Chocolate Babka
Hi Folks,
While researching my latest craze of Artisan bread, I spotted a pic to the side of the webpage I was looking at , and it had an unusually beautiful shaped loaf of bread which turned out to be a Chocolate Babka. I was intrigued and researched more recipes and was overwhelmed as usuall at all the different yet similar ways to make this bread. Well I had had enough one afternoon and said to myself I had all the ingredients why not just try. Well I am sure most you have already found out that sometimes folks post recipes incorrect on purpose. I don't know why folks do this why throw folks under the bus. Why bother post it. Well the recipe I decided to follow had 1/4 + 1 tsp sugar which I figured out that should be 1/4 cup of sugar and they had 11.2 cups of flour which I figured out was 1 1/2 but that was not enough flour and by looking at a recipe for 2 loaves decided it should have been 2 1/2 cups but then being careful with the flour using only as needed towards the end. The recipe had 5 tblsp butter 1/3 cup milk 1 pkg yeast 1 egg + 1 yolk, 1/4 salt. So you tell me what you think the flour should be. I made my own version of filling which was pretty darn good of cocoa, semi sweet chocolate chips, brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon and butter. I did only 2 1 hour rises. Overall it came out good but it was a learning experience. Any thoughts suggestions to those who have made or are expert Babka makers?
Hi and welcome to the forum.
"Well I am sure most you have already found out that sometimes folks post recipes incorrect on purpose. I don't know why folks do this why throw folks under the bus." I've been part of this forum for more than 2 years now and have never known personally or even seen anyone else post a statement that folks are being purposefully led astray. Has it happened? I don't know, but I'm in the court that says this is not business as usual around here.
I think that is a stretch to think that people here, most of whom are quite supportive and helpful, are hellbent on misleading others with false information. Rather, it might be better to think that an amount was mistyped or just plain innocently incorrect.
Follow this link to Melissa Clark's Chocolate Babka recipe. The pictures on that first one I posted do a little injustice to what I was able to create on the second go-around, as shown below...
alan
Hi Alfanso,
I think there has been a little misunderstanding here. By all means I did not mean any recipes from this website, it is other websites out on the net that I have found misleading recipes. I have visited this website in the past before just recently joining and I know the folks here are serious about their baking. So to reiterate it was not here that I found that sometimes you see out on the net incorrect recipes. I usually look at a ton before I start any recipe to double check and recheck ingredients and time and temp.
Thanks for the link I will check it out right now. Your bread looks really nice. I have pics of mine too but have not loaded them onto my computer yet.
anywhere else for recipes. When one shows up here, (just type babka in the search box above to get a zillion of them) many folks go over the recipes once posted to see if they make sense and ask questions of the OP to get typos and possible errors corrected. It is pretty hard to have a recipe show up here for long with mistakes in it and why TFL has such good ones. Most are then test baked by other Fresh Lofians over time who report additional things and tips about the recipe that only show up after baking it.
Alphanso's take on Clark's babka is a very nice one for sure.
Good luck with the babka bake
don't know what happened to my pictures, but I have 2 NEW pictures of my latest 2 babka's with the streusel topping...oh my gosh I just love Chocolate Babka these are sooooo good.
for some reason
Hi dabrownman,
I see both pictures I posted.
the outside pict either. =(
Hi Folks, I was having some issues with photos with size. Will try to post again.
Nice one!
Technically speaking, babka is not considered to be bread in Poland, it's a cake :)
On an unrelated note, I have problems classifying challah as well (made as chalka in Poland). But then this is a type we would probably call a sweet roll.
Hi tptak,
From researching Babka I hear there is a traditional fluted pan these are supposed to be baked in and it looks like the dress ruffle of grandmother's dress therefore called Babka after Grandmother. I have a small fancy bundt pan I might try baking a babka in one time.
my latest
Now you're going to have to make me a loaf!
Hi Bob,
Well I am either going to have to figure out how to Fed Ex baked goods or type out the recipe...lol
And teach me how to bake it in person! ROFLOL
Hi Bob,
Well you never know I might take you up on that...lol. Let me know if you want me to send you my recipe and steps....I think I have made it pretty simple.
Send it, to see if I can make a loaf out of it (or more likely, a chocolate pudding1 ROFLOL)
There are two types of babka - sand babka (piaskowa) and yeast babka. Usually, as you said, they are baked in a special pan, but at the same time the sand one is quite often baked in a regular loaf pan. Have a look here: https://zpierwszegotloczenia.pl/przepis/babka-piaskowa
Looking at your bakes I am feeling challenged. Need to bake something for monday (I'm on my own currently, so I eat one or two pieces and leave the rest at work for others to eat).
Hi Tptak,
Thank for your response posting. The piaskowa reminds me more of what we call here in the US a marble pound cake with baking powder. My heritage is German and I have been trying to create a Marmorkuchen which is a dense marble cake. Check out the link to see what a Marmorkuchen is like. I tried one recipe from the internet and the ingredients were off with either too much butter or too much milk. It was too soft and kept falling apart since the cake is supposed to be very dense.
http://www.chefkoch.de/rs/s0/Marmorkuchen/Rezepte.html
I am going to keep my eye open for the traditional baking pan for Babka as well.