Chocolate Babka

Photo: flickr user stu_spivack

Ingredients

1 pound:

cup milk plus:

2 tablespoons milk

cup bread flour or all-purpose

1 teaspoon active dry yeast

cup bread flour or all-purpose

3 tablespoons sugar

cup unsweetened cocoa

1 tablespoon orange zest grated

teaspoon salt

teaspoon vanilla extract

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 egg yolks

cup golden raisins

or substitute fine chop nuts

teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon brown sugar

Preparation

5 Pound:milk 1 1/4 cups bread or all purpose flour 3/4 cup active dry yeast 1 1/2 tsp bread or all purpose flour 2 1/4 cups sugar 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa 1/2 cup grated orange zest 2 TBSsalt 3/4 tsp vanilla extract 3/4 tsp unsalted butter 6 TBS egg yolks 4golden raisins 3/4 cup or substitute fine chop nutscinnamon 3/4 tsp brown sugar 1 1/2 tsp

Bring milk to a boil. Stir in first flour measurement. Cook over medium heat until mixture resembles mashed potatoes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Add all ingredients except the last three, according to manufacturer's instructions. Process on normal bread cycle.

At last beep at end of last mixing beep, or at end of first kneading cycle, add raisins/or nuts, cinnamon and brown sugar.

Cool for at least 30 minutes IN machine. This firms the bread.

For a more traditional Babka, omit cocoa powder, orange zest.

Add grated lemon zest 1 TBS 1 1/2 TBS Use raisins (no nuts)

This is pretty with a light chocolate or white glaze on top.