Ingredients
For the dough:
Milk (30g)
Yeast (3⁄4 teaspoon)
All-purpose flour (270g)
Sugar (30g)
Salt (3g / 1 teaspoon)
Eggs (x3)
Unsalted butter (112g)
For the swirl:
Unsalted butter (40g)
Sea salt (3⁄4 teaspoon)
Cinnamon powder (1.5 tablespoons)
Raw Sugar (40g)
Dried Mahua flowers (100g)
Notes
- For the unsalted butter for the dough: cut into 8 cubes and chilled
- For the unsalted butter for the swirl: room temperature
- For the raw sugar: divided in half
- For the dried Mahua flowers: plus 200g of hot water to soak
- You can brush the top of the babka with simple syrup after removing it from the oven if you’d like a
Directions
- Prepare the swirl. Soak the mahua in boiling water. Once it cools down, strain, squeeze, and blend with 20g of the raw sugar plus the remaining ingredients until it blends to a smooth, thick paste. Store in the fridge.
- To prep the dough: in the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, or a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Make a well in the centre, and pour in the milk, followed by the eggs. Mix together with a silicone spatula until evenly combined. Dough will be sticky and rough.
- Turn the stand mixer on (or use a hand mixer with dough hook attachments), and knead for 8-10 minutes on medium speed, until the dough looks smooth and slightly shiny.
- Add the butter, one cube at a time, waiting until each cube has been fully incorporated before adding the next. This step should span about 15-20 minutes. Grease a large bowl. Shape the dough into a taut ball and place it seam-side down in the bowl. Cover tightly with cling wrap. Allow it to rise in a cool, dark place around 45-90 minutes, depending on temperature.
- Once the dough has almost doubled in size, place the bowl in the fridge for 8-20 hours.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and punch it down. Reshape it into a ball and flatten. Line a loaf tin with parchment paper.
- Working on a very lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a 40x22cm rectangle, about 1.25” thick. Using an offset spatula, spread the mahua swirl paste evenly over the dough sheet. Leave a 2” border from the long side farther away from you. Sprinkle the remaining 20g raw sugar over the paste. Roll up the dough sheet to form a tight (but not too tight) log, and gently press the bare edge to seal the roll.
- Adjust the log to that it’s seam side down. Using a serrated knife. Cut the log in half lengthwise, going carefully from one end to the other. Invert the halves slightly so that the middle line is facing upwards. Press two of the long ends together so that the left side is overlapping atop the right. Take the right strand and braid it over the left. Now the original left strand will be on the right. Repeat the process until you get to the ends of the strands. Take care to ensure the strands are braided flush with each other so that there are not gaps in between. Press the ends together like in the beginning of this process.
- Carefully lift the entire dough and place into the loaf tin with the same orientation.
- Cover with cling wrap and allow it to proof in a dark, dry place, around 1-2 hours. The loaf should rise to the surface of the loaf tin.
- Preheat the oven to 170C. Bake the babka until evenly browned, and cooked all the way through, around 30-45 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, cool for 30 minutes, transfer to a wire rack, and cool completely before slicing.