Babka!

Something got me going on the idea to make Babka. It was a twitter thing. I was informed that "Jewish Food" was following me and when I looked who it was it took me to a page with a recipe for Babka. So being ever so SLIGHTLY ocd, I started obsessing on making a Babka. Add that to the fact that the Babka episode of Seinfeld was one of my favorites. Ok, but now I had to research Babka's. I couldn't just make the recipe that was there. I searched. I found. It was a terrific recipe that I found on Culinary Corner Cafe I am not sure if this is her recipe or not but it is killer.

Chocolate or Cinnamon Babka

Ingredients:

Dough:

1-1 1/2 C. water
2 T. yeast
Pinch of sugar
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla
2 drops almond extract
1 tsp. lemon juice
3/4 C. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/3 C. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/3 C. milk powder
1 C. unsalted butter or margarine - softened and cut into small pieces
6 C. unbleached all-purpose flour or half bread flour/half all-purpose

Chocolate Filling:

1-1 1/2 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 C. cocoa
1/2 C. sugar
3 T. unsalted butter or margarine

Cinnamon Filling:

1/4 C. unsalted butter or margarine
1 C. dark brown sugar
2 T. corn syrup or maple syrup
2-4 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 C. chopped walnuts (optional)

Egg Wash:

1 egg, beaten
Sugar for sprinkling

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix together water, yeast, and pinch of sugar. Allow to rest for five minutes to allow the yeast to swell.

2. Add eggs, egg yolks, vanilla, almond extract, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and milk powder.

3. Add the softened butter and flour to the mixture by folding it into the batter. Knead with a dough hook or by hand for about 8-10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.

4. Place dough in a well greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap or cover the entire bowl with a plastic bag to ensure that it's thoroughly sealed. Allow to rise for about 45-90 minutes. (You can refrigerate this dough overnight, but you must allow it to return to room temperature before continuing.)

5. Divide dough into two equal parts. Cover with a towel and allow it to rest for 10 minutes.

6. Butter two 9-inch springform cake pans or two loaf pans, or, if making only one large babka, butter a 10-inch bundt pan.

7. Roll dough into a 16x16 inch square on a lightly floured board.

8. Spread the filling of your choice over the entire surface.

9. Roll lengthwise into a large roll, then cut in half.

10. Place both halves in the prepared pan, beside each other (it doesn't matter if they are pressing against each other).

11. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.

12. Place the pan(s) in a plastic bag and let rise until babke is flush or has risen over the top of the pan(s).

13. Repeat with other half of the dough.

14. Preheat over to 350 F.

15. Bake babka for 35-40 minutes (50-70 minutes for the one large babka) until medium brown.

16. Cool for 15 minutes in the pan before putting on a cooling rack.

To make the Chocolate Filling:

Place chocolate chips, cinnamon, cocoa, sugar, and butter in a food processor and grind into a loose paste.

To make the Cinnamon Filling:

Place the butter, sugar, corn syrup, cinnamon, and walnuts in a food processor and grind into a loose paste.




Made the dough




rolled out dough and spread the chocolate paste



Rolled it into a jelly roll



Cut into two pieces



Put into bundt pan (I made one large one)



Let rise in plastic bag



Bake and let cool for 15 minutes


So, this is the part that it went...well...it went WRONG. Being the type of person I am (which means not all that patient and a bit neurotic) I decided that 10 minutes was good enough (ok, in all fairness I had to leave for a doctors appointment)

and this is what happens when you are impatient and frankly a crappy baker...



Your Babka deflates. That is what happended



Ok, so it is really ugly and it was a good thing I wasn't making it for guests. I have to tell you that it was the best tasting thing I have had in a long time. My neighbors agreed. I just cut off a slice for them and they had NO idea that it wasn't suppose to look like a strudel.

So before you go, just one more rant.

This is the Babka strudel before I "enhanced" the photo of what real food looks like



This is the strudel AFTER enhancement



What is with the trend in food photos on blogs to have the contrast and saturation played with until it doesn't look like food anymore. I am starting a new trend towards "I want to see what I am really going to be eating". I will have to make a badge for others to put on their food blogs. I will give lectures (which will only be a few lines like "Hey knock off the saturation it makes the food look like it is glowing in the dark") Ok enough I will stop now. I really need a job.