Last weekend, I decided I wanted to try baking Babka for the very first time. Then I realized I didn’t have all the ingredients. Oh well, I adapted and decided to impovise. The result was amazing: fluffy, cute and delicious.
I know I should have used much more chocolate spread, but this was my very first time trying to make this and I wasn’t feeling completely confident. I believe you could always add as much chocolate as you want on your own slice afterwards. Not bad, eh?
This fluffy pastry is perfect for a kick start of your day or a delicious treat after dinner. And the colorful glaze just create a cute contrast, I think! I’ll definitely bake it again next time I have a friends’ dinner!
“Toffee chip cookies, pine nut shortbread, raspberry oatmeal bars.” She rattles them off. “Sophie says hi and thank you for the onion kuchen recipe, she really appreciated the share. Sent you a Nutella babka as a present.” Marcy hands over a second, smaller bag that feels like a brick. Sophie Langer’s Nutella babka is about the most perfect food I’ve ever put in my mouth.”
Stacey Ballis, How to Change a Life
Sourdough Babka My Way
Equipment
- kitchen robot (optional but recommended)
- Plumcake Tray or Cake Tray
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
- 100 gr Sourdough Starter recently fed
- 280 gr Strong Bread Flour
- 300 ml Double Cream
- 1 Egg
- 60 gr Caster Sugar
- to taste Cinnamon and Mixed/Pumpkin Spice
For the Topping
- 100 gr Icing Sugar
- 1 tbsp Water
- 1 tsp Beetroot Powder
- 1 tsp Butterfly Pea Flower Powder
For the Filling
- as required Your Preferred Chocolate Spread
Instructions
- In the morning, feed the starter and start making the dough when it doubled its size.
- Add all the dough ingredients in a bowl and mix together, the egg at very last only when the cream absorbed. When the dough looks elastic and homogeneous, move it to a floured surface and let it rest. Knead it twice every 20 min.
- Transfer it in a bowl, covered with cling film. Let it rest O/N in the fridge.
- Take it out in the morning. It should have doubled in size, if not leave it at room temperature until proofed.
- Scrape the dough out of the bowl on a floured surface. Roll it out to a rectangle and spread the filling over the dough, leaving about 1 cm clean on the shorter side farther from you. Starting at the side closest to you, roll up the dough into a tight cylinder. It's important for the dough to be rolled up rather tight.
- Prepare your cake tray with some baking sheet. Using a sharp knife, cut the log to split open the log from one side to the other. Pinch the two top halves together and braid the dough one strand over the other. At the bottom, pinch the two halves together again.
- Once the dough is braided, pick it up and place it into the pan. Leave it to proof for another 5-6 hours. Leave it the time to rise up until 1 cm over the top of the tray.
- Bake at 180C for 45 min. Leave it to cool down for 5-10 min on the counter.
- Prepare the glazing by mixing the icing sugar with water and mixing up, divide it into two bowls and add the coloured powders. Glaze your Babka and enjoy!
I do have a scientific mind, probably it’s the reason why I love to hide in the kitchen and start creating.
My cooking is healthy, fun and colorful… and really tasty!
What are you waiting for? Grab your apron and start creating with me!
