Ingredients:

1 cups warm milk (110F)

2 envelopes ( ounce each) active dry yeast
1 cups plus a pinch of sugar
3 whole large eggs, plus 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
6 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon salt
3 sticks (1 cups) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces, room temperature, plus
more for bowl and pans
2 pounds semisweet chocolate, very finely chopped
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon heavy cream
For Streusel Topping:
1-2/3 cups confectioners' sugar
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 sticks ( cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
Directions:
1. In a small bowl, sprinkle yeast and a pinch of sugar over the warm milk; stir
until dissolved. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, whis
k together cup sugar, 2 eggs, and the yolks; add yeast mixture, and whisk to con
tinue.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine f
lour and salt. Add the egg mixture, and beat on low speed until almost all the f
lour is incorporated, about 30 seconds. Switch to the dough hook. Add 2 sticks b
utter, and beat until completely incorporated and a smooth, soft dough forms, ab
out 10 minutes. The dough should still be slightly sticky when squeezed.
3. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface, and knead a few times unt
il smooth. Place dough in a well-buttered bowl, and turn to coat with butter. Co
ver tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, a
bout 1 hour.
4. To make the Streusel Topping:Combine sugar and flour in a large bowl. Using a
pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some l
arger clumps remaining. Set aside.
5. In a bowl, stir together chocolate, remaining cup sugar, and the cinnamon. Us
ing a pastry blender, cut in remaining 1 sticks butter until combined; set aside
filling.
6. Generously butter three 9-by-5-by-2-inch loaf pans and line with parchment pap
er, leaving a 1-inch overhang along the sides. Brush more butter over the parchme
nt, and set aside. Punch down the dough, and transfer to a clean work surface. L
et the dough rest 5 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, beat the remaining egg with the cream. Cut dough into three equal
pieces. On a well-floured work surface, roll out one piece of dough to a 16-inch
square, about 1/8 inch thick. (Keep other pieces covered with plastic wrap whil
e you work.) Brush edges of dough with the egg wash. Crumble one-third of the ch
ocolate filling evenly over dough, leaving about a -inch border on the long sides
. Roll up dough lengthwise into a tight log, pinching ends together to seal. Twi
st dough evenly down the length of the log, a full five or six times. Brush the
top of the log with egg wash. Crumble 2 tablespoons filling down the center of t
he log, being careful not to let mixture slide off. Fold log in half into a hors
eshoe shape, then cross the right half over the left. Pinch ends together to sea
l and form a figure eight. Twist two more times, and fit into a prepared pan. Re
peat with remaining dough and filling.
8. Preheat the oven to 350F, with a rack in the lower third. Brush the top of eac
h loaf with egg wash; sprinkle with one-third of the Streusel Topping. Loosely c
over each pan with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until dough has ex
panded and feels pillowy, about 40 minutes.
9. Bake loaves, rotating halfway through, until golden, about 55 minutes. Reduce
oven temperature to 325F; bake until loaves are deep golden, 20 to 30 minutes mo
re. (If the tops begin to brown too quickly, tent with aluminum foil.) Transfer
pans to wire racks to cool completely. Babkas can be wrapped in plastic and kept
at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Note: A babka can be frozen in the pan for up to a month before baking. When rea
dy to bake, remove from freezer; let stand at room temperature for about five ho
urs. Be careful not to underbake; otherwise, the center may not set properly.