Chocolate-Orange Babka Wreath

I can’t take care of plants so I opted out of buying a real wreath this Christmas, however a baked one, that I can do. For this babka wreath, I did a chocolate and orange pairing, perfect for the holidays. The bright orange flavor is incorporated in the dough in juice and zest forms. Then lovely ribbons of chocolate are woven in.

I used Smitten Kitchen’s Better Chocolate Babka recipe which yields four loaves, so yes this wreath is big, but I didn’t want the gap to get too small in the middle. I amped up the orange flavor by substituting water for orange juice. And for the chocolate filling, I added a bit of espresso powder to enhance the chocolate-y flavor.

Chocolate-Orange Babka Wreath
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s Better Chocolate Babka

Ingredients:

Dough
4 1/4 cups (530 grams) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons instant yeast
Grated zest of half an orange
3 large eggs
1/2 cup orange juice (cold is fine) and up to 1 to 2 tablespoons extra, if needed
3/4 teaspoon fine sea or table salt
2/3 cup unsalted butter (150 grams or 5.3 ounces) at room temperature
Vegetable oil, for greasing

Filling
4 1/2 ounces (130 grams) dark chocolate (or approximately 3/4 cup chocolate chips)
1/2 cup (120 grams) unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
Scant 1/2 cup (50 grams) powdered sugar
1/3 cup (30 grams) cocoa powder

Syrup
1/3 cup water
6 tablespoons (75 grams) granulated sugar

Watch the how-to for shaping the babka wreath.

Make the dough: Combine the flour, sugar, yeast and zest in the bottom of the bowl of a stand mixer. Add eggs and 1/2 cup orange juice, mixing with the dough hook until it comes together. It’s okay if it’s on the dry side, but if it doesn’t come together at all, add  water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough just comes together. With the mixer on low, add the salt, then the butter, a spoonful at a time, mixing until it’s incorporated into the dough. Then, mix on medium speed for 10 minutes until dough is completely smooth; you’ll need to scrape the bowl down a few times. I usually found that after 10 minutes, the dough began to pull away from the sides of the bowl. If it doesn’t, you can add 1 tablespoon extra flour to help this along.

Coat a quarter sheet pan with oil and pat the dough into a rectangle shape (handy tip from Breads Bakery in NYC) so it is easier to roll out once proofed. Cover with plastic and refrigerate. Leave in fridge for at least half a day, preferably overnight. [Dough will not fully double, so don’t fret if it doesn’t look like it grew by more than half.]

When ready to assemble:

Make filling: Melt butter and chocolate together until smooth. Add espresso powder and incorporate until dissolved. Stir in powdered sugar and cocoa; mixture should form a spreadable paste. Set aside.

Roll out dough: Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the fridge and roll out on a floured surface to about 18 x 12″ rectangle. The dough was pretty tacky but I did not need to add extra flour.

Spread the chocolate mixture evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border all around. Brush the end farthest away from you with water. Roll the dough up with the filling into a long, tight cigar. Seal the dampened end onto the log. Place the log on the cookie sheet and place it in the freezer for 10- 15 minutes. Chilling it will allow you to get a much cleaner cut.

Place the chilled log back to your work surface. Trim last 1/2-inch off each end of log. Gently cut the log in half lengthwise and lay them next to each other on the counter, cut sides up. Pinch the top ends gently together. Lift one side over the next, forming a twist and trying to keep the cut sides facing up. Gather the ends together, forming a circle and make sure to seal the ends together. Transfer the wreath to the cookie sheet.

Cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise another 1 to 1 1/2 hours at room temperature or until double in size.

Bake and finish: Heat oven to 375°F (190°C). Remove plastic wrap, place wreath on the middle rack of your oven. Bake for 30 minutes. A skewer inserted into an underbaked babka will feel stretchy/rubbery inside and may come back with dough on it. When fully baked, you’ll feel almost no resistance. If you babka needs more time, put it back, 5 minutes at a time then re-test. If it browns too quickly, you can cover it with foil.

While babka is baking, make syrup: Bring sugar and water to a simmer until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and set aside to cool somewhat. As soon as the babka leaves the oven, brush the syrup all over. This helps to lock in the moisture and gives a nice sheen to the outside. Let cool about halfway on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool the rest of the way before eating.

Enjoy!