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1
Place milk in a small saucepan and heat it just to the point where it is ready to boil.
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2
Remove from heat, and add the butter or margarine, and cool.
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3
(It can be cooled for 10 minutes in refrigerator.)
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4
Generously grease the bottom, middle, and sides of a standard-sized tube or bundt pan.
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5
Place water in a large bowl and sprinkle in the yeast.
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6
Add the milk mixture to the yeast when the milk mixture is definitely cool to wrist temperature; then add sugar and salt.
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7
Add flour, one cup at a time, mixing after each addition.
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8
After all the flour is mixed in, knead for 5 to 10 minutes on a floured surface.
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9
Add small amounts of flour, if necessary to keep the dough from getting too sticky to handle.
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10
Clean and grease the bowl.
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11
Add kneaded dough, and oil or butter the top surface.
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12
Place it in a warm place to rise until doubled; this will take approximately 2 hours.
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13
Place chocolate chips in food processor with steel blade, or a blender, and grind them until they resemble coarse meal.
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14
Transfer to a small bowl and combine with the cocoa.
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15
Sprinkle 1/3 cup of this mixture into bottom of the greased pan and then sprinkle in the chopped nuts.
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16
When the dough has doubled in bulk, punch it down and then knead it for 5 to 10 minutes on the floured surface.
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17
Roll the dough into a large oval with a rolling pin: 9-10 inches wide at the middle, and 16-17 inches long.
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18
Leaving a 1/2-inch rim around the outer edge, sprinkle the remaining chocolate filling as evenly as possible over the dough.
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19
Roll it tightly along the long edge, pinching the edges to seal them.
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20
Carefully lift the babka and ease it into the pan, making as even a circle as possible.
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21
Pat it firmly into place, and seal the two ends together with a bit of water and a good pinch.
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22
You can either let it rise at room temperature 45 minutes and then bake it, or wrap airtight in a plastic bag and refrigerate (up to two days) until you are ready to bake.
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23
Preheat oven to 375F.
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24
Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until it sounds hollow when thumped.
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25
Remove chocolate babka from the pan and invert onto a plate, so the chocolate-nut coating ends up on top.
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26
Cool at least 30 minutes.
