This bread takes a full two days to make. It is the most special of breads and sure to warm the hearts and tummies of those you love. It is tender but chewy, chocolatey but not too sweet, very moist, and has the unexpected subtle notes of orange and sourdough.You can watch the making of this bread on my YouTube channel here :).
ORANGE SOURDOUGH
Ingredients:
550 g bread flour
90 g sugar
10 g salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
250 g whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp orange zest
2 eggs
Sourdough leavener (prepared 1-2 hours earlier)
45 g active sourdough starter
45 g whole milk
45 g bread flour
10 g granulated sugar
1 stick (or 8 Tbsp) salted* butter, room temp and cut into chunks
CHOCOLATE FILLING
Ingredients:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp salt
6 ounces dark chocolate chips (I prefer very dark)
1 stick (or 8 Tbsp) salted* butter, room temp and cut into chunks
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp orange zest
SIMPLE SYRUP
Ingredients:
2/3 cup water
2/3 cup granulated sugar
ORANGE SOURDOUGH
Mix your sweet sourdough leavener ingredients together in a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1-2 hours.
When the sweet sourdough leavener is ready, add all your ingredients except butter to your mixing bowl. With the dough hook attachment, mix on medium speed (speed 4 on KitchenAid) until a cohesive dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.
Once dough has rested, knead on medium speed (speed 4) for 7-9 minutes.
Add your room temperature butter one chunk at a time, slowly, until all butter is combined into the dough. Aim for 8-10 chunks.
After all the butter chunks have been added, continue kneading at medium speed (speed 4) for 12-16 minutes. Your dough is finished kneading when it is shiny and very elastic. You should be able to stretch a piece with your hands into a paper-thin sheet without it tearing immediately. When it does tear, it should tear in a circle vs line.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature for 2 hours. Then, place in the fridge overnight (or at least 8 hours).
CHOCOLATE FILLING
In a bowl, combine chocolate, room temperature butter, orange zest, and vanilla. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, simmer sugar, cream and salt until sugar is dissolved (about 3-4 minutes). Pour hot cream mixture on the chocolate mixture and stir until smooth. Let chill in the fridge for several hours at least. Let sit at room temperature an hour before using (you want it stiff but spreadable).
SIMPLE SYRUP
In a small saucepan simmer the sugar and water together over medium heat for 2 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat.
ASSEMBLY, PROOFING, & BAKING
Remove chilled dough from the refrigerator and divide in half. On a floured surface, roll one piece into a 9 x 16 inch rectangle (measurement doesn’t have to be exact!). Spread with half the chocolate filling. Starting with a long side, roll into a tight coil. (It’s important the dough is still very cold at this point to help prevent the chocolate from melting and spreading everywhere as you roll. It’s okay if it’s messy though, the finished product will still look pretty, I promise!) Cut the long coil in half to make two short coils. Cover them with plastic wrap and chill in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. (You want to harden the dough by cooling it in the freezer briefly so it can be cut and braided without falling apart / melting.)
Remove the other half of the dough from the refrigerator and repeat step one above (roll dough into a rectangle, spread with chocolate filling, roll into a coil, cut in half, and place in the freezer).
Once your coils are done chilling in the freezer, remove and slice each coil in half LENGTHWISE, all the way down the length to expose the filling (see pictures above).
Working with four of your coil halves, arrange into a round braid as shown in the above pictures. It’s very similar to a basket weave on pie dough. You can also watch me braid on YouTube here. Repeat with your remaining coil halves to make a second loaf. Place each braided loaf in a round cake pan (preferably 9 inches) lined with parchment on bottom and sides.
Cover each cake pan with plastic wrap and let rise between 6-10 hours until the dough has doubled in size. Plastic should be sealed to keep moisture from escaping the tray, but loose enough that dough has lots of room to rise. The warmer the room temperature, the faster the dough will rise, so you will need to keep checking every hour. My home is normally 72 degrees F and my babka dough takes about 8 hours to rise.
Bake in a preheated 335 degree F oven for 20 minutes (it’s okay if your oven can only do 350 degrees F) then place foil lightly on top of the babka to prevent over-browning. Continue baking for another 10 minutes, then check the CENTER of the babka with an instant-read thermometer. The babka is done when it reads between 185 and 210 degrees F. You may need to continue baking for another 10-15 minutes (UP TO a total baking time of 45 minutes).
When the babka is fully baked and still very hot, poke holes from top to bottom of the loaf using a skewer or thin knife. Pour the simple syrup all over the loaf, letting it seep into the holes. Let rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.
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