Babka

Name: Babka
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: Israel
Ingredients: 560 g/1 lb 4½oz/4¼ cups plain flour, plus extra for dusting; 10 g/¼oz/3½ tsp fastaction (easy-blend) dried yeast; 100 g/3½ oz/½ cup caster or granulated sugar; 100 g/3½ oz/½ cup caster or granulated sugar; 100 g/3½ oz/scant ½ cup (7 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened; 2 medium eggs; 180 ml/6¼ fl oz/¾ cup whole milk; 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp vanilla extract; about 400 g/14 oz chocolate spread (you can try Adeena Sussman’s); about 400 g/14 oz chocolate spread (you can try Adeena Sussman’s); halva crumbs, for a generous sprinkling; 1 medium egg, lightly beaten, to glaze

Preparation info

Makes:
2
loaves/Serves 8

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
55 min

Appears in

Babka, Boulou, & Blintzes

By Michael Leventhal

Published 2021

About

This braided yeast cake with chocolate and halva is a favourite in the Jewish repertoire. I add crumbs of halva, a popular Middle Eastern sweet, to give the cake added texture and flavour.

Ingredients

For the dough

560 g/1 lb 4½oz/4¼ cups plain

Asia
Israel
Cake
Vegetarian
Jewish

Method

Line two 700g/1lb 9oz loaf tins with non-stick baking paper.
Put all the dough ingredients in a large mixing bowl and knead together by hand or in an electric stand mixer until a smooth and flexible dough is formed (see Tester’s Tips). Cover loosely with a tea towel and leave to rise/prove until doubled in size. This will