a greased bowl, covered, until it increases ~30%—about 2–4 hours depending on your room temp.
3. Prepare filling
   Melt chocolate and butter together until smooth. Stir in powdered sugar. Let cool until spreadable.
4. Shape & fill
   Roll dough into a 12×16″ rectangle. Smear filling evenly, leaving a border. Roll lengthwise into a log. Slice lengthwise and twist the halves into a braid, keeping filling layers visible.
5. Second proof
   Place twisted loaf into parchment-lined pan. Cover and rest 30 minutes at room temp, or chill 1 hour for sharper layer definition.
6. Bake
   Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake 30–35 minutes until golden and filling is bubbling in spots. Rotate halfway if your oven’s uneven.
7. Cool & slice
   Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then transfer to rack. Slice warm or cool—the crumb sets better after 30 minutes.

FAQ

• Can I skip starter? Sure—sub 7g instant yeast, but you lose sourdough tang.
• Storing leftovers? Wrapped at room temp for 2 days. Freeze slices and toast later.
• Too doughy inside? Might need longer bake or thicker filling spread.

How To Store

Cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap or loaf saver and store at room temp for 48 hours. For longer storage, slice and freeze; reheat in toaster or oven.

Baker’s Schedule

1. Morning: Activate starter.
2. Mid-day: Make dough. Bulk ferment 2–4 hrs.
3. Afternoon: Shape babka. Proof 1 hr. Preheat oven.
4. Evening: Bake. Cool. Slice. Celebrate.

Notes

• Starter health = crumb quality. Don’t skimp.
• Filling ribbon look: Thin and even.
• Chill phase = structured layers.
• Slice clean: Use serrated bread knife.

Final Pull-Apart

This Sourdough Chocolate Babka is more than brunch—it’s personality in a loaf. Tangy, tender, swirled with that luxurious chocolate spiral that tears apart and melts in your hand. You’re taking sourdough to dessert territory, and it works.

Be bold. Braid it beautifully. Bake it until those syrupy swirls glisten. Then, when someone asks how you did it, you tell them: “Yeah, I made that. From scratch.”

Want more kitchen swagger and bakery-worthy recipes? Email me at [email protected]. Let me know what your readers want next—and I’ll send a recipe that hits like this—minus the fluff.