Chocolate Babka

• Dough
• 1 to 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water*
• 2 large eggs
• 6 1/4 cups (26 1/2 oz) all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup (1 1/8 oz) nonfat dry milk
• 2 tablespoons instant yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz) sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 10 tablespoons (5 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• (*Use the greater amount in winter or in a dry climate; the lesser amount in summer or a humid climate.)
• Filling
• 1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz) sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup (1 oz) Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
• 1/4 cup (2 oz) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup diced pecans or walnuts, toasted if desired
• Glaze
• 1 large egg beaten with a pinch of salt until well-combined

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine all of the dough ingredients, mixing just until everything is moistened. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let the dough rest for 20 minutes. Then switch to the dough hook and knead the dough until it is soft and smooth, about 7 minutes. The dough may still be slightly tacky.
2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
3. Gently deflate the dough, and divide it in half. Set the pieces aside, covered, while you make the filling.
4. To make the filling: Combine the sugar, cinnamon, cocoa, and espresso. Stir in the melted butter. The mixture will look grainy and oily.
5. Shape each half of the dough into a 9 x 18, 1/4-thick rectangle. Spread half of the filling over each rectangular piece of dough, leaving about a one inch border on all sides. Scatter half of the chocolate chips and nuts over each piece of dough. Starting with a short end, roll each piece of dough gently into a log, sealing the seam and ends. Place each log into a lightly greased 9" x 5" loaf pan.
6. Tent each pan with plastic wrap, and let the loaves rise until they're very puffy and have crowned about one inch over the rim of the pan, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Toward the end of the rising time preheat oven to 300 F.
7. Just before baking, brush each loaf with the egg glaze; pop any air bubbles with a toothpick. Then, cut a deep vertical slash the length of each loaf, cutting through at least 3 layers. Bake the bread for 35 minutes then tent lightly with foil, and bake for an additional 15 to 25 minutes (for a total of 50 to 60 minutes); the loaves should be a deep-golden brown.
8. Remove the loaves from the oven, and immediately loosen the edges with a heatproof spatula or table knife. Let the loaves cool for 10 minutes, then turn them out of the pans onto a rack to cool completely.

dough, water, eggs, flour, milk, yeast, ground cinnamon, sugar, salt, unsalted butter, vanilla, winter, filling, sugar, ground cinnamon, dutch, espresso powder, unsalted butter, chocolate chips, pecans, egg

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/chocolate-babka-50182297 (may not work)