Gingerbread Babka
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 45 minutes plus 1 hour rising time
Cooking time: 50 minutes
- 630g/22.3oz. bread flour
- 100g/3.5oz. caster or superfine sugar
- 2 teaspoons instant dried yeast
- 2 teaspoons gingerbread spice plus 1 teaspoon ground ginger extra
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 120ml/4floz. water
- 150g/5oz. butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
For filling
- 120g/4ozs white chocolate, melted
- 120g/4ozs butter, softened
- 50g/1.7ozs. icing sugar
- 3 teaspoons gingerbread spice plus 1 teaspoon ground ginger extra
- 1/2 cup pistachios, chopped
- 1/2 cup pearl sugar plus 1 tablespoon to sprinkle
- 1 egg to brush over
Step 1 - First make the dough. Mix the flour with the sugar, spices, yeast, eggs and water and then stir in the butter. Knead with a dough hook until smooth and elastic. Place in a large bowl and cover and place in a warm location and allow to double in size. Punch down and knead in salt.
Step 2 - Place the chocolate, butter, icing sugar and gingerbread spice in a food processor and process until smooth. Set aside (refrigerate if too liquid to allow it to firm up).
Step 3 - Roll out into a very large 45x60cm (18x24inch) rectangle on a well floured surface (the dough is quite sticky so make sure to flour the surface and the rolling pin well). Spread the chocolate spread all over the rectangle leaving a 1 inch border. Sprinkle the pistachios and 1/2 cup of the pearl sugar on top and then roll up lengthways. Place on a baking tray and refrigerate until firm. Cut off the ends.
Step 4 - Preheat oven to 190C/384F and spray a 22cm/9inch chiffon/angel food tin well on the base and sides. Take the firm bread out of the fridge and cut in half lengthways exposing the layers. Twist these around each other like a loose plait and place in the prepared tin moving it around so that the layers face upwards. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle a few more pieces of pearl sugar and allow to rise for 20 minutes.
Step 5 - Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for 10 minutes until golden.