Chocolate Babka. Credit: Abby Quatro

Spencer Horovitz’s Chocolate Babka

Name: Spencer Horovitz’s Chocolate Babka
Prep time: 5400 s
Cook time: 4500 s
Total time: 27000 s
Yield: 15
Cuisine: Israeli
Ingredients: FOR THE DOUGH; All purpose flour: 495 g; Milk: 105 g; Cream: 35 g; Whole eggs: 106 g; Egg yolks: 59 g; Brown sugar: 30 g; Granulated sugar: 35 g; Kosher salt: 7 g; Butter: 65 g (softened); Butter for browning: 45 g; Active dry yeast: 6 g; Ice: 7 g; Vanilla paste: 5 g; Milk powder: 5 g; FOR THE CHOCOLATE GANACHE; Dark chocolate: 200 g (finely chopped); Heavy cream: 135 g; Unsalted butter: 30 g; Granulated sugar: 20 g; Kosher salt: 2 g; FOR THE CHOCOLATE LAYER; Dark chocolate: 100 g (chopped into small pieces); FOR THE EGG WASH; Large egg: 1; Milk: 1 tbsp; FOR THE COCOA STREUSEL; All purpose flour: 35 g; Granulated sugar: 30 g; Cocoa powder: 10 g

18 Sep 2026

Spencer Horovitz

Chef

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Difficulty

Challenge

Total Time

7H 30MIN

Cuisine

Israeli

Ingredients

FOR THE DOUGH

All purpose flour: 495 g

Milk: 105 g

Cream: 35 g

Whole eggs: 106 g

Egg yolks: 59 g

Brown sugar: 30 g

Granulated sugar: 35 g

Kosher salt: 7 g

Butter: 65 g (softened)

Butter for browning: 45 g

Active dry yeast: 6 g

Ice: 7 g

Vanilla paste: 5 g

Milk powder: 5 g

FOR THE CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Dark chocolate: 200 g (finely chopped)

Heavy cream: 135 g

Unsalted butter: 30 g

Granulated sugar: 20 g

Kosher salt: 2 g

FOR THE CHOCOLATE LAYER

Dark chocolate: 100 g (chopped into small pieces)

FOR THE EGG WASH

Large egg: 1

Milk: 1 tbsp

FOR THE COCOA STREUSEL

All purpose flour: 35 g

Granulated sugar: 30 g

Cocoa powder: 10 g

Unsalted butter: 25 g

Kosher salt: 1 g

FOR THE BABKA SYRUP

Water: 2 cups

Honey: 1/2 cup

Granulated sugar: 2 cups

FOR THE MACERATED STRAWBERRIES

Fresh strawberries: 500 g (hulled and quartered)

Maple syrup: 40 g

Granulated sugar: 20 g

Kosher salt: 2 g

FOR THE WHIPPED CRÈME FRAÎCHE

Cold heavy cream: 250 g

Crème fraîche: 150 g

Powdered sugar: 30 g

Vanilla paste or vanilla extract: 5 g

Kosher salt: 1 g

FOR FINISHING

Butter, for greasing the bowl, loaf pan, and baking sheet

Yes, you need a scale for this recipe, but otherwise, “it isn’t that scary!” says Horovitz. He calls the dessert “both a joy and lifelong curse.” Bring it to one dinner party, he warns, and “you will be forever levied with the burden of bringing chocolate babka to every social or family event you will attend for the rest of your life.” It’s that good.

How to make Chocolate Babka

01.

Make and Chill the Dough

Melt the 45 g butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter foams, smells nutty, and turns golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer the browned butter to a heatproof bowl and let cool to approximately 70°F, 10 to 15 minutes.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, milk powder, milk, cream, and whole eggs. Mix on low speed just until a shaggy dough forms, 1 to 2 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes.
Mix the dough on low speed for 5 minutes to begin developing the gluten.
Add the yeast and mix on low speed for 1 minute.
Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla paste. Mix on medium-low speed until fully incorporated, about 3 minutes.
Add the salt and continue mixing for 2 minutes.
Add the ice and mix until it has melted and been fully incorporated into the dough.
With the mixer running on medium-low speed, gradually add the 65 g softened butter a few pieces at a time. Once incorporated, slowly add the cooled brown butter. Continue mixing until the dough is smooth, elastic, and passes the windowpane test, 8 to 12 minutes. If the dough becomes too warm or greasy, refrigerate it in the mixer bowl for 10 minutes, then resume mixing.
Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl. Cover and let proof at room temperature for 1 hour.
Gently press the dough to release excess gas. Cover and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes or up to 24 hours.

02.

Make the Ganache and Cocoa Streusel

Place the 200 g finely chopped dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
Combine the heavy cream, butter, granulated sugar, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate and let stand undisturbed for 1 minute. Stir slowly from the center outward until the ganache is smooth and fully emulsified. Let cool at room temperature until thick but spreadable, 20 to 30 minutes.
To make the streusel, combine the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the butter and work it into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until coarse crumbs form.
Cover and refrigerate the streusel until ready to use.

03.

Shape and Proof the Babka

Lightly grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll the chilled dough into an approximately 11¼-by-15-inch rectangle.
Spread the ganache evenly over the dough, extending it to the edges. Scatter the 100 g chopped dark chocolate evenly over the ganache.
Beginning with one of the short sides, roll the dough tightly into a log. Using a sharp knife, cut the log in half lengthwise to expose the layers.
Twist the two halves together, keeping the cut sides facing upward as much as possible. Pinch the ends together to seal.
Gently transfer the twisted dough to the prepared loaf pan.
Whisk together the egg and milk until smooth. Brush a thin, even layer of egg wash over the babka. Cover loosely and refrigerate the remaining egg wash.
Let the babka proof at room temperature until visibly expanded and an indentation made with a fingertip slowly springs back, 1 to 2 hours.
Toward the end of the proofing time, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Brush the babka with another thin layer of egg wash, then scatter the cocoa streusel generously over the top.

04.

Bake and Glaze the Babka

Bake the babka at 350°F for 15 minutes.
Without opening the oven, reduce the temperature to 325°F. Continue baking until the babka is deeply golden and a probe thermometer inserted into the center registers 195°F, 15 to 20 minutes more.
While the babka bakes, combine the water, honey, and granulated sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
Continue boiling until the bubbles become tight and uniform and the syrup reaches a consistency similar to maple syrup, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Transfer the baked babka, still in its pan, to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes.
While the babka is still warm, generously brush or slowly spoon the syrup over the top, allowing it to soak into the loaf. Reserve the remaining syrup for finishing the slices.
Let the glazed babka cool completely in the pan, about 1 hour, before removing and slicing.

05.

Prepare the Strawberries and Whipped Crème Fraîche

Combine the strawberries, maple syrup, granulated sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Toss gently until evenly coated.
Let the strawberries macerate at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes, tossing once or twice, until they release some of their juices and become glossy. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a handheld mixer, whip the cold heavy cream to soft peaks.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the crème fraîche, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt until smooth.
Gently fold the whipped cream into the crème fraîche mixture in two additions.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

06.

Toast and Serve the Babka

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly butter a rimmed baking sheet.
Cut the cooled babka into thick slices and arrange them in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
Lightly brush the tops of the slices with the reserved babka syrup.
Bake until the edges are lightly crisp and caramelized but the centers remain soft and moist, 5 to 8 minutes. Do not allow the slices to crisp all the way through.
Serve the babka warm with the macerated strawberries and whipped crème fraîche.

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18 Sep 2026

Chef Enthusiast

Home Cooking

The Chef

San Francisco chef Spencer Horovitz explores California Jewish cuisine through Hadeem, drawing on family traditions, personal memories, and seasonal ingredients.

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