Easter Delight: Chocolate Babka

Do you remember that episode of Seinfeld where Jerry and Elaine are going to a dinner party and decide upon a chocolate babka to really impress their hosts.  They go to a bakery that is known to make the best chocolate babka in New York, only to find they have been gazumped by another couple attending the dinner party!

Babka is  traditional Easter fare those in the Eastern Block of Europe.  It can be fruit filled or have cinnamon or chocolate filling.  The lovely people at Lindt Australia have been super generous to myself and the frills this Easter, and I have used their new 50% dark chocolate as the filling.

The 50% dark is for those of you who love the texture of a milk chocolate but the bitterness of the dark.  It melts in the mouth.   It's perfect for Babka to sweeten the bread.

Us?  We're having Babka for Easter Breakfast tomorrow and if you want to also, do it today.  It's one of those recipes that you'll make again and again - it's often given as a gift also.


Ingredients:
For the dough:
1 tsp white sugar
2 1/4 tsp dry yeast
3/4 cup milk, warmed
6 tb white sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg yolk
2 1/2 cups plain flour
65g butter diced

The filling:
100 gr block Lindt 50% dark chocolate
3 tb cocoa powder
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

The topping:
50gr butter, chilled
1/4 cup icing sugar
2 tb plain flour



Method:
In your mixer or bread machine, put the milk, yeast and 1 tsp white sugar and stir.  Allow to sit for 10 minutes until the yeast activates (goes fluffy)

Add remaining 6tb sugar, vanilla, salt, and then whilst mixing this (with a dough hook if using a mixer) add the flour, 1/2 a cup at a time.until well combined.

Lastly add the butter and knead on low setting for about 5 minutes until well distributed and the dough it light and aerated.

Place in a bowl that has been sprayed with canola oil, and cover with clingfilm.  Place in a warm draught-free place for 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size.

Prepare filling by chopping chocolate and combining with rest of ingredients.

Grease and paper loaf tin.

When dough has risen, roll out to about 50cm x 50cm size.   Sprinkle with filling to within a few cms of each edge.  Fold over edges.

Roll up tightly from bottom and when fully rolled, pinch ends and sides together to seal. Twist a few times (like wringing a towel) and place in loaf tin.  Cover with clingfilm and allow to prove for 45 minutes in a warm draft-free place.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees c

When risen, make topping (streusel).  Rub butter into sugar and flour, crumble over loaf and put into the oven for 35-40 minutes until cooked through.

Allow to cool in loaf tin for 30 minutes, and then a further 1 hour out of tin .. Slice and serve.

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