Shopping list
For the dough
110ml whole milk
40g butter, plus extra
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
300g white bread flour + extra
7g dried yeast
80g caster sugar
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 free-range organic egg (L), beaten
For the filling
60g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
60g unsalted butter
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
30g icing sugar
pinch of salt
For the syrup
80g caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
For Hanukkah we bake a delicious chocolate babka. What is a chocolate babka? It is a chocolate bread with a sweet, shiny, thin vanilla layer on top. This bread is beautiful, very tasty and it looks so festive! If you are not celebrating Hanukkah, make it for Christmas breakfast, for which it is also perfect!
How to make a chocolate babka
Add butter, milk and vanilla into a saucepan.
Place flour, yeast- sugar and salt into a bowl.
Stir it all together until it is well combined.
Warm the milk mixture slowly and stir it together.
Beat the egg until loose.
Make a well in the flour mixture.
Stir milk mixture and egg together
Pour the milk / egg mixture into the well
Mix it all together using a dough hook.
You'll see the dough slowly come together..
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl.
Cover the bowl with a beeswax cloth or a tea towel.
Place the dough overnight in the refrigerator (do not ask me why???)
Day 2
Make the chocolate paste, cover it and let it set at room temperature
Place sugar, butter, vanilla, coocoa and salt into a saucepan.
Let it aslowly melt until the sugar has dissolved.
Stir the chocolate paste together for a moment.
Pour the chocolate sauce into a cold bowl.
How to assemble the babka
Preheat the oven to 60-70C and then turn it af
Place baking paper in the tin.
Place the dough on a flour dusted baking mat.
Roll it into a rectangle of app. 40x60cm.
Spread the chocolate paste over the dough
Leave a little border free all around.
Roll the dough , start with the longer side.
Cut the roll lenghtwise in half.
Place in an X with the cutted side upwards.
Turn the ends around each other.
Place the babka into the tin, tuck in the ends..
Preheat the oven to 180°C - 160°C Fan
Bake the babka for 30-35 minutes until golden.
Allow the babka to cool in the baking tin.
Stir sugar, vanilla and 70 ml water together.
Bring the mixture to the boil, remove the syrup from the heat once the sugar has dissolved and let it cool slightly
Brush the bread generously with the sugar syrup.
Meanwhile we brew tea and coffie and there are the monsters, for Christmas breakfast!
A beautiful Hanukkah or Christmas to all!