Chocolate babka

 
                              Chocolate Babka
 
 Recipe By     : Richard A. Ifft 
 Serving Size  : 1    Preparation Time :0:00
 Categories    : Desserts                         Chocolate
 
   Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
 --------  ------------  --------------------------------
    1      cup           milk
    5      tablespoons   butter or margarine (+extra for greasing)
      1/4  cup           lukewarm water
    1      pkg.          active dry yeast
    6      tablespoons   sugar
    1      teaspoon      salt
    5      cups          unbleached flour -- (to 6 cups)
    1 1/2  cups          semisweet chocolate chips
      1/4  cup           unsweetened cocoa
      1/2  cup           finely chopped walnuts or pecans
 
   Place milk in a small saucepan and heat it just to the point where it  is
 ready to boil.  Remove from heat, and add the butter or margarine,  and cool. 
 (It can be cooled for 10 minutes in refrigerator.)
   Generously grease the bottom, middle, and sides of a standard-sized  tube or
 bundt pan.
  Place water in a large bowl and sprinkle in the yeast.
   Add the milk mixture to the yeast when the milk mixture is definitely  cool
 to wrist temperature; then add sugar and salt.
  Add flour, one cup at a time, mixing after each addition.
   After all the flour is mixed in, knead for 5 to 10 minutes on a floured 
 surface.  Add small amounts of flour, if necessary to keep the dough  from
 getting too sticky to handle.
   Clean and grease the bowl.  Add kneaded dough, and oil or butter the	top
 surface.  Place it in a warm place to rise until doubled; this will  take
 approximately 2 hours.
   Place chocolate chips in food processor with steel blade, or a blender,  and
 grind them until they resemble coarse meal.  Transfer to a small  bowl and
 combine with the cocoa.  Sprinkle 1/3 cup of this mixture into  bottom of the
 greased pan and then sprinkle in the chopped nuts.
   When the dough has doubled in bulk, punch it down and then knead it for  5 to
 10 minutes on the floured surface.
   Roll the dough into a large oval with a rolling pin:	9-10 inches wide  at
 the middle, and 16-17 inches long.
   Leaving a 1/2 inch rim around the outer edge, sprinkle the remaining 
 chocolate filling as evenly as possible over the dough.  Roll it  tightly
 along the long edge, pinching the edges to seal them.	Carefully lift the
 babka and ease it into the pan, making as even a  circle as possible.	Pat it
 firmly into place, and seal the two ends  together with a bit of water and a
 good pinch.
   You can either let it rise at room temperature 45 minutes and then bake  it,
 or wrap airtight in a plastic bag and refrigerate (up to two days)  until you
 are ready to bake.
   Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until it sounds 
 hollow when thumped.
   Remove chocolate babka from the pan and invert onto a plate, so the 
 chocolate-nut coating ends up on top.	Cool at least 30 minutes.
                    
 
 
 
 
                    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -