If I could solely bake babkas all day, I think I would.
One of my first posts on this blog was a babka and I still am so proud of that picture. In that original post I wrote about what every good food blogger writes about when they make a babka. Seinfeld. Like many other sitcoms, Seinfeld has some great food moments that are not limited to just the babka. Whether it's George picking an eclair out of the trash to eat, or Jerry battling for a marble rye, the Seinfeld crew gets it when it comes to food. Heck we even know Elaine founded the idea of the "muffin top" recipe while battling a resistance to Drake's coffee cake. The episodes expand outside the dessert realm with the notorious BIG salad, mangos, and who could forget the Mackinow peaches. I'm cracking up to myself as I write this post and think about SO many other food moments in Seinfeld. The Jujy Fruit, George's bedroom sandwich, THE MULLIGATAWNY....THE JUNIOR MINT. Isn't the best part of TV the food? I read they literally do Sex and the City food tours in NYC and from what I have seen, that show doesn't really revolve around food.
The big babka battle in Seinfeld is whether or not to get the cinnamon or chocolate. I decided to scrap both ideas for this recipe and make a dark chocolate orange babka. The fact that citrus is in season during the winter is truly a gift from god because biting into an orange is literally the only thing keeping me going during this below 20 degree day.
Ingredients:
4 cups all purpose flour
1 packet active dry yeast
3/4 cup whole milk (warmed to 110 degrees F)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 eggs + 1 egg yolk
1 stick of unsalted butter (softened)
1 egg beaten (for brushing)
Filling:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup coco powder
1 tbsp cinnamon
zest of one large orange
4 oz dark chocolate chopped
Combine yeast, sugar, and whole milk into the bowl of a standing mixer. Let it sit for about five - ten minutes until it become foamy. Add the flour and salt and mix until fully combined. Add in the 2 eggs and yolk, along with the butter and mix using a dough hook for roughly 15 minutes. Remove the dough and form into a bowl. Place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with saran wrap or a damp towel. Let rise in a warm space for 8 hours, or overnight in the fridge. When dough has doubled in size, divide the portions in half and roll out the dough into a 11 x 15 inch square. To make the filling, combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and cook over low heat until the chocolate has just melted. Spread the chocolate filling over the flat dough leaving roughly 1/2 inch of uncovered dough along the sides. Tightly roll the dough into a log shape. Cut the log in half lengthwise (the hot dog way). Place one piece of the dough over the over and braid together. Place the loaf into a loaf pan and let rest for two hours. Beat an egg together and using a pastry brush, lightly brush the egg mixture over the loaf. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and bake for 35 minutes. Repeat with the second portion of dough.
4 cups all purpose flour
1 packet active dry yeast
3/4 cup whole milk (warmed to 110 degrees F)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 eggs + 1 egg yolk
1 stick of unsalted butter (softened)
1 egg beaten (for brushing)
Filling:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup coco powder
1 tbsp cinnamon
zest of one large orange
4 oz dark chocolate chopped
Combine yeast, sugar, and whole milk into the bowl of a standing mixer. Let it sit for about five - ten minutes until it become foamy. Add the flour and salt and mix until fully combined. Add in the 2 eggs and yolk, along with the butter and mix using a dough hook for roughly 15 minutes. Remove the dough and form into a bowl. Place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with saran wrap or a damp towel. Let rise in a warm space for 8 hours, or overnight in the fridge. When dough has doubled in size, divide the portions in half and roll out the dough into a 11 x 15 inch square. To make the filling, combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and cook over low heat until the chocolate has just melted. Spread the chocolate filling over the flat dough leaving roughly 1/2 inch of uncovered dough along the sides. Tightly roll the dough into a log shape. Cut the log in half lengthwise (the hot dog way). Place one piece of the dough over the over and braid together. Place the loaf into a loaf pan and let rest for two hours. Beat an egg together and using a pastry brush, lightly brush the egg mixture over the loaf. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and bake for 35 minutes. Repeat with the second portion of dough.
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