Easter Babka

Easter Babka

  • 8 Portions

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup (170mL) warm milk 
  • 2 tsp caster sugar, plus ¼ cup (55g) caster sugar, extra
  • 1½ tsp dry yeast
  • 1¾ cups (260g) plain flour plus, 1 cup (150g) extra for kneading and dusting
  • 1 egg, plus 1 egg extra, separated 
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste 
  • 190g unsalted butter, cut into pieces and softened
  • 110g NESTLÉ Royal
     

Directions

1.    Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan forced. Grease and line a 22 ½ x 14 ½ cm loaf pan with baking paper.

2.     Place milk, sugar and yeast in a small bowl; mixt to combine. Stand in a warm place until foamy.
 
3.    Add 1/2 cup (75g) flour to yeast mixture, place in an electric mixer using a dough hook, beat until combined. Add egg, yolk, vanilla, and extra sugar; beat until combined. Gradually adding in remaining flour and butter; continue to beat until dough is shiny. (Dough will be very soft and sticky)

4.    Scrape dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, this should take 1- 2 hours. 

5.    Punch down dough using a lightly oiled rubber spatula. Knead using extra flour, until smooth and not sticky. Between two sheets of baking paper, using a rolling pin; roll into a 40 x 25 cm rectangle.

6.    Using the reserved egg white, brush over borders of the dough. Scatter NESTLÉ Royal and extra caster sugar on the longest edge, then using baking paper as a guide, carefully roll dough into a snug log, peeling away the baking paper from the dough as you go, pinching firmly along egg white seam to seal. Bring ends of log together to form a ring, pinching to seal. Twist entire ring to form a figure 8 and fit into loaf pan. Brush with egg white. Bake for 1 hour, or until cooked and golden brown.  
 

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