INFO
Inspired by Conticini’s Baka (here), I went to town trying to figure this one out. First try is below…more to come, most likely. Based on a babka dough by Jeffrey Cagnes.
Details
Ingredients Dough
- 250 g of flour
- 3 g of salt
- 30 g of sugar
- 12 g of fresh yeast
- 150 g of lukewarm milk
- 50 g of unsalted butter, softened
Ingredients Praline
- 150 g of hazelnuts
- 150 g of almonds
- 200 g of sugar
- 50 g of water
Ingredients Sirup
- 50 g of sugar
- 60 g of water
Method Dough
- Cut the butter in small pieces, let it soften to room temperature
- In the kitchen aid bowl, add salt, flour, yeast, sugar and lukewarm milk
- Mix.- using the dough hook - at low speed until he dough comes together (dough hook did not work well for me, so moved to the scrapper) for about 8 minutes until the dough comes off the side of the bowl
- Add the butter piece by piece until well incorporated.
- Dough should be smooth and elastic.
- Place the bowl in a clear bowl, plastic wrap to contact, then in the fridge.
- Set the dough aside and let it rest in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight
Method Praline
- Set the over at 300F/180C and pre-heat
- Place hazelnuts and almond on a sheet pan, place in oven for 20 minutes, mix once or twice. This will road the nuts (can do this in the pan as well.
- Once the nuts are roated, in a pan (high walls), add the water and sugar and bring to a boil, ideally let it reach 118C
- Add the nuts, reduce heat to medium/medium high
- Mix well
- Keep mixing for 20 minutes
- the nuts will first turn white then caramelize
- Once this is done, lay the nuts on a piece of parchment paper, and let it cool. Make sure the nuts are flat and not bunch together
- Optional: set aside 30 g for the final decoration
- Once it is cool, add to the food processor and grind to a paste
- Store, air tight and at room temperature
Method Sirup
- Do this while the dough is baking
- Add sugar and water to a pan
- Bring to a boil until the sugar is well melted
- Set aside
Method Assembly
- Take the dough out
- Lightly flour your work surface
- Roll he dough to a large rectangle, dough should be about 3-4 mm, and the rentable something like 50 cm over 25…size is not that critical
- Once your dough rectangle is ready, spread the Praline over the surface of the rectangle
- Optional: You can sprinkle some crushed roasted nuts (50g or so)
- Now, roll the dough into a cylinder
- Then cut the cylinder in 4-5 cm pieces (2 in)
- On a sheet pan, cover with a silk pat or parchment paper
- Place your high wall circles and place a few dough cylinder in each
- Let this proof for an hour
- Pre-heat your oven at 180C/350F
- Once the dough has proofed, place in the oven for 15-20 mn
- Take out, let it cool for 5-10 minutes
- Prepare your sirup
- Un-mold the babka
- Brush the babka with the sirup
- Add some very roughly rcushed praline on top (the 30 g you had set aside, if you forgot, just make some more 30g should be plenty.
Continici add some salted caramel, likely a good thing to do…maybe next time.
Quick View
| Traditional | |
|---|---|
| Serve | 6-8 |
| Preparation Time | 60 mn + rest time |
| Cooking Time | 20 mn + 20 mn |
| Temperature | |
| Authors | Pascal Crausaz / Inspiration Philippe Conticini & Jeffrey Cagnes |
| Special | Parchment Paper High wall circle (like the circle of a spring baking mold) |
