Babka from Yotam Ottolenghi


Hey folks!

I'm back with a dessert (that are becoming pretty scarce on my blog).
But it's not your common dessert. No it's again a recipe from one of favourite cookbooks, namely Jerusalem from Ottolenghi and Tamimi.
I already made another recipe that you will find here.





Let's jump right into this tested and approved recipe!


For the dough you will need (makes two cakes):

530 g plain flour

100 g caster sugar

2 tsp fast-action dried yeast

3 large free-range eggs

120 ml water

1/3 tsp salt

150 g salted butter (at room temperature, cut in little cubes)

Sunflower oil for greasing

For the chocolate filling:

50 g icing sugar

30 g cocoa powder

130 g melted dark chocolate

120 g melted unsalted butter

100 g almonds (pecans in the original recipe)

2 tbsp caster sugar

For the syrup:

260 g caster sugar

160 ml water


Start off by making the dough. Place the flour, sugar, yeast in a mixer bowl. Stir everything on LOW speed for about 1 minute. Add gradually the eggs and water. Increase the speed to medium and mix it for 3 minutes until the dough comes together. Add the salt. Start adding the butter.
Continue mixing for 10 minutes (medium speed) until you obtain a smooth, elastic and shiny dough. While your mixing your dough you will find yourself scraping down the dough of the sides of the bowl.

Brush a bowl with some sunflower oil and place your dough in it. Cover with cling film. Let rise (in the fridge) for at least half a day or overnight.

Grease some tins with some sunflower oil and line the bottom with a piece of greaseproof paper.
Divide your dough in two.


For the filling you need to mix together the icing sugar, cocoa powder, melted chocolate and butter.
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured (I used greaseproof paper) into a rectangle. Spread half the chocolate mixture over the rectangle. Sprinkle half of the almonds (or pecans) on top of the chocolate then sprinkle over half the caster sugar.
Brush some water over the end that is the furthest away from you. Roll up the rectangle like a roulade.



Now cut the roulade in two (lenghtwise).
Now start to "twist" the two sites. I can assure you that is part is the messiest one (but in the end it's worth it). Now place your twisted dough in your baking tins. 
Cover it with a damp towel and let it rise for at least one hour at room temperature.

Once the rising time is almost over, you can pre-heat your oven at 190°. Bake for about 30 minutes in your pre-heated oven. Check it although after about 25 minutes. 

While the babka is baking, make your syrup. Bring the sugar and water to a simmer until the sugar dissolves, remove it then from the heat. 
Once your babka is baked, take it out and brush the syrup immediately over it. 
Let it cool in the baking tin. Once cooled, dig in I would say!

Until next time!

Baci,

Ornella 





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