Bread recipes ...

Babka

A former Loaf of the Month (April 2009)

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Babka is a spongy yeast cake that is traditionally baked for Easter Sunday in Poland, Belarus, Ukraine and Western Russia.

Ingredients, dough:

• 500g Carrs Breadmaker Strong White Flour
• 320ml Milk
• 1 tsp Fast action dried yeast
• 50g Butter, plus extra for greasing
• 30g Sugar
• 1 tsp Salt

Ingredients, filling/topping:

• 200g Milk chocolate chips
• 100g Walnut pieces

Method: Bread Machine

1. Follow the manufacturers’ instructions regarding the order of liquid/dry ingredients, and set your machine to the dough/pizza setting.
2. Generously grease the bottom, middle, and sides of a cake ring.
3. Place the chocolate chips and walnut pieces into a food processor or blender and grind until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
4. Evenly sprinkle about ⅓ of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared cake ring.
5. When the dough cycle is complete, turn the dough out and quickly knead on a floured surface.
6. Use a rolling pin roll the dough into a large 25cm x 40cm rectangle pressing the dough down as you roll.
7. Sprinkle the rest of the chocolate filling as evenly as possible over the dough, leaving a 1cm rim around the outer edge. Roll it up tightly along the long edge, pinching the edges to seal them.
8. Lift the babka carefully and ease it into the pan, making as even a circle as possible. Press firmly into place and pinch the two ends together with a little water. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise at room temperature about an hour.
9. Preheat oven to 190°C, 375F, gas mark 5. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove the babka from the cake ring and invert onto a wire cooling rack.

Sit back and enjoy!

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