Air Fryer Babka
Twisted, gooey chocolate babka baked in the air fryer — fluffy yeast dough with a river of melted dark chocolate in every twist, brushed with syrup for extra shine and moistness.
Equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Rolling pin
- 1 Lille bageform (ca. 15-18 cm) Must fit in the air fryer
- 1 Parchment paper
- 1 Brush
- 1 Lille gryde For the syrup
Ingredients
Dough
- 250 g plain flour
- 40 g sugar
- 7 g dried yeast 1 sachet
0.5 tsp salt- 1 tsp vanilla sugar
- 120 ml whole milk Lukewarm, about 37 °C
- 1 pcs egg At room temperature
- 50 g butter Softened, diced
Chocolate filling
- 100 g dark chocolate Chopped
- 50 g butter
- 30 g soft brown sugar
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 pinch salt
Egg wash and syrup
- 1 pcs egg Beaten, for brushing
- 50 g sugar For the syrup
- 50 ml water For the syrup
Instructions
Preparation
- Warm 120 ml whole milk to about 37 °C. Stir in 7 g dried yeast and 1 tbsp of the sugar, and leave it to stand for 5-10 minutes until the surface foams slightly.
- Combine 250 g plain flour, the rest of the 40 g sugar, 0.5 tsp salt and 1 tsp vanilla sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the milk mixture and 1 pcs egg, and knead the dough for 8-10 minutes. Add 50 g butter a little at a time, and keep kneading until the dough is supple, glossy and comes away from the sides of the bowl.
- Shape the dough into a ball, cover the bowl with cling film or a damp tea towel, and leave the dough to rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until it has doubled in size.
Chocolate filling
- Melt 50 g butter together with 100 g dark chocolate over a bain-marie or in the microwave in short bursts, stirring in between. Stir in 30 g soft brown sugar, 2 tbsp cocoa powder and 1 pinch salt until the mixture is glossy and spreadable. Leave the filling to cool for 10 minutes so it firms up slightly but can still be spread.
Shape the babka
- Roll the risen dough out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle of about 25 x 35 cm. Spread the cooled chocolate filling evenly over the dough — leave a small border free along one of the long sides.
- Roll the dough up into a tight log, starting from the long side where the filling goes right to the edge. Place the log seam-side down on a piece of baking paper, and cut it in half lengthways with a sharp knife so the filling is exposed in both halves.
- Twist the two halves around each other with the open, filled side facing upwards, and press the ends together lightly. Place the twisted babka in a small baking tin (about 15-18 cm) lined with baking paper. Cover loosely with a tea towel and leave the babka to prove for another 30 minutes.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 160 °C.
- Gently brush the babka with 1 pcs egg. Place the tin in the air fryer and bake the babka at 160 °C for 22-25 minutes, until the surface is deep golden and the dough is baked through. Check the centre with a meat thermometer — the core should be about 90 °C. Cover the surface with a piece of foil for the last 5 minutes if it's browning too much.
Syrup and serving
- While the babka is baking: bring 50 g sugar and 50 ml water to the boil in a small saucepan until the sugar has dissolved, and let the syrup simmer for 1-2 minutes.
- Take the babka out of the air fryer and brush it immediately with the hot syrup while it's still piping hot — the syrup adds shine and moistness. Leave the babka to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before turning it out and cutting it into thick slices. Serve warm, so the chocolate is still slightly melted.
Notes
Tips for a perfect result:
The dough should be supple and slightly sticky — resist the temptation to add too much flour, or the babka will turn out dry. The chocolate filling needs to firm up enough to be spreadable without running, but not so much that it tears the dough. The twisting technique:
When the log of dough is cut in half lengthways, the filled side should face upwards all the way through the twist. That's what gives babka its characteristic marbled slices with distinct veins of chocolate. Variation:
Swap the chocolate filling for a cinnamon-sugar mixture (50 g butter + 80 g soft brown sugar + 2 tbsp cinnamon) for a classic cinnamon babka. Or add 50 g chopped pecans or hazelnuts to the chocolate filling for extra crunch. Serving:
Serve warm as a dessert or with coffee — perhaps with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of crème fraîche. Babka is also fantastic for weekend brunch with fresh fruit. Portion size:
If your air fryer is smaller, choose a mini tin (about 12-15 cm) and reduce the baking time slightly. The babka can happily be compact — that's part of its charm.
The dough should be supple and slightly sticky — resist the temptation to add too much flour, or the babka will turn out dry. The chocolate filling needs to firm up enough to be spreadable without running, but not so much that it tears the dough. The twisting technique:
When the log of dough is cut in half lengthways, the filled side should face upwards all the way through the twist. That's what gives babka its characteristic marbled slices with distinct veins of chocolate. Variation:
Swap the chocolate filling for a cinnamon-sugar mixture (50 g butter + 80 g soft brown sugar + 2 tbsp cinnamon) for a classic cinnamon babka. Or add 50 g chopped pecans or hazelnuts to the chocolate filling for extra crunch. Serving:
Serve warm as a dessert or with coffee — perhaps with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of crème fraîche. Babka is also fantastic for weekend brunch with fresh fruit. Portion size:
If your air fryer is smaller, choose a mini tin (about 12-15 cm) and reduce the baking time slightly. The babka can happily be compact — that's part of its charm.
Nutrition
Calories: 706kcalCarbohydrates: 90gProtein: 12gFat: 33gSaturated fat: 19gPolyunsaturated fat: 2gMonounsaturated fat: 9gCholesterol: 145mgSodium: 380mgPotassium: 280mgFiber: 4gSugar: 42gVitamin A: 780IUCalcium: 85mgIron: 4mgNet carbohydrates: 86g
