|
In the Race
Now, here, you see, it takes all the blogging I can do to keep in the same place. If I want to get somewhere else, I must blog twice as fast as that! You see, I'm in the Red Queen's Race...Janet and her husband have lived in the community of Franklin for over 30 years and have two married children. She is serving a three-year term as a Franklin School Board member
You Can't Beat a Babka!
By Janet Evans
Sunday, Mar 9 2008, 08:03 PM
In the Seinfeld episode "The Dinner Party," Jerry and Elaine get all bent out of shape because their friends buy the last Chocolate Babka at the bakery.
They wanted the Chocolate Babka to bring as a hostess gift to a dinner party.
Chocolate Babka...a traditional Jewish pastry served at Easter...but so good anytime.
When I first saw that episode, and kept hearing the word "Babka" repeated over and over...it peaked my interest.
I wanted to know what was so good about a Babka.
I knew I could order one from Zabars.
But I knew if I wanted something really good....I better make it myself.
So I hunted down a recipe....I looked through dozens of them until I found just the right one.
As far as yeast dough coffee cake type desserts go...
There is nothing better than this homemade Chocolate Babka, warm out of the oven.
But it does take work.
I'll be making this recipe again for Easter.
It's been requested.
But I thought I would share my recipe for any brave soul who would dare challenge herself or himself to create this masterpiece.
Oh, and a note to Kevin Fischer....
This is a Jewish version of Chocolate Babka.
Besides being Latvian, I'm part Lithuanian.
A Lithuanian version of Babka would be made with grated potatoes, onions, eggs, and bacon, into a flaky potato pie.
It's baked in the oven in a cast iron pan and served with SOUR CREAM as a main or side dish.
I make this Lithuanian version quite often, although I don't call it Babka.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chocolate Babka
1 recipe Danish Dough (below)
Streusel:
3 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon melted butter (approximately)
Filling:
4 ounces grated or finely chopped semi-sweet bakers chocolate
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup streusel (approximately)
2 tablespoons melted butter (approximately)
Make streusel:
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and sugar.
Drizzle in the melted butter and mix with your fingertips until the mixture lumps into unevenly sized crumbs.
Refrigerate until ready to use.
Combine the chocolate, sugar and cinnamon. Brush a Bundt pan with melted butter. Roll the dough into a rectangle measuring 9 x 22 inches and brush off any excess flour. Brush the dough generously with the melted butter, leaving a 1/2 inch along the top edge of the dough. Sprinkle the chocolate mixture evenly over the dough, leaving the top 1/2 inch border free. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the mixture for topping (optional). Sprinkle the streusel over the chocolate.
Brush the 1/2 inch border along the top lightly with water. Beginning at the bottom edge, roll the dough into a log and pinch along the seam to seal it well. Place in Bundt pan, seam side up. Moisten the ends of the log with water and bring them together to form a ring. Pinch the ends to seal. Brush the top with melted butter.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cover the pan with a towel and set in a warm draft free place to proof for about 1 1/4 hours, or until a finger gently pressed into the dough leaves an indentation. It will not quite double, but will increase more than half again in size when fully proofed. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until the dough in the crevices appears baked. If the top browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil. Remove from oven and turn out onto a rack. Sprinkle reserved chocolate mixture over top (optional). Cool at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Danish Dough
Yields 2 pounds
1 envelope active dry yeast
3/4 cup milk, warm (about 110 degrees.)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold
In a large bowl sprinkle the yeast over the milk. Let sit for about 5 minutes. Add the egg, sugar, salt and vanilla. Whisk gently to combine. Set aside.
Quarter each stick of butter and cut into 9 or 10 pieces. Toss the diced butter and flour together in a medium bowl.
Add the flour and butter mixture to the wet ingredients and fold with a rubber spatula until the flour is completely moistened. Transfer the dough to a smaller bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator. On a heavily floured surface, pat it into a rectangle about 8 x 6 inches, and then roll it into a larger rectangle about 14 x 24 inches. Brush off any excess flour and fold both edges in so that they meet in the center. If the dough is sticking underneath, release it with a long flexible metal palate knife. Dusting off any excess flour and fold the dough in half when the edges meet. This is called a "book or 4-fold". Rotate the rectangle of dough 1/4 turn on the table. This is called a "turn". Roll into a rectangle measuring about 24 x 12 inches, loosening the dough underneath with a the metal spatula, reflouring as necessary. Brush off any excess flour and give it another book fold. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes.
Remove the dough from the fridge and repeat this process two more times, rolling the dough out each time to 12 x 24 inches. There are 4 book folds in all. After the final turn, shape the package into a rectangle measuring about 9 x 6 inches.
Brush off any excess flour, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to one month. 
|
|
