Recipe#904

Title: Babka 02

From: mharris269@aol.com 
 Newsgroups: rec.food.baking 
 Subject: Chocolate Babka-ABM 
 Date: 15 Feb 1997 17:26:59 GMT 
 Message-ID: <19970215172601.MAA20312@ladder01.news.aol.com> 

2-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
 1/2 salt
 2 tablespoons sugar
 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine
 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons milk
 2 large eggs
 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
 All ingredients must be at room temperature. Add ingredients in the
 order specified in your owner's manual. Set machine to dough/manual
 setting.  At the end of the cycle, press clear/stop.  To punch down
 dough, press start and let knead for 60 seconds. Press clear/stop again.
 Remove dough and let rest 5 minutes before hand-shaping.
 Chocolate Babka Filling
 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
 1/2 cup sugar
 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
 1/3 cup coarsely chopped pecans
 Crumb Topping
 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
 2 Tablespoons sugar
 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
 2 pinches ground cinnamon
 Egg Wash
 1 large egg white, beaten with 1 teaspoon water
 Hand Shaping Technique
 While the dough is rising, prepare the filling by blending ingredients
 together with a fork until crumbly.  To make crumb topping, blend
 ingredients together with a fork until crumbly.   Chill both until
 ready to use. Lightly grease a 4-1/2x8-1/2 inch loaf pan.  On a lightly
 floured work surface, roll the dough into a 10x20 inch rectangle. 
 Cover with filling up to 1 inch from the edges.  Roll up lengthwise,
 jelly roll fashion.  Pinch seam and ends securely together so that
 they don't open during baking.  Carefully place babka in prepared pan.
 Fold ends under and shape into an S so that it fits into pan. Cover
 with a clean kitchen cloth and let rise until doubled in size.
 Preheat oven to 350F. Form a crease in the top of the risen babka with
 the side of your hand. Brush with egg wash and cover with crumb topping. 
 Bake approximately 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown.  If babka begins
 to brown too quickly, cover top with foil.  Remove from pan and cool on
 wire rack.
 There are variations for Cinnamon Sugar Babka and Cheese Babka.
 Cheese Babka Filling
 8 oz. farmer cheese
 2 Tablespoons sugar
 1 tablespoon flour
 1 large egg yolk
 2 teaspoons grated orange zest
 1/4 cup raisins
 Blend together all ingredients except the raisins.  After spreading the
 cheese filling on the babka, sprinkle with the raisins.
 Cinnamon Sugar Babka Filling
 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
 1/4 cup sugar
 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon