As the weather turns colder and more blustery, I’ve been craving a warm and comforting dessert/mid-day snack that will warm me from the inside out. This chili chocolate babka is just that–light and pillowy bread swirled with a decadent chocolate spread with added cinnamon and guajillo chili powder for warmth and complexity of flavor. An old tried and true classic meets Mexican hot chocolate and the result is outstanding, with the guajillo lifting the richness of the chocolate and adding hints of fruitness and subtle spice. This may not be your grandmother’s babka but it is without a doubt my snow day dream.
When developing this recipe, I started off with a David Lebovitz chocolate babka recipe that I’ve made several times. I wanted my babka to taste as light and fluffy as possible and to stay moist for multiple days so I adjusted the recipe to utilize the tangzhong technique, where some of the liquid and flour in the recipe are heated into a paste before being mixed in with the other ingredients. Another big adaptation of course was the decision to add chili. I love mixing sweet and savory and I thought that adding an extra dimension to the chocolate would keep the babka interesting so you keep going back for more.
Guajillo was the perfect chili for the job–not very spicy at all, but mainly there in the background to complement the chocolate flavor and add subtle hints of fruitiness and heat. I had previously tried to use a pinch of cayenne, but I found that just added a little gut punch of heat that would hit the palate immediately, instead of seamlessly blending in with the chocolate. It does require a little bit more work to make your own chili powder–I quickly toasted a few guajillo chilis in a pan and then used a spare coffee grinder to grind them into a powder. The results, however, will not disappoint. If you’re not in the mood to fuss with making your own chili powder, feel free to omit and make a more classic babka or experiment with ancho or another more readily available chili powder–just add little bits at a time and taste as you go. I amped up the cinnamon in the babka as a nice complement to both the chili and chocolate.
Lastly, in the past, I’ve sometimes had issues with my babka filling tasting a bit grainy from the granulated sugar, so this version uses confectioners’ sugar which creates a luscious, smooth chocolate spread, almost like a ganache. I also chose to omit any add-ins, such as nuts, brownie bits, etc., as I didn’t want to clutter the babka with too many different flavors after having added a considerable amount of chili and cinnamon. Sometimes less is more. But also if you have some add-ins that are calling your name, be my guest and go for it!
I hope you’ll give this chocolate babka recipe a try. The dough here is very forgiving and while the braiding of the finished product looks impressive, it’s really not difficult to achieve, and takes only a few steps once you’ve made the dough. Here’s to hoping this *spicy* (more in attitude than in taste) babka with a twist brings you cheer and warmth on cold winter days!
This chili chocolate babka has a light and pillowy texture and is swirled with a decadent chocolate, guajillo chili, and cinnamon spread for the perfect bit of added warmth. This babka isn’t spicy, but just contains a subtle heat and fruitiness from the guajillo chili to complement the chocolate, perfect comforting soul food for a blustery winter day.
Ingredients
- For the tangzhong
2 Tbsp (15g) all-purpose flour
Scant 1/3 cup (75g) milk (whole milk, low-fat milk and plant milks all work here)
- For the dough
1/3 cup (83g) cold milk
1 egg
1/2 tsp kosher salt (1/4 tsp table salt)
1 tsp granulated sugar
2 tsp instant yeast
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (265g) all-purpose flour
6 Tbsp (90g) unsalted butter, softened
- For the filling
7 Tbsp (100g) unsalted butter
80g (a little under 3 oz) bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1/2 cup (60g) confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp guajillo chili powder (see note)
1/2 cup (40g) unsweetened cocoa powder
pinch of salt
Instructions
- Make the tangzhong by whisking together the 2 Tbsp of flour and scant 1/3 cup of milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until a thick paste forms. Immediately transfer into a large mixing bowl.
- Whisk in the cold milk to help break down the tangzhong a little bit. Then whisk in the egg (feel the mixture first just to make sure it’s not piping hot before adding the egg). Add in the salt, sugar, yeast, and flour and mix until a dough starts to come together. You can do this in a stand mixer or by hand. If using your hand, start kneading and mixing by hand until there are no more spots of flour and you have a ball of dough. Then one tablespoon at a time, knead in the butter, each time waiting until it is fully incorporated before adding the next tablespoon (about 10 minutes total). Once all of the butter has been incorporated, pat into a ball, return to the bowl, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator for at least six hours or ideally overnight.
- Once your dough has finished resting in the fridge, make the chocolate filling. In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Once melted, turn off the heat and add the chocolate. Stir in the chocolate for a few minutes until it has melted and the mixture is smooth. Then stir in the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, chili, and salt. Let sit to cool and thicken up a bit while you roll out the dough.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 12″ x 20″ rectangle. Spread the chocolate filling evenly over the dough coating the entire surface and getting as close to the edges as you can. Then, starting on one of the long 20″ edges, roll tightly into a 20″ log. Then, use a sharp knife to completely cut the log in half lengthwise so that you have two 20″ strands.
- To shape the babka, rotate each of the cut pieces so that the filling is facing up. Overlap the end of one piece with the end of another and press lightly to fuse them together. This will be one end of your loaf. Then lift one strand and place it over the other, keeping the cut side with filling facing up at all times. After creating that first cross, you’ll now place the second strand over the first, continuing to alternate which strand is on top until you have twisted/braided all of the dough (see photo above). Always try to keep the filling facing up. Press together lightly at the other end once you’ve reached it. Then place one hand on each end, with your palms facing each other, and push them towards each other, squidging the dough together until it’s about the size of your loaf pan. Then carefully lift up the babka and place in the loaf pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen cloth and let rise for about 1-2 hours until it has risen considerably in size (a bit less than doubled) and has filled out the rest of the gaps in the loaf pan.
- Then preheat the oven the 375F and bake on a rack in the center of the oven for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (minus bits of melted chocolate).
- While the babka is in the oven, in a small saucepan mix together 1/4 cup of water, 1/4 cup of granulated sugar and 1/2 tablespoon of honey. Heat over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved. Then remove from the heat and set aside.
- As soon as the babka comes out of the oven, brush or spoon the syrup over the top, generously using most or all of the syrup. Let cool completely before removing the babka from the loaf pan and slicing. You can keep the babka at room temperature for a few days, covered in plastic, or cover tightly in plastic and store in the freezer.
Notes
- To make guajillo chili powder, remove the top stems and seeds from 3-4 dried guajillo chilis (I just got mine at my local supermarket). Then place in a dry pan over high heat and toast for about 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side until fragrant. Remove from the heat and let cool. Then grind in a mortar and pestle, spice grinder, or high powered blender until you have a fine powder. If using a small spice grinder, you may need to tear the chili into smaller pieces before grinding.
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