I am a person who loves to bake…… confectionery though. Bakery (bread, buns, rolls, etc) is my weak point. It takes a lot of practice to master the art of bread making and I am still completing my share of practice. Though I haven’t mastered the technique yet the recipe I am sharing today will help you make pretty good bread using some easily available ingredients and some simple steps.
Since we have a sweet tooth why not start with a sweet bread right. A polish bread, similar to the regular bread but layered with a crunchy chocolate paste which makes it a treat in itself. Trust me you don’t need anything to accompany it.
P.S- The chocolate is not burned in the image, I have actually used dark chocolate with high cocoa content.
HAPPY BAKING!!!
Chocolate Babka
Ingredients
For Dough
- 500 gms Refined Flour
- 1 tsp Salt
- 4 tsp Active Dry Yeast
- 15 gms Sugar (Powdered)
- 3/4 Cup Milk
- 75 gms Butter
For Filling
- 200 gms Butter
- 150 gms Sugar (Powdered)
- 150 gms Chocolate (Dark, Chopped)
- 100 gms Cocoa Powder
- 2 tsp Cinnamon Powder
- 20 gms Pistachio
- 7-8 Pieces Hazeluts
Instructions
- Start by weighing all ingredients.
- Sift in the flour, make a well. Add salt on the rim.
- Add in the yeast, sugar, and some milk in the centre and leave it for about 10 Mins to bubble up.
- Once it activates, forms a dough using the rest of the milk and water as needed. Work/knead the dough for about 7-8 minutes. NOTE: Kneading allows the gluten to develop and strengthen hence giving a better product.
- Now mix in the softened butter and knead again. NOTE: This might feel sticky and watery at first but don't panic, don't add flour either. Just knead the dough continuously for 10-12 minutes and it should all come together perfectly.
- Cover the dough using a wet muslin cloth or just apply some oil/butter and cover with a large bowl. Rest it for about 30 minutes.
- Knockback the air out of the dough. Divide dough into two. knead and form a ball again and Proof (Resting dough till it doubles) for another 45 minutes.
- Until then we can make the chocolate filling. In a saucepan, add butter and powdered sugar and melt them on low heat. Add the chopped chocolate to the boiling mixture and switch off the flame. Whisk the mixture vigorously, the chocolate should melt and incorporate well in the mixture.
- Add in the cocoa powder, cinnamon powder, Choco fills, and the pistachios at this stage and mix well. You should end up with a thick chocolate paste. Keep aside, off to the bread again.
- After 45 minutes of proofing, Knockback the air again. Apply some flour to your area and roll the dough into a slightly thin sheet. Apply the chocolate paste to it, you can add some more pistachios at this on top and roll it like a Swiss roll/burrito.
- Cut the cylindrical dough horizontally from the centre (in a way that you see the filling all the way).
- Braid the dough like you braid your hair, criss-cross, and transfer to the loaf tin. Proof for another 30 minutes or till it doubles and bakes it in a preheated oven at 200 degrees for about 30 minutes.