Ingredients:
For the Filling:
300g White Chocolate drops or broken into pieces.
150ml Double Cream
200g Peeled Pistachios
1 tsp Vanilla extract
For the Dough:
300g Plain Flour
220g White Bread Flour
85g White Caster Sugar
11g Instant Yeast
3 Large Eggs
120ml Water
1/4 tsp Salt
150g Butter ( Cut into cubes and softened at room temperature)
For the Sugar Syrup:
100ml Water
100g Caster Sugar
Method:
For the filling:
-First Break up the Pistachios in a pestle and mortar or a food processor, making sure not to make them to finely ground.
-Warm the cream in a pan, remove from the heat and drop the chocolate and vanilla extract in, stirring continuously until the chocolate has melted, add the pistachios and place in the fridge to set.
For the Dough:
-Mix the yeast with the water and allow to stand for 10 minutes.
-If using an electric mixer place the flour and sugar in a the bowl and add the eggs and yeast mix. Mix on a medium speed with the dough hook attachment for a few minutes until a smooth but firm dough is formed. If kneading by hand, do so on a floured surface until the dough is formed and elastic.
-Slowly incorporate the butter into the dough a few pieces at a time and continue to mix for a few minutes or knead for 10 minutes by hand.
-Butter a large bowl and place the dough into it, clingfilm and leave at room temperature for about 3 hours then place in the fridge and leave overnight.
-The next day take the dough from the bowl and place on a lightly floured surface, roll out into a rectangle to about 1cm thickness.
-Beat the chocolate and pistachio mix vigorously to loosen the spread evenly over the dough.
-Roll up using the long side of the rectangle and cut down the middle length ways.
-Plait the two lengths over each other with the open filling on top and fit into a papered loaf tin.
-Leave to prove at room temperature until doubled in size (about 2 hours)
-Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C / gas mark 4.
-Bake in the centre of the oven for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer comes out with no dough attached.
-While the Babka is in the oven make the syrup by warming the water then adding the sugar and stir and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
-When the Babka is removed from the oven, brush with the syrup and keep brushing until all the syrup has gone.
-Allow to cool for 40 minutes before eating.
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