Recipe By Esther Ottensoser
When it comes to babka, I often think of Goldilocks (that’s right, the one with the three bears). You see, somehow it’s always hard to get the babka “just right.” Sometimes it’s too doughy, at other times too chocolaty, and the perfect balance seems so hard to find. A few years ago I got this recipe from my good friend Shaini. I’m sure you’ll agree with me that the only complaint you’ll hear will be “Someone’s been eating my piece…”
Place all dough ingredients in the bowl of your mixer. Mix well. (The dough will be sticky till after it rises.)
Cover and let it rise for one hour, then divide into four to six equal parts. Allow to rise an additional half hour.
In a separate bowl, combine filling ingredients and mix well.
Yields 4 large (11-inch/28-cm) or 6 medium (9-inch/23-cm) babkas.
Roll out each part of dough into a rectangle. Smear filling on the dough. Roll up like a jelly roll, then fold in half and twist two to three times. Place in loaf pans. Let rise an additional 15–20 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix the topping ingredients in a separate bowl.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). Combine egg whites with a drop of water and smear on babka. Sprinkle the crumbs on top. Bake 40–45 minutes.
Line the loaf pans with Gefen Easy Baking Parchment Paper before putting the babka dough inside. (It is not necessary to use parchment paper for this recipe. I used it here because I didn’t want the babka to touch the newspaper.)
After the babka cools, remove babka from pan and place the piece of newspaper under the baking paper. For a finishing touch, tie a knife on to the cake with a personalized bow. Wrap in cellophane.
Personalized ribbons are a great idea to enhance any package, and they are so convenient as no additional labels are needed.
