Jurgen Krauss’ babka chocolate braid recipe
SERVES
15
PEOPLE
PREP TIME
100
MINUTES
COOKING TIME
40
MINUTES
CUISINE
COURSE
Input
Method
For the dough, put all the ingredients in a bowl and, using your hands or a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix the ingredients until evenly distributed. Then knead the dough for several minutes until it has a smooth and silky texture. Cover with a tea towel or a plastic bag and leave to prove at room temperature for about one hour. Check with the poke test that the dough is ready.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Put the chocolate, butter and sugar into a pan and melt over low heat. Once liquid, take the pan off the heat and add the cinnamon, cloves and cocoa powder. It’s OK if the filling looks grainy.
Line a 950g loaf tin with baking paper.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a rectangle measuring about 50 x 30cm. Spread the chocolate filling over the dough rectangle, leaving 2cms of the far short edge uncovered. Roll up the dough rectangle, starting at the near short edge. Seal the seam by pinching it.
Place the roll on a work surface with the seam facing down and, with a sharp knife, cut the roll lengthwise into halves. Twist the halves together to form a rope. You can do this starting at one end and twist this half of the roll, and then do the same for the other half; this way you don’t have to manipulate the whole length at once.
Place your hands palm down on the ends and, with a scooping movement, bring the ends to meet underneath the middle of your rope. Transfer this into the lined tin, and cover with a tea towel or a plastic bag. Leave to prove for 30 minutes to one hour until the Babka is well risen and the dough starts to feel fragile; a gentle touch with a finger will leave a dent that only slowly recovers.
Preheat the oven to 170°C fan/gas mark 5.
Bake the babka for 30-40 minutes.
Melt the butter for glazing or heat the apricot jam with a teaspoon of water. Brush the babka with melted butter or jam as soon as it is out of the oven. Leave to cool for about 15 minutes, then carefully remove from the tin and baking paper.
Let the babka cool completely before eating. Stored in an airtight container it will last for three days.
Ingredients
- For the dough:
190g bread flour
140g white spelt flour or plain flour, plus extra for dusting
6g instant yeast
1 pinch salt
40g caster sugar
180ml whole milk
1 medium egg
40g unsalted butter, softened
Zest of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 orange
½tsp ground cardamom
For the filling:
100g dark chocolate (54% or 70% cocoa solids, to taste)
60g unsalted butter
60g soft light brown sugar
2tsp ground cinnamon
½tsp ground cloves
30g cocoa powder
Unsalted butter, melted, or apricot jam for glazing
Method
For the dough, put all the ingredients in a bowl and, using your hands or a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix the ingredients until evenly distributed. Then knead the dough for several minutes until it has a smooth and silky texture. Cover with a tea towel or a plastic bag and leave to prove at room temperature for about one hour. Check with the poke test that the dough is ready.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Put the chocolate, butter and sugar into a pan and melt over low heat. Once liquid, take the pan off the heat and add the cinnamon, cloves and cocoa powder. It’s OK if the filling looks grainy.
Line a 950g loaf tin with baking paper.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a rectangle measuring about 50 x 30cm. Spread the chocolate filling over the dough rectangle, leaving 2cms of the far short edge uncovered. Roll up the dough rectangle, starting at the near short edge. Seal the seam by pinching it.
Place the roll on a work surface with the seam facing down and, with a sharp knife, cut the roll lengthwise into halves. Twist the halves together to form a rope. You can do this starting at one end and twist this half of the roll, and then do the same for the other half; this way you don’t have to manipulate the whole length at once.
Place your hands palm down on the ends and, with a scooping movement, bring the ends to meet underneath the middle of your rope. Transfer this into the lined tin, and cover with a tea towel or a plastic bag. Leave to prove for 30 minutes to one hour until the Babka is well risen and the dough starts to feel fragile; a gentle touch with a finger will leave a dent that only slowly recovers.
Preheat the oven to 170°C fan/gas mark 5.
Bake the babka for 30-40 minutes.
Melt the butter for glazing or heat the apricot jam with a teaspoon of water. Brush the babka with melted butter or jam as soon as it is out of the oven. Leave to cool for about 15 minutes, then carefully remove from the tin and baking paper.
Let the babka cool completely before eating. Stored in an airtight container it will last for three days.
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