%20(1).png)
I’ve been experimenting with various different breads for a while, and made a notably disastrous gluten free brioche which didn’t rise in any way at all, which made for a fairly horrendous loaf!
However, with a block of milk chocolate asking to be eaten, it was only fitting that I made something full of gluten, that would definitely rise!
Milk chocolate and hazelnut babka
Ingredients:
For the dough: 225g strong white flour 1 sachet of fast action yeast 50ml warm milk 45g caster sugar 40g butter, softened 1 egg, lightly beaten
For the filling: 75g milk chocolate 35g butter 10g caster sugar 30g hazelnuts, chopped and roasted 1 tbsp demerara sugar
Method:
In a bowl, combine the flour, yeast and sugar.
Stir in the butter, then add the milk and egg. Mix until it forms a rough dough, then knead on a work surface for 5-10 minutes until smooth. It may be sticky at first, but it will become smoother once it has been worked.
Place the dough back in the bowl, cover, and leave to rise for 1-2 hours, until doubled in size.
Just before the dough is ready, melt the chocolate, sugar and butter in a pan over a low heat. Preheat the oven to 190°C, and line a small loaf tin with baking parchment.
Lightly dust your work surface with flour and roll out the dough to a rectangle, approximately 30cm in width and as long as possible in length. The dough should only be a few millimetres thick. Spread the chocolate filling all over the dough, leaving a 1cm border around all sides. Sprinkle the toasted hazelnuts all over the filling. Starting with the long edge closest to you, roll the dough up into a tight roll.
Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the roll down its length in half, and place the two lengths next to each other, cut sides up. Twist the two lengths together carefully, and pinch the ends to seal. Carefully transfer the twist to the tin. Cover loosely and leave to rise for about 30-45 minutes.
Once risen, sprinkle with demerera sugar, then bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven, leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer the loaf to a wire rack to cool completely.
Please give it a go, and let me know how it turns out in the comments!
Miss Helen x