Some things I thought about while I made loaves of babka over the weekend
Out
Sopping wet tea towels
Saying ‘I like that’s its not too sweet’
Rocking up empty handed
Anything well done
“Winging it’
Imperial systems
Cheeseboards as reflection of how much you earn
Aprons
Letting things cool
Blind baking
Telling people to go on master chef
Delegating
In
Salt in sweet recipes
Re filling the ice tray
Cooking an elaborate meal for one
Ignoring your intolerances
Using your hands
A second slice
Being the first to suggest dessert
Letting things rest
Cleaning as you go
Biscuit crumbs
Swiss meringue buttercream ft small amount of cake
Explaining in detail
Canned whip cream
Timers
Chocolate tahini Babka loaf.
Ingredients:
650g all-purpose flour
120g caster sugar
125ml warm water
150ml milk
3 eggs, beaten
85g unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons olive oil
For the Dark Chocolate Tahini Swirl:
150g dark chocolate
115g unsalted butter
50g brown sugar
30g cocoa powder
100g tahini
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees and line two medium loaf tins with baking paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, sift together the flour and caster sugar. Create a well in the center of the bowl.
In a small bowl, combine the warm water and yeast. Pour the mixture into the well in the flour mixture and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until the yeast becomes foamy and bubbly.
In a small pot, warm the milk, beaten eggs, and olive oil until it reaches just above lukewarm temperature. Then, pour in the melted unsalted butter and set aside. If the butter begins to harden in the milk mixture, reheat it on the stove until the ingredients combine.
Add the milk mixture into the flour mixture using a dough or paddle hook attachment to combine the mixture on low speed until a dough forms. Increase the speed to medium and knead for 10 minutes.
Cover the bowl with cling wrap and let it sit and rise for two hours.
Meanwhile, make the dark chocolate tahini swirl by combining the dark chocolate, unsalted butter, brown sugar, and cocoa powder in a bowl over a double boiler. Stir until the ingredients are fully combined, then take it off the heat and stir in the tahini. Let it cool.
Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and divide it into two equal parts. Roll each part into a rectangle about 20 x 30 cm on a floured surface.
Spread the chocolate tahini mixture evenly over each rectangle, leaving a little bit of space at the edges. Roll the dough up into a log form and put them onto the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes.
Remove the logs from the fridge and cut them down the middle lengthwise with a sharp knife, but leave the top part connected. Twist the two strands of dough over one another in a crisscross form and carefully tuck the logs into the prepared loaf tins. Cover with a damp tea towel and let them rise for another hour.
Brush the tops of the loaves with beaten egg yolk to give them a glossy shine. Bake for 25-30 minutes until they turn golden brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
Once done, remove the bread from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes. Then, slice and serve warm. Enjoy