Handheld Chocolate Babka

Kosher Desserts

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handheld_chocolate_babka
Photo: Dara Mirsky

Adapted from a recipe by Dara Mirsky
Red Star PLATINUM Yeast Sampling/Baking Contest entry

Individual sized chocolate babka made in jumbo-size muffin tins with a crumb topping.Greatpresentation

Ingredients:

Dough:
1/4 cups whole milk
1/2 cup white sugar
3 - 4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 package Red Star PLATINUM Superior Baking Yeast
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

Filling:
2 10-ounce bags bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

Topping:
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1/3 of Filling recipe above

Directions:

Heat milk to approximately 120 degrees (this takes 1 minute on high in my microwave).

While the milk is warming, combine sugar, 3 cups of flour, salt, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Use the paddle attachment to mix the dry ingredients.

Then, pour in the warmed milk and 1 whole egg plus 1 egg yolk. Reserve the egg white. Mix just until all ingredients are combined, then change to the dough hook.

Slice small pats of the butter into the dough while the dough hook is working on Speed 2. Add up to another 1/2 cup of flour until dough is smooth, but loose and stretchy. Dough will not form into a ball. Knead until butter and flour are completely incorporated, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as necessary.

Transfer dough to a large greased bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm spot for 1 hour.

While the dough is rising, work on the Filling. In a food processor fitted with a chopping blade, combine the first three Filling ingredients and pulse until about half of the chocolate chips have been broken down to small pieces. Cut the butter into the food processor in small pieces, and then pulse again (sparingly) until the butter is incorporated. Set Filling aside.

Next, compose the Topping. Place the first three Topping ingredients in a large bowl. With clean hands, work the ingredients together until the dry ingredients are totally incorporated with the butter. Then add 1/3 of your Filling and finish mixing the two to combine. Set Topping aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface and let it rest for five minutes. Cut the dough in half and set one piece aside.

Using plenty of flour, roll out one piece of dough to about a 12" x 18" rectangle. Sprinkle a third of the Filling along the long end of the dough.

Beat the reserved egg white with fork, and then brush it all along the edges of the dough to help the dough seal. Starting with the edge with the filling, roll the dough gently into a jelly-roll form. The dough is delicate so go slow. Tuck the ends under, and then fold the dough in half onto itself, gently twisting the two strands along the length of the roll. It is OK if the dough rips a bit... just patch it together and keep going. Once twisted mold and roll the finished log until it is about 12" long. Cut the dough into 8 even pieces, and place each piece in a jumbo-size (3.5

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