Chocolate Swirl Babka-Bread

Contrary to what this recipe's author claims, this is not exactly babka. Babka is more pastry than bread, and has an insane disproportion of chocolate to dough. This is more of a really awesome chocolate swirl bread that hints of babka, so I hyphenated the name for accuracy.

Did I mention this was done in the bread machine? Just the dough part, but still. Yay for ease! I got The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook from the library and somehow don't think I will get through all 300 recipes in the 3 weeks I have it out. But I can get a few made, and then I can renew it (so no one in Arlington request it!!!) If this bread is any indication of the rest, I will just buy it. You know I love my bread machine, and it's not even a good one.I had a plethora of great pictures so I will let them tell you the rest. Chocolate, bread, and a bit of ooey gooey. And it makes two loaves - one to eat hot, one to freeze for later (or give away, if you really love someone.) Or two to eat hot - your choice.
Chocolate Swirl Babka-Bread (print recipe)
Bread:
1 2/3 cups water
3 T unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 cups bread flour
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk
2 T sugar
2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp SAF yeast (don't ask me) or 1 T bread machine yeast

Chocolate swirl:
2/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 T unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 tsp cinnamon
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting, optional
Melted butter, for brushing

1. Place all the dough ingredients in the pan according to the order in the manufacturer's instructions. Program for the Dough cycle; press Start. The dough ball will be soft.

2. Grease two 8x4-inch loaf pans. Combine the ingredients for the filling in a small bowl.

3. When the machine beeps at the end of the cycle (1 1/2 hours for my machine), press Stop and unplug the machine. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough in half. Pat each piece into a 10-by-14-inch rectangle. Brush each lightly with some melted butter. Sprinkle each with half of the filling, leaving a 1-inch space all the way around. Starting at a short edge, roll up jelly-roll fashion. Tuck the ends under and pinch bottom seams.

4. Place the loaves seam side down in the pans. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and cover lightly with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 5 minutes.

5. Twenty minutes before baking, preheat oven to 350.

6. Bake the loaves for 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown and the sides have contracted slightly from the pan. Cool on a rack and dust with powdered sugar, if desired.Recipe from The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook by Beth Hensperger