This recipe makes enough for one challah loaf and one babka loaf.
Ingredients
Dough:
1 cup warm water (about 110 - 115 degrees, if you're using a thermometer)
¼ c oil (olive will have a stronger flavor; I went with canola)
¼ c honey or sugar
2 eggs
1 - 2 t salt
4 c flour
2.25 t quick rise yeast
Babka filling
1 stick butter, softened
½ c brown or white sugar
¼ c cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
½ graham cracker crumbs
½ c mini marshmallows, or regular marshmallows cut up into smaller pieces
Eggwash
1 egg
Instructions
Place the dough ingredients in your bread maker in the order listed (this is important, for some reason - they don't tell me why and I don't make the rules, I just follow them...for now).
Select the Dough cycle - it should be about 1.5 hours total.
When it's done, punch down the dough and divide into two equal parts.
With one portion, divide it into 5 equal pieces and roll each out to about 12 inch logs (they should be the same length because you will be braiding them together).
Make a five-strand braided loaf, pinching and tucking the ends together when you're done. This is a lot less scary than it sounds (outside right comes in over 2 strands, outside left comes in over 2 strands, repeat). But a quick Google and you'll get a good tutorial!
Place on parchment paper or a greased cookie sheet that can accommodate a lot of character growth from the loaf. Set aside.
For the babka:
Roll out the dough into a rectangle, about 9in x 18in (it's approximate and doesn't have to be perfect).
Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a bowl and spread it all on the dough rectangle.
Sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs on top of the chocolate, then sprinkle on the marshmallows.
Roll the babka dough from the short side into a tight roll.
Cut in half lengthwise.
Turn the two halves up, so that the filling is facing up, then stack one on top of the other so that they form a sort of X shape.
Overlap the ends together so you've got a gentle twist going on, and it's ok, even better, if it's a bit messy. Trust the process.
Place the dough into a greased 9x13in loaf pan.
Whisk the egg for the eggwash and brush it all over the challah and the babka loaves.
Place both in a warm place for an hour, or until doubled in size (Kaelah recommends a pot of boiling water in the oven with the loaves, and I must say it worked quite well!)
Once doubled, preheat your oven to 350 and give both loaves another eggwash.
Bake for 30ish minutes, or until brown and done. The babka will likely take 5 - 10 more minutes.
Recipe by Food Final Frontier at https://foodfinalfrontier.com/challah-smores-babka/