ALMOND CRANBERRY BABKA (Krantz)

My successful Challah bread, the first Jewish bread i baked about a decade ago, inspired me to move for a Jewish cuisine crawl, particularly bread and pastry. This time moving on to another braided sweet bread called BABKA or KRANTZ.

BABKA is a famous dessert among Ashkenazim. Ashkenazim are Jews who live in Rhineland Valley located between the Western Germany and Northern France. So they are very rich in culture as they embraced both parts of German and France way of living. This sweet braided bread is symbolic. Coming from a Jewish roots, the name is derived from a Slavic word "babcia" which means endearment for grandmother. The bread shape looks like a reminiscent of old woman's skirt and a primary reference to its baker -- the grandmothers.

Now, is it Babka or Krantz. They refer to the same thing. Remember they are of Ashkenazi Jewish origin? so if you are more of Jewish influence you will call it Babka, but if you're coming from Germany, you call it Krantz as this dessert made its popular roots in Frankfurt, Germany. But both mean the same thing, a dessert in between bread or cake, sweet and braided with added fillings of either chocolate, cinnamon, fruits or nuts, moisten with sugar syrup or honey and can be topped with streusel. Every mouthful bite is a hint of compelling textures of chocolates, crisp of nuts, caramelized honey sugar, and crumby crunch of streusel (if added) . A decadent treat!

So, after battling which among my two finalists' chef recipes should go to my archive... here it is-- my babka recipe😁

ALMOND CRANBERRY BABKA (Krantz)

Makes 1-  9" loaf pan

Ingredients for the dough

2 c bread flour

2 tsp yeast

1 tsp caster sugar

Dash of salt

½ fresh c milk

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

90g unsalted butter, room temp

Honey or Honey Syrup--use this to brush the loaf IMMEDIATELY after baking, when you take loaf out of the oven.

 

In a stand mixer, place flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Mix to combine

Add egg, milk, vanilla and butter. Mix to rough dough.

Continue mixing for another at least 15 minutes into a smooth dough.

When done, proof for at least an hour or until doubles.

Filling

1/4 bar (50g) unsalted butter

8 cubes about 45g (70%)dark chocolate

3/8 c caster sugar

1/4 c cocoa powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

Melt butter in a pan.

Add sugar and dissolve.

Remove from heat and add chopped chocolates, rest for a minute then mix to combine.

Add cocoa and cinnamon powder

Stir, set aside and ready to use.

Honey Syrup

1/4 c water

1/4 c sugar

1/2 tbsp honey

Place in pan, warm to dissolve the sugar. Set aside and ready to use.

Filling Toppings

1/2 c baked almonds, chopped

1 pack about 70g dried cranberries

Assembly

Grease a 9"  loaf pan with oil and line with parchment paper. Set aside.

When dough is ready, punch and flatten into a rectangle about 14x10" wide.

Spread the chocolate filling. Then sprinkle the chopped almonds followed by cranberries. Coming from your side, roll the dough crosswise like a log.

Slice the log into halves making sure one end is still attached.

Take the cut half and fold it over the other making sure the cut sides are facing up, continue overlapping until you make a one long braided rope.  Secure one end by pinching one end against the other.

Slowly lift the braided loaf and place this into the greased pan.

Let rest for another 2 hours.

Pre-heat oven at 190° C and bake for about 30 minutes. Making sure the tester comes out clean with dough. It is natural that chocolates will stick to the tester.

When done, remove from oven and immediately brush with sugar syrup or honey. Let it cool completely before removing from the pan and slicing. Otherwise it is soft and will not hold its shape.

Enjoy with or without ice cream on top!