Another challenge, another pastry. Thanks to my friend Lara – who gave me one of the most beautiful leaving gift ever: a proper pastry book (full of exotic sexy sweetporn). After trying my christmas poppy rugelach – i jumped to make an ‘easy babka’ this time.

Join me for this fun – the recipe of the dough is the same i shared before. I wanted to make a ‘lighter version’ so i didnt laminate with butter (you can do it of course, in that case your recipe will be enough for 3 individual babkas) which means i will get 2 pieces of the final pastry.

Originally this ‘cake’ has got a rich chocolate filling (nomnomnom) – i changed this using pistachio paste instead of nutella but kept the good quality dark bitter baking chocolate.

Also i ‘mavericked’ the recipe adding 3 tbsp of ‘Ryan’ rye starter – just for fun. Just because i can. :)

Think ahead – u need to make the dough on the night before you plan to bake – and let it rest overnight in the fridge.

• roll into a long square – approx 25 cm wide and 72 cm long (in a case of a not laminated butter).

• spread the pistachio (or nutella) ‘evenly’ :) and sprinkle the choc chip or chopped bitter chocolate all over.

• 

• 

• grab one side of the dough and start to roll it up into a cylinder – make it nice and tight

• 

• 

• with a big sharp knife cut the rolled cylinder lenghtwise into half then cut the two halfs crosswise into 2 – so u end up having 4 equal dough pieces

• twisting – start with a X and twist 2 doughs together – same with the other pair

• 

• 

Thats it. Shaping is done. I didnt find any proper size of baking tin unfortunately – so i put one in a long one’ but i know it will be too tight (see how it goes) – and left the other twist in the middle of a big tray free as a bird to proof however wish to.

Time to place them in a warm place and let them proof approx double size. The original recipe doesnt say – but i did some egg wash before i put on the middle rack in the oven.

I baked them 170 degrees for 25 minutes. The book said it might need 40 minutes in total so i wasnt checking my babka before – my bad i know. Dad was ‘complaining’ about being a bit ‘over suntanned’ :). Well yes, maybe.

The first one (free like a bird on a tray) stayed in for 25 minutes. I checked the inside temperature and reached the 88 degrees so i took out. Quickly got a honey glaze (1:1 hot water with acacia honey) for shine. The second babka (in the tight mold) stayed 20 minutes in the oven and after checking the internal temperature i put it back for another 5 minutes covered with a foil. When it was ready i took out from the tin straight away and got the honey glaze also.

Pretty pretty bab-ka. Very happy. Especially when i had some the next day freshly toasted for breakfast. Sweet life, sweet porn.