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The Triple Vanilla Buns dough reimagined as a loaf, filled with silky dark chocolate ganache, twisted, and cold-proofed overnight. A little more dramatic to look at, just as easy to make, and especially good warm out of the oven with a cup of coffee.
Print RecipeMakes 1 loaf
Sweet Stiff Starter
Final Dough
Filling
Glaze
Mix all starter ingredients together well. Knead for 5 minutes until it starts to smooth out - it will be quite stiff. Ferment at 78-80F minimum. The easiest method is your oven with just the light on (not right next to the bulb), or a proofer at 85F. The warmer the starter, the faster it will rise. For overnight, keep it close to 80f and do not use it until it has AT LEAST doubled. Do this right before bed for an overnight ferment. If your starter smells strongly of apple cider vinegar, it has over-fermented - this will make your babka taste sour. You want it to roughly double and look bubbly and active inside.
It's important to know that in order to have zero sour tang, it's best to feed your starter 2-3 times before making the sweet stiff starter and keep it at 75-78f the whole time. This encourages yeast growth and slows bacterial growth. Please reference this article by Andrew Janjigian and Ian Lowe who first invented this method.
Mix the sweet stiff starter, flour, milk, sugar, and egg together. Mix by hand for 3-5 minutes until it comes together with no lumps or use a stand mixer on the lowest setting. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes, then slowly add the butter and salt. Do NOT turn your mixer up - at the lowest speed this takes about 25 minutes in a KitchenAid. If you have a spiral mixer, you can mix it faster but watch the temperature. Heating up the dough will weaken the gluten and affect your final rise. Mixing by hand? Use the slap and fold technique. You want the dough coming off the sides of the bowl - it doesn't need to reach the full windowpane, especially if you are mixing by hand. When you first add the butter, it will be a MESS. Don't worry, it will come back together!
Transfer to a lightly greased container (the butter wrapper works great), cover, and ferment in a warm spot for 3 hours. I like to use my Brod and Taylor proofer at 80-82f for this. Then place in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour. The dough must be cold when you fill and shape it.
In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, warm the milk, butter, and sugar together until the sugar fully dissolves. Pour the hot mixture over the chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl. Add the vanilla, instant coffee, and salt. Let it sit undisturbed for a couple of minutes, then stir gently until completely smooth and glossy. Let it cool to room temperature before using - do not refrigerate. It should be spreadable but not runny, like a soft ganache.
Once your dough is cold, lightly flour your counter and roll it into a 12" by 9" rectangle. Spread the chocolate filling evenly over the entire surface all the way to the edges. Starting from a long edge, roll the dough tightly into a 12" log. It is a lot of filling, but I like a punchy chocolate flavor. If you prefer, you can roll your dough larger and have thinner dough and more layers. It's up to you!
Place the filled log on a small tray or plate, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This firms everything up and makes the next step much cleaner and easier.
Grease a loaf pan, most standard sized pans will work (somewhere around 9" by 5"). Take your chilled log and using a sharp knife, cut it in half lengthwise so you have two long strips with all those gorgeous chocolate layers exposed. With the cut sides facing up, twist the two pieces around each other. Transfer the twist into your prepared loaf pan and tuck in any loose ends. If you need any help in how to do it, the video is posted on my Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.
Cover the pan and let it final rise overnight. Do this right before you go to bed. If you used Sonora or whole grain flour, don't put the babka anywhere warm. Pull it from the fridge right at bedtime. If you use all white bread flour, it can handle a slightly warmer and longer final proof.
The next morning, heat your oven to 350F. Bake for 30-35 minutes (a loaf runs a little longer than individual buns). The babka is done when it reaches 190F internally and is deep golden on top. Oven temps vary - watch it and trust your thermometer over the clock.
While the babka bakes, gently heat the sugar and water together until the sugar dissolves, then let it cool slightly. The moment the babka comes out of the oven, brush it generously with the glaze, and be really generous. The filling isn't overly sweet, and neither is the dough, so the glaze really brings the flavors together as a treat. Let it cool for 20 minutes before slicing. It is incredible warm, about 30 minutes out of the oven, with a cup of coffee.
On the flour: Sonora whole grain flour (or einkorn, or any soft wheat) adds a lovely nuttiness that plays beautifully with the chocolate. You can adjust the whole grain percentage or use all bread flour, both work great.
On the filling: The instant coffee and vanilla are optional, but both quietly deepen the chocolate flavor without announcing themselves. Don't skip the pinch of salt.
Don't refrigerate the filling, it will seize. It needs to stay at room temperature and spreadable.
Timing overview: This naturally spreads over 2-3 days. Night 1: build the starter. Day 2 morning: mix dough, bulk ferment, then fridge. Day 2 afternoon/evening: make filling, roll and fill, chill the log, cut and twist into pan, back in the fridge overnight. Day 3 morning: bake.
