Babka & Brioche Buns
Babka & Buns
Yield: 2 loaves, or 12 buns
Ingredients:
For the Brioche Dough
- 2-1/4 tsps (7 g) instant or active dry yeast (one packet)
- 1/2 cup (4 fl oz) whole milk
- 3 tbsps sugar
- 3 cups (420 g) bread flour
- 3 eggs
- 1 yolk
- 1 tsp Kosher salt or ¾ tsp sea salt.
- 1 3/4 sticks (7 oz) butter, softened but still cool
For Babka Filling
- 4 ounces chocolate pieces
- 1 stick butter (4 ounces)
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp milk
Instructions:
Make the dough
- Combine milk, yeast and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook and whisk by hand.
- Add the flour, eggs and yolks and salt and mix on low for about 6 minutes with the dough hook. Mix until you achieve a window pane. Start checking at 6 minutes. You may need more time, particularly if you use all-purpose flour.
- Once the dough is strong, add the butter in chunks and beat until fully incorporating, Stopping the mixer periodically to push the butter down the sides of the bowl.
- Leave the dough in mixer bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Alternatively, remove dough to a shallow baking dish or ¼ sheet pan and wrap tightly with plastic. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight. After this, you can freeze for 1 week. (You can let rise for 1-2 hours at room temp instead of chilling, but this dough is much easier to work with cold)
- Shape and proof as directed for 1-2 hours, depending on the temp in your room.
Fill & Shape the Babka
- Melt together butter and chocolate, stir in cocoa and powdered sugar.
- Using ½ of the dough from the recipe, roll the dough out into a large rectangle with long side near you on a floured worksurface. Carefully spread filling over entire rectangle of dough. Go to the edges of both short sides and the long side nearest to you. Leave about 1 inch clean on the further long side. Carefully roll up, starting with the long side closest to you and rolling away from yourself. Pinch the seam. Use a chef’s knife to cut this long in half. Then cut each half longways. Twist two long pieces together. Then twist the other two pieces together. Then twist these two twists together, tuck under the ends and carefully place into a greased or parchment lined loaf pan. Cover and let rise for 1-2 hours.
- 30 minutes before baking, pre-heat oven to 350F.
- Egg wash all visible surfaces of your babka.
- Bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until a dark golden brown.
Shape the buns
- Using ½ of the dough from the recipe, divide into 6 equal pieces. Working quickly, shape each piece into a ball by flatting into a rectangle, then roll up starting with a short side, then fold the edges under to meet under the ball, give a quarter turn and fold those edges down, repeat until you have a taught skin formed around, with seams at the bottom. On a clean counter, place the ball seam-side down, cup your hand over the ball, and gently but firmly roll the ball so that the friction with the counter pulls the seam together. Place the shaped buns, seam side down, on a parchment lined baking pan with plenty of space between buns. Cover loosely with a piece of plastic wrap that has been lightly oiled or sprayed with cooking spray. Let rise.
- 30 minutes before baking, pre-heat oven to 350F.
- Egg wash all visible surfaces of your buns.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a dark golden brown.
