My Favorite Chocolate Babka Made Simpler with a Bread Machine

Sneak Peak: My favorite Chocolate Babka recipe takes this classic treat to the next level! Use your bread machine for effortless mixing and kneading, then shape and bake it in the oven for that homemade touch.

baked and sliced chocolate babkaPin

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You may wonder how on earth you can make a traditional chocolate babka with a machine. The answer is my usual, “Use the bread machine for what it does best (kneading and mixing), then shape it by hand and bake it in a conventional oven.”

What Is Babka?

  1. Babka is a sweet yeast bread with Jewish roots. It can be filled with cinnamon, hazelnuts, chocolate, etc.
  2. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, dessert, or snacks
  3. Best eaten fresh but even microwaved the next day or two, it makes an irresistible treat.
  4. Freezes well for make-ahead convenience.


How Long Does It Take To Make Chocolate Babka?

  • No all-day commitment—perfect for the busy holiday season
  • Most steps are hands-off
  • Total active time: less than 4 hours
  • Cooling time: 2 hours (recommended)

Ingredients and Substitutions

Note: To ensure the best results, use a digital scale for accurate measurements. Trust me; it makes a difference, especially with the flour and liquid.

  • HALF AND HALF:
    • Equal parts whole milk and heavy or whipping cream
    • Substitute with low-fat, non-fat, or evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed)
    • No substitute for the cream–essential for flavor and texture
    • No need to warm milk in a bread machine
  • SUGAR:
    • Dough: Granulated sugar only
    • Filling: Prefer powdered sugar; granulated sugar may create a grainy texture
  • SALT:
    • Use table or sea salt
    • Add ¼ teaspoon more if using Kosher salt
  • EGGS:
  • BUTTER:
  • FLOUR:
    • Use unbleached all-purpose flour
    • Avoid bread flour for softer texture
    • Weigh flour for accuracy
  • YEAST:
    • Instant or rapid-rise yeast (3/4 teaspoon)
  • CHOCOLATE:
    • Use bittersweet chocolate (Trader Joe’s or Ghirardelli)
    • Substitute semi-sweet chocolate if preferred
  • COCOA:
    • Use Dutch-process cocoa (e.g., Ghirardelli)
    • Not tested with regular cocoa

Equipment Recommendations

These items aren’t required (except the rolling pin), but they will make the process easier. These things are also helpful when making other bread recipes on this website.

picture of the silicone pad (with raw babka dough on top) I use to roll out babka.Pin
This extra large silicone mat(paid link) (26 x 16 inches) is not essential, but it makes handling Babka dough much easier.
two silicon mats overlapped to roll out babka.Pin
If you have two half-sheet-sized silicone baking mats, overlap them. When you wet the surface between the two mats, they will stick together and make it easier to roll dough longer than the length of one mat.

How To Make Chocolate Babka Dough in a Bread Machine

all ingredients added to the bread maker pan in the order listed in the recipe.Pin
Add all the dough ingredients to the bread machine pan in the order listed. Select the DOUGH cycle and press START.
The dough is clumping during the first minute of mixing in the bread machine.Pin
During the first minute, open the lid to make sure the paddles are engaged, and the dough is starting to form a ball.
Early in the kneading process before the gluten has had a chance to develop.Pin
If your dough looks like this during the first 5-10 minutes, do not add flour yet. It takes time for the gluten to develop a web that traps and absorbs all the moisture.
What dough should look like in the final minutes of the dough phase.Pin
Your dough should look smooth and shiny during the last 5 minutes of the kneading phase. This dough is perfect.

Dough should be tacky and stick to the sides but pull away cleanly.

  • Too smooth? Add a tiny bit of liquid.
  • Too wet? Add a small amount of flour.

📌Kitchen Tip📌 The perfect time to make the chocolate filling, egg glaze, and sugar syrup is while the dough is mixing and rising in the bread machine pan. This gives plenty of time for them to cool before you shape the dough.

At the end of the DOUGH cycle, the dough should be full and puffy.Pin
At the end of the DOUGH cycle, the dough should be nearly double the original size.
Removing the dough from the bread machine pan before chilling it.Pin
Remove the dough from the bread machine pan. Compress with your hands and drop it into a greased bowl.

covered bowl of babka dough ready to go into the fridge before rolling it out.Pin
Cover with plastic or a cheap shower cap. Set into the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes or as long as overnight.

How To Shape Chocolate Babka By Hand

Preheat a conventional oven to 350˚F (170˚C).

If you have made my Cinnamon-Twist Bread, this is the same shaping technique. Incidentally, the dough is also the same, with a few tweaks.

rolling tout the chilled dough.Pin
Remove the chilled dough to a lightly floured surface. I like this inexpensive silicone mat(paid link) designed to roll out pie crusts or anything big. It will make your whole experience with shaping Babka easier. I promise.
babka dough rolled out as thinly as possible.Pin
Dough rolled out as thin as possible (approximately 26 x 16 inches) on an extra large silicone mat. Don’t stress if it’s not the exact same size–come as close as you can.
spreading chocolate on the babka.Pin
A small rubber spatula or offset spatula is the best way to spread the cooled chocolate filling from edge to edge. Leave a quarter-inch margin at the short edge farthest from you.
rolling up the babka.Pin
Begin rolling from the short side closest to you.
The roll of dough/chocolate filling before placing it in the freezer for 10 minutes.Pin
Seal the edge by pinching with your fingers. Leave it on the silicone mat and place the roll into the freezer for 10 minutes to make the next step easier.
using a pizza cutter to cut the roll in half.Pin
Cut the chilled roll in half with a pizza cutter, bench knife, or a sharp knife. Try not to backtrack.
separating the half-pipes of dough.Pin
Pull the two sides apart and place them parallel to each other.
Starting the braid.Pin
Twist the two half-pipes together so that the cut sides are always up.
braiding the dough and getting it ready to place in the pan.Pin
Turn the ends under and position the braid inside an 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pan(paid link) lined with parchment paper. A 9 x 4 x 4-inch Pullman pan(paid link) would also work.
the shaped dough is in the pan and ready to bake.Pin
Immediately place the prepared loaf into a preheated oven. There is no need for a final rise.
applying the egg glaze before bakingPin
Brush the loaf with the egg glaze.
glazing baked babka with sugar syrup.Pin
Bake at 350˚F or 170˚C for 45-50 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 190-195˚F (88-90˚C). Check with a quick-read digital thermometer (paid link).

TIp: Cover with foil if the crust darkens before the inside is fully baked.


While the Babka is still warm, brush the sugar syrup all over the loaf. Allow to cool for 15 minutes in the pan. Turn the bread out onto a wire rack and let it cool for two hours before slicing.

📌Slicing tips📌

  1. Allow 2 hours for the loaf to cool before slicing. Otherwise, the layers may pull apart from the chocolate as it cools, leaving large spaces or holes between them.
  2. To get the prettiest slices, freeze the baked and cooled loaf. When frozen, allow the loaf to defrost just enough to slice the bread. Once sliced, the bread will thaw quickly and be ready to serve in minutes.
Slice of Babka held with antique tongsPin

FAQs About Chocolate Babka Mixed in a Bread Machine

  • How to store Babka: Best eaten fresh. Warm leftovers for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Double-wrap to avoid freezer burn.
  • Is the yeast amount correct? Yes, less than a teaspoon of instant yeast is all you need. This keeps layers thin, mimicking bakery-style Babka.
  • Why is my babka doughy in the middle? It’s undercooked. Use a digital thermometer and bake to 190-195˚F internally for perfect results. Another cause is cutting it before it’s completely cooled.
  • Why did my babka fall apart? Slice only after cooling for 2+ hours. If sliced warm, expect softer, messier layers.

Parting Thoughts: Shaping Babka can be tricky, but this method is the most beginner-friendly I’ve found. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect the first time—practice makes perfect!

If you love baking for special occasions, try these bread machine recipes:


Need help troubleshooting? Please email me: Paula at saladinajar.com–photos welcome!

sliced Bread Machine Chocolate Babka mixed in a bread machine.Pin
Yield: 10 slices

Chocolate Babka Recipe Made Simpler with a Bread Machine

Surprise your family and friends with this Chocolate Babka. A bread machine makes mixing and kneading the rich dough a hands-off process. You take over the shaping and baking process for the best loaf possible.
5 from 20 votes
PRINT RECIPE PIN RECIPE

Video

Prep time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Cook time: 50 minutes
Shaping Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total time: 3 hours 45 minutes

Ingredients
 

  • ½ cup (114 g) half & half (or ¼ cup milk + ¼ cup heavy cream)
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 2 large (100 g) eggs
  • 3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter (chopped)
  • cups + 1 tablespoon (308 g) all-purpose flour
  • ¾ teaspoon instant yeast

Filling:

  • cup (76 g) unsalted butter
  • 2.5 ounces (70 g) bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate
  • cup + 1 tablespoon (44 g) powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoons (15 g) Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa
  • teaspoon cinnamon optional

Egg Glaze:

  • 1 large (50 g) egg
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • pinch table salt

Sugar Syrup:

  • ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup (57 g) water

Instructions

Dough:

  • Place all ingredients for the dough (in the order listed) ½ cup (114 g) half & half (or ¼ cup milk + ¼ cup heavy cream), 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, ¾ teaspoon salt, 2 large (100 g) eggs, 3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter (chopped), 2½ cups + 1 tablespoon (308 g) all-purpose flour, and ¾ teaspoon instant yeast into the bread machine pan.
  • Select the DOUGH cycle and press START.
  • Check dough in the first minute to ensure paddles are engaged and dough is clumping.
  • After 15 minutes, adjust the consistency of the dough:
    Too wet? Add flour 1 tbsp at a time.
    Too dry? Add water 1 tsp at a time.
    See this post for more details about this surprising secret to better bread in a bread machine.

Filling:

  • Once you have the dough started in the bread machine, prepare the filling.
  • Place ⅓ cup (76 g) unsalted butter and 2.5 ounces (70 g) bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on 50% power for 2 minutes until completely melted. Stir together in circles until smooth.
  • Add ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon (44 g) powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons (15 g) Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa, and ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon to the melted butter and chocolate mixture. Stir until smooth. Set aside to cool. If the mixture seems too thick to spread, whip it by hand to soften it. If you add liquid, it may become too soft and hard to manage.

Glaze:

  • Combine 1 large (50 g) egg, 1 tablespoon water, and a pinch table salt in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth.

Sugar Syrup:

  • Combine ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar and ¼ cup (57 g) water in a small microwave-safe bowl. Don’t stir. Microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes or until the sugar is dissolved. (Stovetop method: Boil this sugar-water mixture on your stove-top for 2 minutes or until the sugar dissolves. Don’t stir while it cooks.)

Shaping:

  • When the DOUGH cycle finishes, remove the dough from the bread machine pan to a greased bowl. Compress the dough by hand. Cover. Chill for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
  • Remove the dough from the fridge and roll it into a 26 x 16-inch rectangle or as thin as possible without making holes. Spread the chocolate filling to the edges on all but the short side farthest away from you. An offset knife or small silicone spatula will help spread the chocolate evenly.
  • Begin with the short side closest to you and shape the dough like a jellyroll. Roll the dough tightly, but don’t stretch the dough. Once rolled, pinch the seam to seal. Place the roll into the freezer for 10 minutes to make the next step easier. (If you are using a silicone mat, use it to hold and transfer the roll to the freezer.)
  • Remove the roll from the freezer. Use a bench knife, pizza cutter, or large knife to slice the roll in half lengthwise. Try not to backtrack.
  • Place the halves parallel to each other and side by side with the cut surfaces facing up. Pick up one half and drape it across the middle of the other half. Take the half underneath and drape it over the top. Continue twisting as you work towards each end. (See the video.)
  • Place the twisted dough into a nonstick or greased 8½ x 4½ loaf pan. If it is too long, compress the twisted dough from each end to make it fit.

Baking:

  • As soon as you finish shaping your loaf, preheat your conventional oven to <strong>350</strong> °F (180˚C). You will not let the loaf rise until it doubles like a traditional bread recipe.
  • Brush the loaf with the egg glaze.
  • As soon as your oven comes to temperature, bake for 40-45 minutes or until the internal temperature of the bread reaches 195-200 °F. (90-93˚C). Brush with sugar syrup immediately after removing the bread from the oven.
  • Let stand in the pan for 30 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack for another hour before slicing.

Notes

Directions for making bread with a stand mixer or by hand:
To make this recipe in a heavy-duty stand mixer:
  • Add ingredients to the bowl in the same order.
  • Turn on LOW to mix until all ingredients are moistened.
  • Using a dough hook, turn the speed to 2 or 3.
  • Continue beating/kneading until dough becomes smooth and elastic (about 5-10 minutes).
  • Cover and allow to rise in a warm place.
  • Deflate dough gently and shape as indicated in the recipe.
To Make by Hand:
  • Combine all ingredients into a shaggy ball in a large bowl.
  • Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead with your hands until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. Kneading will likely take 10-20 minutes, depending on your experience.
  • Place the dough ball into a greased bowl. Cover and allow to rise until double.
  • Deflate the dough gently and shape as indicated in the recipe.
Please note: If you only have active dry yeast, use 1/4 teaspoon more than called for in the recipe. It no longer needs to be dissolved first, but you can if you prefer.
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 451kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 288mg | Potassium: 180mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 415IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 3mg

All images and text ©️ Paula Rhodes for Salad in a Jar.com

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4.70 from 20 votes (13 ratings without comment)

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15 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Another hit for us! I’d never made a babka before – followed the directions exactly and boom – I made a babka! The filling is rich and decadent (I used semi-sweet chocolate) and just enough to be enticing, but not overwhelming. We froze it for easy slicing and it didn’t even really have to thaw, it was soft and delicious right out of the freezer. It didn’t last long. Thank you!

    1. Hi Marie,

      I’m so excited to hear that you loved the babka. Thank you for the 5-star review.

  2. 5 stars
    I made this for the first time last week.
    I’m glad the you had a video because I had quite the time folding it into the pan.
    Tastes wonderful.
    Thankfully for another great recipe.

    1. Hi Lois,

      I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! It can definitely be a bit tricky folding it into the pan the first time, so kudos to you for giving it a go. Practice makes it easier, and I’m thrilled the video helped! Thank you for the kind words—hearing that it turned out wonderfully makes my day. Let me know if you have any questions. 😊

  3. 5 stars
    Made this for the first time. The video and directions were very detailed and easy to follow. It looks great. I’m so glad I can bake it and freeze it before serving. I follow all your bread machine recipes. Any possibility of including nutritional information, especially the carbohydrates. Thank you .

    1. Hi Valerie,

      The nutritional information is always found at the bottom of the recipe. The carb count is high as you can imagine.

  4. 5 stars
    My family and friends were completely wowed by this recipe. As usual, Paula’s instructions were simple and easy to follow. Don’t be afraid to try this bread-it tastes as good as it looks!
    No wonder Chocolate Babka was featured in a Seinfeld episode:)

  5. 5 stars
    My family and friends were really wowed by this recipe. As usual, Paula’s instructions were simple and easy to follow. Don’t be afraid to try this -it’s a showstopper and tastes as good as it looks. No wonder it was featured in a Seinfeld episode:)

  6. 4 stars
    When do we put the glaze on? The sugar syrup goes on right after you pull it out of the oven but I didn’t see where/when to put the egg glaze mixture on…?

    1. Hi Maria,

      The egg glaze goes on just before you put the shaped babka into the oven. I have fixed the recipe. Thank you so much for taking the time to ask about it. If that ever happens again, always check the video (if there is one) or look at the pictures in the post. It is pictured there, also.

      Hope the bread turns out good for you.

  7. Rochelle T says:

    5 stars
    Super easy to follow! I used milk and butter in replacement of half and half. Worked great!

    1. Hi Rochelle,

      I’ve never tried the milk and butter replacement, so that’s good to know. Thank you for taking the time to write in case other readers need a substitute for half and half.

  8. Paige Hill says:

    Possible to split dough to make mini babka loaves?

    1. Hi Paige,

      Glad you asked. Do you mean to make a smaller batch of dough? or make several mini babkas from one batch?

      If the latter, absolutely yes. The mini-babkas are easier to shape, in my opinion. I plan to do the same thing next week to give to my neighbors.

      If you want to cut the recipe in half, it depends. I would only do that if you have a compact bread machine that’s designed for small batches. Otherwise, I’m not sure the paddle(s) would do a very good job of kneading the smaller amount of dough.

      Hope they turn out well for you.