Macheesmo

I’ve decided that a good babka is like a good movie… it’s got to have a lot of different parts to it. You want a movie (babka) that’s kind of sweet, but not too sweet. It should be filling, but leave you wanting another piece. It should get you excited for the sequel (more babka).

Ok. I’ll stop. But seriously, the thing about babka, especially a chocolate variety, is that it hits all the major pastry chords. It’s got kind of a crunch on the outside, but is light and fluffy on the inside. It’s an enriched dough, but laced with melted chocolate and cinnamon. In short, babka is freakin’ delicious.

I don’t know why, but babka actually isn’t very common in the states. At least I haven’t seen it around very much. In fact, my spell-check doesn’t even recognize it as a word! Damn you spell check! Recognize my new favorite pastry!

Sorry… I got carried away. We have some work to do to make this lovely loaf so let’s get to it.

Chocolate Babka

by Nick

Serves:

2 8.5 by 4.5 loafs

Prep Time:

30 mins

Total Time:

2 hrs

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An enriched dough filled with butter, chocolate, and cinnamon. The babka is very light and very flavorful.

From Gourmet Today.

Ingredients

For Dough:

3/4 Cup warm milk (105-115 degrees F.)

1/2 Cup plus 2 Teaspoons sugar

1 Tablespoon active dry yeast

3 1/4 Cups all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

1 Teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 Teaspoon salt

10 Tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter at room temp

For Filling:

5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (no more than 60% cacao), finely chopped

1/2 Cup sugar

1 Teaspoon cinnamon (my addition)

Egg Wash:

1 large egg

1 Tablespoon cream

Simple Brown Sugar Crumb Topping:

1/2 Cup brown sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

4 Tablespoons butter, room temp

Instructions

1) Add warm milk, 2 Teaspoons of sugar, and yeast in a stand mixer bowl.
2) Wait 5 minutes until it’s foamy then add 1/2 Cup flour and mix until it’s combined (use the paddle attachment or a wooden spoon).
3) Add your eggs, yolk, vanilla, salt, and remaining sugar. Mix in the remaining flour about 1/2 Cup at a time.
4) Once all the flour is combined, beat in your butter.
5) Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover it with a towel.
6) Let it rise for about 2 hours (until it doubles in size) in a warm place.
7) Split your large ball of dough into two equal sizes.
8) On a lightly floured surface, roll out your dough until it is about 10 inches by 18 inches.
9) Take about 3 Tablespoons of butter and lightly spread it over the surface of the dough leaving about 1/2 inch border around the edges.
10) Pour your filling ingredients over the buttered portion of the dough.
11) Add chocolate in even layers.
12) Mix your egg wash ingredients together with a fork.
13) Lightly brush the bottom side of the dough with the egg wash then roll the dough up toward you and seal off the edge.
14) Place remaining egg wash mixture in the fridge for future use.
15) Get your pan ready by cutting out a rectangle of parchment paper and placing it in the bottom of your loaf pan. Spray the pan lightly with non-stick spray.
16) Take your rope of dough and form a circle by pulling the two ends together. Then hold one side of the circle down and twist the other side a few times to form a rope effect. Lay this into your prepared pan.
17) Cover this with a moist towel and let it rise in a warm spot for two more hours.
18) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare your crumb topping. Brush the top of your loaf with some of your egg wash from earlier and then sprinkle on your topping right before sticking it in the oven.
19) Bake for about 40 minutes until the top is nice and browned.
20)Transfer the loaf to a rack to cool. 10 or 15 minutes later carefully remove it from the pan and then let it cool to room temperature.
21) Slice it up!

Making the Dough

I’ll be the first to admit this recipe isn’t for the faint of heart. It has a fair amount of butter in it and other seemingly unhealthy things and takes… oh… about 5-6 hours to make start to finish. Although most of that time is just watching dough rise.

Anyway, to start, you’ll need this stuff.

Start out by adding your warm milk, 2 Teaspoons of sugar, and yeast in a bowl (use the bowl of your mixer if you have a stand mixer). Wait 5 minutes until it’s foamy then add 1/2 Cup flour and mix until it’s combined (use the paddle attachment or a wooden spoon). Then add your eggs, yolk, vanilla, salt, and remaining sugar. Then mix in the remaining flour about 1/2 Cup at a time.

Once all the flour is combined, beat in your butter. This would be pretty hard to do with out a stand mixer, but I would say that you would just have to knead in the butter with your hands or a wooden spoon. It would take awhile by hand (and about 4 minutes with a mixer), but eventually you’ll have a very soft and sticky dough. If you have a stand mixer it’ll be looking something like this!

Next place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover it with a towel. Let it rise for about 2 hours in a warm place. It should more than double in size. This was my bowl after two hours.

Because of the eggs, milk, sugar, and butter, this dough is really interesting. It reminded me of a challah bread or of this celebration bread I made… except richer. Heck. It reminded me of a beignet dough… except richer.

Anyway, once it has at least doubled in size, you’re ready for the fun part.

Rolling with your dough

If you’ve made cinnamon rolls before, this will seem very familiar. Split your large ball of dough into two equal sizes (remember this recipe is for two loafs of babka). Then on a lightly floured surface, roll out your dough until it is about 10 inches by 18 inches. Ideally, it would be a perfect rectangle, but don’t freak out about it.

Then take about 3 Tablespoons of butter and lightly spread it over the surface of the dough leaving about 1/2 inch border around the edges. Then pile on your filling ingredients over the buttered portion of the dough!

Should look something like this:

Now, let’s talk chocolate for a second. There are some recipes that have literally pounds of chocolate in their babka. This is fine if you are a chocoholic. I’m actually not. I like a more subtle chocolate flavor. If you desire more chocolate, feel free to PACK IT IN. Just make sure it’s in an even layer.

Next, mix your egg wash ingredients together with a fork and then lightly brush the bottom side of the dough with the egg wash. This will be the side closest to you. Then, working slowly, roll the dough up toward you and seal off the edge. The egg wash will make the dough stick together nicely on that end, sealing up the roll.

Don’t throw away your egg wash mixture! Stick it in the fridge… you’ll need it later.

Try to get it as even as possible.

Another rising

Get your pan ready by cutting out a rectangle of parchment paper and placing it in the bottom of your loaf pan. This will make it a lot easier to get the babka out after it’s done baking. Spray the pan lightly with non-stick spray.

To make the traditional babka knot effect, take your rope of dough and form a circle by pulling the two ends together. Then hold one side of the circle down and twist the other side a few times to form kind of a rope effect. Be gentle with it so it doesn’t rip! Then lay this into your prepared pan.

Cover this with a moist towel and let it rise in a warm spot for two more hours. This second rise creates lots of air in the dough. It gives the final product a laminated feel – almost like a croissant. After two hours it will be puffed and beautiful. It should just reach the edge of the top of your loaf pan.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare your crumb topping. Brush the top of your loaf with some of your egg wash from earlier and then sprinkle on your topping right before sticking it in the oven.

Bake this for about 40 minutes until the top is nice and browned. Then transfer the loaf to a rack to cool. Keep the loaf in the pan! After 10 or 15 minutes you can carefully remove it from the pan and then let it cool to room temperature.

Then slice it up!

If you don’t want to make two loafs at the same time, you can freeze the dough and then just let the dough thaw in the fridge and then let it rise again at room temperature. Then roll it out and continue with the recipe.

I kept my baked loaf in the fridge for a week and it was very tasty reheated slightly in the microwave (just 10 seconds) or in the toaster.

So in my opinion, this is one of the most interesting pastries out there. I just wish I knew a good Jewish bakery around DC that I could fine some! Until then I guess I’ll just have to make them myself!