Sweet, soft, enriched dough swirled with chocolate and baked to perfection, sourdough babka comes together with simple ingredients and natural leavening through fermentation. This rich, sweetened loaf bursts with the buttery flavor of brioche, sourdough tanginess, and a delicious chocolate filling spiraled through the layers.
Sourdough baking knows no limits. While a basic sourdough boule and simple sourdough dinner rolls typically mark one’s entrance into sourdough baking, more time and practice quickly produce a wider range of wonderful sourdough delicacies.
One of these delicacies is sourdough brioche, a rich, sweet bread used for many family favorites, such as brioche dinner rolls, brioche cinnamon rolls, brioche French toast, and custard-filled brioche donuts. Which naturally led to my pursuit of sourdough babka.
What is Babka?
Babka is a sweet, cake-like bread made with an enriched dough and folded with chocolate filling or other sweet concoctions. Rolled up or braided into a loaf, babka shows off with light, puffy dough and swirls of filling in its folds. For this recipe, I use a minor variation of my sourdough brioche recipe, only with a little less butter. It mimics traditional babka, complete with a chocolate filling, but with a tangy, delightful sourdough spin.
With a bit of mixing, kneading, shaping, and quite a few hours of fermenting, you’ll reap the results of sweet, soft, richly flavored, chocolate-swirled babka. It’s worth the wait! This sourdough chocolate babka looks lovely, feels fancy, and tastes absolutely delicious.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Delicious – With a sweet, tangy dough and decadent chocolate filling, this bread offers deep flavor and a tender, pillowy crumb.
Simple – Although it looks super impressive, sourdough babka is actually fairly simple to make. With just a few ingredients and some simple assembly (and yes, some waiting), you can make this stunning and delicious dessert.
Sourdough benefits – If you have a hard time digesting unfermented grains, this long-fermented recipe offers a lower gluten content and easier digestion, as well as that signature sourdough tang that pairs perfectly with the semi-sweet chocolate.
Ingredients
Sourdough starter – Active and bubbly. You really want to have a very active starter for this recipe so that you get a really nice rise.
Bread flour – Bread flour gives this dough a much lighter and fluffier texture compared to using all-purpose flour.
Milk – Preferably whole, but 2% should also work just fine.
Eggs – Farm fresh, if possible, and at room temperature.
Unsalted butter – Room temperature and soft.
Semi-sweet chocolate – You can use dark chocolate, if you prefer.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Tools You May Need
Stand mixer – A stand mixer simplifies the process when lots of kneading is involved.
Recipe Modifications and Variations
Cinnamon babka – For a cinnamon sugar filling, mix 10 tablespoons softened butter, ¾ cup brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons cinnamon until smooth. Use in place of the chocolate filling in this sourdough babka recipe.
Orange and chocolate – Make the recipe as it is, but add a generous amount of fresh orange zest to the filling.
Fruit varieties – Spread a thin layer of fruit preserves or jam over the rolled out dough. Add some chunks of cream cheese before rolling up.
Nutella – Layer your favorite hazelnut spread and add chopped nuts.
Seasonal – Try flavoring your filling with pumpkin spice in the fall, cinnamon and cloves in the winter, and keeping it chocolate or fruit flavored for the warmer months.
How to Make Sourdough Babka
Step 1: Feed your starter in the evening. In the morning, it should be very bubbly and active. Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment and knead until smooth and glossy. The dough will be very wet, but after 10-15 minutes in the stand mixer, it will come together. Don’t add more flour, or the texture may be thrown off.
Step 2: Cover the babka dough with plastic wrap, a damp towel, or a tight-fitting lid and place in a warm spot for 6-8 hours (or until doubled) for bulk fermentation.
Step 3: After the bulk fermentation, place the dough in the refrigerator for a few hours (or overnight) so it will be nice and stiff for shaping. Even a little fridge time makes shaping easier, as it does with brioche and challah.
Step 4: To make the chocolate filling, add the cocoa powder, sugar, chocolate chips, and softened butter in a small small pot. Heat on low until melted, stirring occasionally.
Step 5: Place the chilled dough on a lightly floured work surface, and roll it into a 10″ by 14″ rectangle. Trim the edges to keep a straight edge, if needed. I like to use my bench scraper for this.
Step 6: Spread the chocolate filling evenly over the dough, spreading to the edges, leaving one inch of space at one of the short ends of the rectangle. Sprinkle the chopped semi-sweet chocolate over the chocolate filling. Roll the dough up from the opposite short side, pressing the end in to seal. Once rolled up, use a sharp knife to cut in half down the length. Twist the halves into a braid and add them to your loaf pan. Pro tip: Place your braided dough on parchment paper and use it to lift your babka loaf into the pan. It makes it easy to transfer and also makes clean-up a breeze!
Step 7: Let your babka rise in the loaf pan, loosely covered, for about 4 hours or until doubled in size.
Step 8: After doubling, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Make an egg wash by whisking one egg with a little bit of water. Brush the egg wash over the top of the babka and bake for 40-45 minutes until golden. Let the loaf cool before slicing.
Tips
- Feed your starter the night before you plan to make this, so it is nice and bubbly!
- If you don’t have bread flour, you can use all-purpose. It will not be quite as soft as using bread flour, but it will still turn out well. The bread flour also helps it rise more.
- This is a wet dough. Too much flour will give you a tougher bread rather than something light and fluffy, so refrain from adding more to reduce the stickiness.
- Once you have your babka filled and rolled up, move it to a piece of parchment paper before cutting it and braiding. Then use it to lift the babka into your loaf pan (and reduce the mess!).
- Enriched dough takes longer to rise. Warmer temperatures speed up the rise time.
Recipe FAQs
Once fully cooled, babka can be wrapped or placed in an airtight container and stored at room temperature for 3-5 days. We love using babka bread for French toast if we haven’t eaten it up in a few days! Alternatively, you can wrap it up well and freeze it for about a month.
Babka is a Jewish dessert and can be traced back to early 19th century Jewish communities in Eastern Europe.
Sourdough babka introduces the natural fermentation process of sourdough to a traditional Jewish dessert, replacing the yeast and adding the deep, complex flavor of sourdough.
Both babka and brioche are made with an enriched dough, but babka has a filling and brioche does not. Brioche can be used as a sandwich bread, and babka serves well as a dessert or treat due to the sweet filling and dough.
Babka is great all on its own. We also love enjoying a slice with a cold glass of milk on warmer days, or a hot cup of coffee or tea in the winter.
Baker’s Timeline:
This sourdough babka can be started or made at any time.
Feed sourdough starter with flour and water.
8:00 am: Combine ingredients and knead the dough until smooth.
8:15 am: Cover your dough and let it rise for 6-8 hours until doubled.
2:15 pm: Place the dough in the fridge for at least an hour and up to overnight.
8:00 am: Mix up your filling, roll out the dough, fill, and shape.
8:15 am: Cut and braid your dough and place it in your loaf pan. Let it rise another 4 hours.
12:15 pm: Bake for 40-45 minutes in a 350 degree Fahrenheit preheated oven.
More Sweet Sourdough Recipes from the Farmhouse
- Sourdough Chocolate Chip Bread
- Sourdough Bundt Cake
- Sourdough Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Sourdough Monkey Bread
- Sourdough Brownies
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love it if you could come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone.
Sourdough Babka with Chocolate Filling
Equipment
Ingredients
Dough
- 3 1/2 cups bread flour, 490 grams
- 1/4 cup sugar, 48 grams
- 1/2 cup milk, 122 grams
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, 7.5 grams
- 4 large eggs
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, 113 grams
- 1 cup active sourdough starter, 200 grams
Chocolate Filling
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder, 35 grams
- 2/3 cup sugar, 128 grams
- 8 tablespoons butter, 113 grams
- 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Feed your starter in the evening. In the morning, it should be very bubbly and active. Combine all dough ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment and knead until smooth and glossy. The dough will be very wet, but after 10-15 minutes in the stand mixer, it will come together. Don’t add more flour, or the texture may be thrown off.
- Cover the babka dough with plastic wrap, a damp towel, or a tight-fitting lid and place in a warm spot for 6-8 hours (or until doubled) for bulk fermentation.
- After the bulk fermentation, place the dough in the refrigerator for a few hours (or overnight) so it will be nice and stiff for shaping. Even a little fridge time makes shaping easier, as it does with brioche and challah.
- To make the chocolate filling, add the cocoa powder, sugar, chocolate chips, and softened butter in a small small pot. Heat on low until melted, stirring occasionally.
- Place the chilled dough on a lightly floured work surface, and roll it into a 10″ by 14″ rectangle. Trim the edges to keep a straight edge, if needed.
- Spread the chocolate filling evenly over the dough, spreading to the edges, leaving one inch of space at one of the short ends of the rectangle. Sprinkle the chopped semi-sweet chocolate over the chocolate filling. Roll the dough up from the opposite short side, pressing the end in to seal. Once rolled up, use a sharp knife to cut in half down the length. Twist the halves into a braid and add them to your loaf pan.
- Let your babka rise in the loaf pan, loosely covered, for about 4 hours or until doubled in size.
- After doubling, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Make an egg wash by whisking one egg with a little bit of water. Brush the egg wash over the top of the babka and bake for 40-45 minutes until golden. Let the loaf cool before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I mixed up the dough before I remembered my loaf pans were packed. So instead I made a 4-strand braid and baked it like a tea cake. Perfection!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Is the amount of cinnamon filling enough for both loaves? Or just for one?
It’s enough for both loaves!
When you say wet dough, is it supposed to look like cake batter? Used mixer with dough hook for 15 minutes then by hand with spatula for a couple more minutes and still looks like cake batter. Even added one tablespoon of flour. I’ve sent aside to ferment. Hopefully after time in refrigerator it will stiffen up.
It will be wet, but it shouldn’t be as wet as cake batter.
Hi. I also used the dough hook at first and it would not come together and I was about to do it by hand, but it seemed too sticky to do that, when I realized I should really just use the paddle attachment. Made a huge difference. I would switch to the dough hook once the dough comes together or maybe not at all.
Can you make this dairy free?
You could probably replace the milk with a milk alternative or water and coconut oil for butter. However, I’ve never tried this, so I can’t say for sure it would work or how the flavor would be. If you experiment with this, let us know!
I’ve made this with plant butter and it turned out great. I used lactose free milk, but I’m sure another plant milk would work. I did have a to add a little more flour for the dough to come together.
Absolutely delicious! We love this bread :). Thanks!
So glad you enjoy this recipe!
I don’t know why this recipe didn’t work for me. I’ve made a lot of your recipes and always had been succeeded but this not… I can’t handle it to make the roll to filling it. It was all night in the fridge. I didn’t add more flour… What is my error do you think? I’d like to try it another time to maje it right…
Hmm. If it was too stiff, maybe try it without the fridge time. I have done it both ways. Let the dough ferment until double, then roll out and add the filling, shape, and let it rise again for a few hours before baking.
I cannot believe how well this worked out! Will 100% make it again. Such a fan of everything Lisa does.
That is so amazing to hear! Glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Loved this! I was a little worried about how it would turn out being kneaded by hand and without a mixer – I ended up kneading in a bowl with a wooden spatula, and it turned out wonderful! I did not realize that it made 2 loaves (my mistake), but that was a pleasant surprise! Thanks for the recipe!
So glad it worked out! Thanks for sharing!
I’m gonna slap some cheese and jalapeños in mine and see how it turns out… if it works this is totes gonna be my new cheesy jalapeño bread
What a fun idea! Let us know how it turns out!
It turned out amazing! Though, something like pimento cheese might work better to keep everything in place. I’m doing one with pizza toppings next. I love the texture of this bread too. It’s like pastry dough with FAR less work.
I love Babka and usually make it with Nutella. I also make a sugar syrup and cover the loaf with it after baking. I do prefer baking sourdough using grams instead of cups/spoons. I have better luck weighing the ingredients.
That sounds delicious! I am working on including weight measurements for all my recipes. It just takes some time to get through them all. In the meantime, I do have a conversion chart here you can reference: https://www.farmhouseonboone.com/baking-conversion-chart