BM # 51
Week :1 Day : 1
Theme : Baking
Theme of the week: Breads
We a group of bloggers run marathons , under our captain Srivalli ,where we post 3 recipes under a theme every week , but April and September are the two months where we post everyday…yes you heard right everyday . we work with themes. We have done Traditional recipes where we have picked Indian States, we have done international recipes..where we went around the world....we have dealt with alphabets …seasons , occasions …oh you need to check the amazing themes we have worked on.
Today we begin with The April Mega Marathon and this time our theme is Baking.We are going to Fire up our Oven!! We can bake just about anything, provided it’s fully a baking process. We have very good bakers in our group and most of them are professionals, I am no where near their standards but assure you of giving you recipes which are simple and healthy.
I have divided my posts into 5 weeks…sounds strange? Well today being 1st April it is a Wednesday, and I shall be posting till Saturday as Sunday is off. So my week begins from Wednesday giving me 4 days till Sunday , so this is week one.
Week 1 we have 4 days and these four days I shall post 4 breads.
Week 2 we have all 6 days and you shall be treated to Bars , Biscuits and Cookies.
Week 3 again six days and now we have tea cakes.
Week 4 yet 6 days and Muffins and Brownies shall tempt you.
Week 5 will have 4 posts and you shall see some decorative cakes .
And the month is over, but wait I have extra posts which I shall post on Sundays too.
So I shall be posting everyday including Sundays!!
I shall not reveal these posts, as there should be some surprise element!
So I shall be posting everyday including Sundays!!
I shall not reveal these posts, as there should be some surprise element!
So let’s begin with Week 1 where I have chosen to make Breads, so for the first day it is a Polish Bread called Babka. Incidentally this was the first post that I worked on for the April BM.
Babka , also known as baba , is a sweet cake which originated in Eastern Europe.the traditional bread had some fruit fillings, which included raisins and glazed with fruit flavor icing. This is often served during the Spring holidays.
This is a modern version of Babka which is filled with chocolate and tastes absolutely amazing.
A bread cake which is very very hard to resist.
The chocolate can be substituted with jam or nuts.
Chocolate Babka
1 cup milk
5 tsps butter
6 tbsp+ 1/2 tsp sugar, divided
1/4 cup warm water
1 packet active dry yeast
2 cups wheat flour
21/2 cups APF
1 tsp salt
11/2 cups chocolate chips
1/4 cup cocoa powder
In a small saucepan, add milk and heat it to just the point where it is about to boil.
Add butter, remove from heat, and give it a little stir.
Stir the 1/2 tsp of sugar into the warm water.
Once it is evenly distributed, add the yeast and allow it to dissolve.
Whisk it and let sit for 10 minutes.
The yeast should begin to form a creamy foam.
Put the flour to a bowl.
Add the remaining 6 tb sps sugar, salt and stir to mix well.
Pour in the yeast mixture and the cooled milk.
Stir from the center outward, incorporating the liquid ingredients into the flour.
Mix till you for a soft dough.
You could add a small amount of water if the dough is too dry or a bit of flour if too sticky.
Turn out the dough onto a floured counter and knead for 10 minutes.
The dough should be smooth and elastic.
Place it in a oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth and place it in a warm place for 2 hours or till double.
Add chocolate chips to the food processor, pulse till resembles a coarse meal.
Add cocoa powder and mix well.
After the dough doubles, punch it down on the counter and knead for another 10 minutes.
I divided the the dough into two parts.
Using the rolling pin roll each ball into a big oval.
Sprinkle the chocolate over this , leaving the rims.
Roll firmly, the long way and seal the edges.
Bring both the rolls together and twist.
Lift carefully and place them in a greased bandit pan.
Cover and let stand for another hour.
Bake in a pre heated oven at 190 deg for 45 -50 minutes, or until sounds hollow.
Remove and un mould , let it cool for 20 minutes.
Enjoy the warm bread.
You could heat it up in the microwave for a few seconds to get that moist chocolate.
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That is a beautifully baked bread. At first glance I thought it was a cake. Nice bread to kick start the marathon.
Enriched and very cake like. The swirls are so symmetrical, perfectly made. Great start and looking forward to all the bakes to come.
Babka Jews been on my to do list forever… The cross section looks stunning Vaishali! Awesome start to the marathon!
That's a beautiful bread Vaishali. Looks tempting. My kids will love this one for sure…
Amazingly soft babka and the swirls of chocolate looks so inviting!!
Wow that looks stunning.. first I thought it is a cake bread!!!!! superb..
Such a wonderful start Vaishali…that cake with chocolate looks stunning…can't wait to read all your themes..:)
Oh that is something I learned today.. Delicious babka… So tempting
Lovely bread vaishali. I tried them for last marathon, though couldn't click, it has come out so good and with a chocolate stuffing, this is really a hit!!!
The spirals look so stunning ! with you around, theres always some surprise :-)) Look forward to April BM with you :-))
What a perfectly baked Babkas! I am looking forward to the surprise you have planned for the month 🙂
Bundt pan bread is delicious Vaishali! Love the swirl and how it contrasts with the bread. Pesto or even our chutneys would make an amazing filling as well, I guess.
Beautiful looking bread cake. We seem to have thought of the similar kind of bread!! Hop on over to my space in an hour and check to see the similarities 🙂
What a wonderful start Vaishali with that yumm chocolate. Babka looks stunning
This is one beautifully baked bread,looks awesome.Bread with the chocolate sounds yummy and the bread got nice swirls…
That Chocolate babka looks absolutely amazing. Great bake, just in time for Easter. Looking forward to all your bakes this month.
Woow soft and beautiful babkas.. you got perfect chocolate swirls..
beautiful looking bread and all the while u said, you are making simpple recipes…cant wait to see all yoru beautiful creations, my plan for 5 weeks is very close to yours but i dare not try to match up you with the recipes ,looking forward
Those chocolate swirls are asking me to grab a super huge slice and have rite now, wat a fantastic Babka.
Wow amazing cake. Love the layers and your 5 week plan sounds yummylicious.
And shocked by the fact that you are blogging on Sundays as well!! Not surprised, knowing your energy level and planning skills….but still taken aback at the ease with which you do things :-)))
If you ever ever say you cannot work with yeast I will .. I do not know what I will do. …Sari hava nikal di appe ne.
Awesome bread. I will be trying out for sure.
Babka is amazing, looking delicious.
Love the perfect swirls in that babka. It looks amazing
Chocolate Babka looks stunning. Great start for the BM. Looking forward to all your gorgeous bakes.
wow the swirls have come out so perfect 🙂 makes me droll , eggless babka is sure an irresistible treat 🙂 lovely start dear !!
The swirls have come out so nice. Perfectly baked.
Hi the recipe looks amazing. So wana give it a try. Could you pls tell me whts your cup measurement ? Is it 1 cup = 240 ml ?? And also is this same for all your recipes ? Thanks a ton
Yes the one cup is equal to 240 ml , and it goes for all recipes.
The recipie looks delicious.
By bandit pan , do you mean bundt pan?
Thanks in advance
Can I use only APF instead of using wheat flour ?
Yes , you can ! And it will taste better .