Chocolate Babka

[rwsaunders]

For Mike...the recipe is a little sketchy about the initial dough rise time...I just made it in the afternoon, placed it in the fridge and made it the next morning after letting it come to room temperature. As mentioned earlier, I would have made two smaller wreaths, as opposed to one large wreath and I need to perfect my braiding technique. The taste...Mrs. RW stated that it tastes like a chocolate croissant, as another recipe that I used was very heavy due to the glaze. This glaze is just water and sugar.

https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/rec...-wreath-recipe

https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blo...e-babka-wreath

[echappist]

Omg, I need to show my wife this.

Was originally planning on making a stollen, but as we have bought one locally, we could give something else a shot.

[AngryScientist]

out


standing.

[mwynne]

Masterful!

I've done a number of variations on babka from Smitten Kitchen recipes as well.

[j44ke]

Breads Bakery in NYC makes one of the best. Their secret ingredient is Nutella mixed in with the chocolate. I think that helps even out the chocolate taste, the dough absorbs a bit more during the baking. But the whole thing basically melts in your mouth, probably from excess drooling.

You know a babka wreath wouldn't be rabbi approved, right? :-)

[rydesteel]

Breads Bakery in NYC makes one of the best. Their secret ingredient is Nutella mixed in with the chocolate. I think that helps even out the chocolate taste, the dough absorbs a bit more during the baking. But the whole thing basically melts in your mouth, probably from excess drooling.

You know a babka wreath wouldn't be rabbi approved, right? :-)

Special Dispensation like when St Paddies falls on a Friday and corned beef becomes fish? ;>)
Looks outstanding RW!

[mnoble485]

Oh sweet baby jeebus! You have set the bar even higher!
Outstanding.

Mike

[AngryScientist]

well @rwsaunders - god bless my wife, who is never one to turn down a challenge. i showed her this very thread, and i came home from running some errands to one of these. tasting coming up, but the house smells amazing!

[rwsaunders]

Oh yeah! Her braiding and shaping technique look first rate...you better be planning to log some miles in order to burn those calories.

[htwoopup]

Bob and Nick- yours came out beautifully.

Just for another recipe (which was HEAVEN)...the one I used was this... https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/...E&gclsrc=aw.ds

Of course, I did not do the braiding as well as you did. And seeing your post just reminded me that when I left Tremblant this am for NYC, I had left one that I had made in the freezer (defrost and then put in oven for 10 minutes at 350) with the intent of bringing it south. Guess this is tomorrow’s NYC while isolating project.

And, btw, the dough recipe on this one makes for a killer base to make cinnamon raisin bread.

[mnoble485]

Oh sweet baby jeebus! You have set the bar even higher!
Outstanding.

Mike

Just noticed this was my 1,000 th post. It took me awhile to get there and it’s ironic it came on a food thread. Shows where my priorities have been for the last year!

Mike

[htwoopup]

My sister explained to me tonight how her research has found that on my mother’s mother’s side of the family, if one goes back to 1740 one will discover that Josiel Weintraub was born in Tykocin in the Lomza Gubernia of the Polish portion of the Russian Empire. Tykocin is about 100 miles northeast of Warsaw and 15 miles west of Bialystok.

So, that put me in the mood as it explained my hankering for babka.

Not chocolate, but a quick not fancy cinnamon raisin that I whipped together...





As they say in Brooklyn, it is to die for.

[vertical_doug]

My sister explained to me tonight how her research has found that on my mother’s mother’s side of the family, if one goes back to 1740 one will discover that Josiel Weintraub was born in Tykocin in the Lomza Gubernia of the Polish portion of the Russian Empire. Tykocin is about 100 miles northeast of Warsaw and 15 miles west of Bialystok.

So, that put me in the mood as it explained my hankering for babka.

Not chocolate, but a quick not fancy cinnamon raisin that I whipped together...





As they say in Brooklyn, it is to die for.

Looks good.

The Chocolate Babka at Breads Bakery on E 16th St Union Square is really good in my opinion.

[gt6267a]

it all looks lovely. a question, does the wreath technique provide for ample doughyness and pull apart gluttony like a loaf? is it better?

[htwoopup]

Drifting this thread into various sweet breads....

This morning a violation of every food intolerance I have in one loaf.





Pure poison even to those with no food issues.

But worth every bite.

[htwoopup]

Just drove the 8 hours from Manhattan up to our house in Quebec. We have not been here since two days after Christmas due to the border restrictions, desire to wait for vaccine in the US, etc.

Of course, there is absolutely no food in the house and we had to order in some fast food chicken.

And the order from the grocery store won’t be delivered (we are required to not leave the house for 14 days even though we have both been vaccinated and tested negative twice within the last 5 days) until tomorrow.

So, it was total joy to discover that I had baked and frozen a chocolate babka before we left.



Honestly, I don’t care what the freezer and the bad wrapping job did to this thing...it will be breakfast tomorrow and I can’t wait.

It is almost as exciting as being able to ride the Spectrum which has been stuck here separated by the border when we are out of quarantine.