Three lockdowns later and I finally succumbed to making bread. Fine, I didn’t get involved with sour dough and cultivating a starter (been there killed the starter…) but Babka has been on my mental to do list for a long time, the thing was I thought it would be really tricky and actually it isn’t, especially if you have a free standing mixer with a dough hook, which means you don’t have to spend 15 minutes kneading.
I’ve made this three times in the last week or so and this I think is the best version so I’m sharing the recipe with you.
It’s a chocolate and orange flavour and when eaten warm from the oven it’s just heavenly, I think it would make a wonderful afternoon tea treat or served post Easter lunch.
The first version I made had nuts which does add a lovely crunch but with nuts banned at school, this is a playground friendly version but feel free to add a small handful of crushed nuts to the filling (hazelnuts of pistachios) if you’d like to.
Chocolate Orange Babka
Serves 6-8
Hands on time 20 mins
Prove time 2 hours
Cook time 50 mins
Ingredients
For the Dough
375g Strong white bread flour
50g Caster Sugar
7g fast action yeast
1 tsp. mixed spice
Zest of 1 orange
100ml milk (I used oat milk)
Juice of 1 orange
1 egg beaten
100g butter, room temperature cut into small cubes
For the filling
50g butter
150g dark chocolate
25g caster sugar
Zest of 1 orange
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
Optional
Dark chocolate drops
Method
In the bowl of a freestanding mixer add the flour, sugar, yeast, mixed spice and orange zest, mix to combine.
Heat the milk until warm and add to the dry ingredients along with the orange juice, egg and butter.
If using a free standing mixer, on a medium speed, mix for about 6-7 minutes (until the dough has formed into a soft, springy ball). If kneading by hand, mix first in the bowl to bring all the ingredients together then turn out onto a floured surface and knead for about 15 minutes.
For both methods, shape the dough into a ball and place into a large clean bowl, cover with cling film or a dry cloth and leave in a warm place for about 2 hours until the dough has doubled in size.
To make the filling, in a small saucepan add the butter and melt gently, add in the chocolate and stir to melt, add the sugar and zest and cinnamon and take off the heat, continue to stir until everything has melted. Allow to cool a little before using
When the dough is ready, punch out the air and turn it out onto a clean, floured surface. Roll out into a rectangle about 25 x 45 cm. Transfer the dough to a sheet of parchment paper.
Spread the dough with a generous layer of filling. Leave a 3 cm gap along one of the longest edges. Use the other longest edge to start rolling the dough as tightly as you can, the mixture will start to pool and may spill out as you finish the roll just use a spatula to spread it on the dough. Pick up the dough by the parchment and place it in the fridge for 10-15 minutes so the filling sets a little, making it easier when you cut and twist the dough.
Line a loaf tin with parchment and preheat the oven to 160C Fan (180C)
Remove the dough from the fridge and with a sharp knife cut the dough in half. Start about an inch from the top (leaving the dough connected) and cut all the way through to the bottom. Separate your two parts, and twist so the filling is facing upwards then start ‘braiding’ the parts, continue to keep twisting the filling upwards until you get to the end.
It will look longer than the tin but gently tuck the ends under and lift and place the dough into the prepared tin.
Sprinkle with chocolate drops if you want to and then place in the oven and bake for 50 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from the oven allow to cool a little before lifting it out of the tin with the parchment. You can let it cool completely on a rack or slice when still warm and serve.