S’mores Babka Loaf
Chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers – a flavor combination that is so reminiscent of many of our childhoods. This S’mores Babka Loaf takes that nostalgic flavor combo and puts it inside a buttery rich bread – creating a bread like no other! This S’mores Babka Loaf starts with a buttery brioche dough, is smothered in a dark chocolate ganache, sprinkled with graham crackers and mini marshmallows, and then topped with a graham cracker streusel! Decadent, rich, and chocolatey – is this bread a snack? A dessert? All I know is that it’s 100% delicious!
How to Make S’mores Babka Loaf Dough
My favorite way to make bread is with the stand mixer and dough hook. These seriously make such easy work out of making any bread dough! To make this S’mores Babka Loaf, start by blooming your yeast in the slightly warm milk. Once the yeast and milk have become frothy, add it to the stand mixer. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt, and sugar, until well combined. Throw this egg mixture and the flour into the stand mixer, and mix it all together with a wooden spoon until a very shaggy dough is formed. Place the dough hook onto the stand mixer, and proceed to beat the dough on medium. While the dough is beating, add in the butter 1 tbsp at a time, and continue to beat until the dough is smooth, elastic, and no longer dry.
If the butter doesn’t seem to want to incorporate, I find it’s always best to try to manually knead the butter in with your hands. Also, you can and more flour, but add it very slowly – 1 tbsp at a time, until the butter begins to incorporate.
The dough should be pretty tacky, smooth looking, and elastic. It should be sticking to the bottom of the bowl, but should not be sticking to the sides of the bowl. This should take about 10 minutes. Then you place the dough into a greased bowl, cover it with plastic, and place in warm place to rise for about an hour. After an hour it should be doubled in size. This is now where you roll out the dough, top it, slice it, and braid it. Then after a second rise, the S’mores Babka Loaf is ready to be baked!
How to Assemble, Cut, and Braid Babka
Assembling and braiding the S’mores Babka Loaf is actually a lot easier than it seems. You start by rolling out the once-proofed dough into a 15”x15” square. Spread the chocolate ganache overtop of the dough, leaving about a 1” strip empty along the top. Sprinkle the mini marshmallows and crumbled graham crackers overtop of the chocolate ganache. Brush a little bit of water onto the bare 1” strip, then proceed to roll the dough away from you into a log shape – similar to how you would when making cinnamon buns. Using your hands, try to shape the dough as best as you can to ensure even thickness throughout the log. At this point, if you would like, you can place the log into the freezer for about 30 minutes. This makes cutting and braiding the S’mores Babka Loaf a little bit easier! Then, using a serrated knife, slice the log down the length of itself.
Now were ready to braid! To braid the S’mores Babka, place the sliced edges face up and place the two strips into an ’X’ formation. Working from center out, interweave the two strips by folding them over one another alternating back and forth. When at the end, pinch the ends together. Repeat on the other half. Place this into the prepared loaf pan, and allow to rise once more before baking.
Making the Graham Cracker Streusel
The easiest way to make the graham cracker streusel is with a food processor. Start by breaking up the graham crackers with your hands, and placing them into the food processor. Pulse until the graham crackers are a very fine in texture. Next, add the brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon, then pulse to combine. Throw in the cold butter cubes, and pulse until mixture becomes crumbly.
Alternatively, instead of using a food processor, you can buy graham cracker crumbs, and use a pastry cutter and your hands to mix in the butter.
Get the Recipe: S’mores Babka Loaf
Ingredients
S’mores Babka Loaf
- 1/2 cup Whole Milk,, warmed to 105°F
- 2 ¼ tsp Active Dry Yeast
- 1/4 cup White Sugar
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 Egg Yolk
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 3 cups All-Purpose Flour,, plus more if needed, measured correctly †
- 7 tbsp Unsalted Butter,, cut into small pieces, at slightly warmer than room temperature (should be very soft)
S’mores Filling
- 5 oz Milk Chocolate,, finely chopped
- 1 oz Dark Chocolate,, finely chopped
- 5 tbsp Unsalted Butter,, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
- 2 tbsp Cocoa,, preferably dutch processed, sifted
- 3 Graham Crackers,, ground or smashed into a fine crumb
- 3/4 cup Mini Marshmallows
Graham Cracker Struesel
- 1/3 cup Finely Ground Graham Crackers, (about 2 crackers)
- 1/3 cup Brown Sugar
- 1 tbsp All Purpose Flour
- Pinch of Salt
- 3 tbsp Cold Unsalted Butter
Equipment
- Stand mixer
Instructions
Making the Babka Dough
- In a measuring cup add warm milk and yeast together. Stir together to combine, then allow to sit until it becomes foamy, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, add egg, yolk, salt, vanilla, and sugar. Whisk together to combine.
- Add egg mixture, foamy yeast-milk, and flour to stand mixer. Using a large wooden spoon, mix together the dough until a shaggy dough forms. Place the dough hook onto the stand mixer and turn the stand mixer onto medium. Beat the dough until it has come together and looks uniform.
- While still beating the dough, begin adding in the butter 1 tbsp at a time, ensuring that each addition is incorporated before adding the next. After all the butter has been added, continue to beat for another 5-8 minutes, or until the dough is smooth, elastic, and tacky.
- Transfer dough to a greased large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, then place in a warm area to rise for about an hour, or until the dough is doubled in size.
Making the Chocolate Ganache
- Place a heat proof bowl over top of a small saucepan of simmering water. Add both chocolates and butter to the heatproof bowl. Heat until the chocolate has just melted and is combined with the butter. Remove from heat and add in cocoa powder and brown sugar. Stir to dissolve. The consistency should be a paste like consistency.
Shaping and Braiding the Babka
- Prepare a 9”x5” loaf pan with grease and parchment paper. Turn the dough out onto a lightly flour work surface, and roll the dough out into a 15”x15” square.
- Spread chocolate ganache over top of the dough, leaving about a 1” strip along the top. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs and mini marshmallows over top. Brush the bare 1” strip with a bit of water. Roll the dough away from you into a log (try to maintain even thickness throughout).
- (Optional) For easier and cleaner cutting, place the roll into the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Using a serrated knife, slice the log in half lengthwise. Place the sliced halves face up and side by side each other. Form an ‘X’ formation with the two strips. Working from center out, interweave the two strips by folding them over one another alternating back and forth. When at the end, pinch the ends together. Repeat on the other half.
- Transfer the braided dough into the prepared 9×5" loaf pan, cover lightly with plastic wrap, and place into a warm place to rise for another hour, or until doubled in size.
Making the Graham Cracker Streusel
- Add graham crackers to food processor and pulse until they become fine in texture. Add brown sugar and salt, pulse to combine. Then add cold butter pieces, and pulse until crumbly.
Baking the Babka
- Preheat oven to 375°F. After the dough has doubled in size, place into the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, then sprinkle streusel on, then bake for another 15 minutes (internal temperature of 200°F). When done, allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before cutting into it.
Notes
Related Recipes
Looking for more babka recipes? Check out these below:
PEPPERONI PIZZA BABKA LOAF. Pepperoni pizza and bread come together to form the greatest hybrid in the world. This bread is cheesy, savory, and buttery!
CINNAMON BRIOCHE BABKA KNOTS. These adorable little babka knots feature sweet, buttery brioche dough that is filled with a cinnamon-brown sugar filling.
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