Babka bread with fruit yeast water

Name: Babka bread with fruit yeast water - A Cook Within
Prep time: 3 h
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 3 h 20 min
Yield: 10 Knots
Cuisine: International
Ingredients: - 90 gm bread flour (½ cup + 2 tbsp) *see notes; - 80 ml yeast water; - 200 gm (1 ¼ cups) plain flour; - 10 gm (2 tbsp) milk powder; - 34 gm (2 tbsp) sugar; - 20 ml (2 tbsp) oil; - 100 ml milk; - 1 tsp salt; - ½ cup chocolate hazelnut spread *read notes; - 50 gm (¼ cup + 1 tbsp) chopped milk/dark chocolate, chopped roughly; - 20 gm (¼ cup) roasted sesame seeds; - Melted butter to brush the knots; - Coarse sugar to sprinkle (optional)

A dough that is naturally leavened with fruit (grape) yeast water, layered with chocolate hazelnut spread, chocolate chips and then sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds – is there anything not to like?? If you are looking for a bread with fruit yeast water and no commercial yeast, give this one a try!

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These babka knots are chocolatey and crunchy at the same time. A chocolate hazelnut spread makes a perfect layer to sprinkle some more dark or milk chocolate chips and then a generous helping of nutty sesame seeds over all that chocolatiness add a perfect layer of texture.

Double chocolate and sesame babka knots with fruit yeast water

But that is not all. These chocolate babka knots are naturally leavened with fruit yeast water that I cultivated from grapes. Not all naturally leavened bread have to be a rustic boule right?

These knots have a perfect ratio of chocolate to bread with chocolate hazelnut spread as well as chocolate chips in them. Most often, babka turn out to be more bread than about its filling but here with these knots, no chance! It is all about chocolate 🙂

However, here are some ways you can modify these knots if you don’t like them too chocolatey:

Reduce the chocolate chip quantity but keep the spread quantity same as besides giving flavour, it also helps hold the filling.
Use a mixed variety of chocolate – some dark and some milk or even white so work around the sweetness level you prefer.
Alternatively, you can layer the dough with peanut butter/almond butter/jam/honey and sprinkle the dough with pumpkin seeds/sunflower seeds/raisins/cashews
I have used a store-bought chocolate hazelnut spread but you can also use chocolate ganache (spreadable) or make a mix with butter + cocoa powder + icing sugar as an alternative
Or even mix jaggery powder + powdered cardamom with ghee and use that to spread it on the dough. Sprinkle some coconut/almonds/pistachios and you have a perfect Indian flavoured knots to offer.

I hope you will give this recipe a try and give me feedback by rating the recipe below in the recipe card and tagging me on social media with your creation.

Recipe Card

Babka bread with fruit yeast water

Recipe Rating

AUTHOR

Hema B Kathrani

CUISINE

International

PREP TIME

3 hours + overnight proofing

COOK TIME

18 – 20 minutes

SERVINGS

makes 10 knots

Author: Hema B Kathrani | Cuisine: International | Category: Breads

Prep Time: 3 hours + overnight proofing | Cook Time: 18 – 20 minutes | Servings: makes 10 knots

Ingredients

For preferment:
- 90 gm bread flour (½ cup + 2 tbsp) *see notes
- 80 ml yeast water
For the main dough:
- 200 gm (1 ¼ cups) plain flour
- 10 gm (2 tbsp) milk powder
- 34 gm (2 tbsp) sugar
- 20 ml (2 tbsp) oil
- 100 ml milk
- 1 tsp salt
For filling:
- ½ cup chocolate hazelnut spread *read notes
- 50 gm (¼ cup + 1 tbsp) chopped milk/dark chocolate, chopped roughly
- 20 gm (¼ cup) roasted sesame seeds
Melted butter to brush the knots
Coarse sugar to sprinkle (optional)

Method

Make the preferment:
- Mix flour and yeast water in a bowl and keep it aside to proof.
- It is ready to use when it doubles up in volume. This can take anytime from 3 to 12 hours depending on the strength of the yeast water.
Make the final dough:
- Add milk, milk powder, oil, sugar, salt to the preferment and mix.
- Place the flour and mix in a wet dough.
- With wet hands, bring the dough together until it just comes together. Do not knead.
- Cover and keep it aside for 30 minutes.
Stretch and fold:
- Using wet hands, stretch the dough upwards and fold the dough over (total of 4 times) Leave it aside covered for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, using wet hands again, stretch the dough upwards and fold the dough over (total of 4 times). Leave it aside covered for 15 minutes.
- Do the same stretch and fold 2 more times at 15 minutes interval.
- So total of 4 stretch and fold in one hour (every 15 minutes). With every stretch and fold you will be able to feel the development of gluten while stretching the dough upwards.
Proof the dough:
- Keep the dough aside for proofing for at least 4-6 hours (or until it doubles in volume) or put it in the fridge for overnight proofing.
- If kept in the fridge for overnight proofing, bring the dough to the room temperature by keeping it on the counter for at least 2-3 hours.
- Once doubles, do one more stretch and fold and keep it to proof again for 1 hour.
Shape the dough:
- Generously butter a muffin tray and keep it aside.
- Remove the dough gently on a floured surface
- With gentle hands and using flour only as necessary, roll the dough in a 10 x 12 rectangle.
- Spread the chocolate hazelnut spread over the dough in a thick layer. (For an easier spreading, microwave it for 10-15 seconds. If too runny, keep it in the fridge to thicken)
- Dot the chocolate layered rectangle with roughly chopped dark/milk chocolate bits followed by a generous sprinkling of roasted sesame seeds and press it down so that it sticks to the chocolate spread.
- Fold the bottom part of the rectangle towards the top by 1/3^rd
- Similarly, fold the top part of the rectangle to overlap the bottom.
- Divide the dough in 10 strips
- Working with one strip at a time, divide the strip in two equal parts leaving an inch uncut at the top.
- Separate out the two divided parts and start to criss-cross the two parts like a braid.
- Twist the ends together and pinch it firmly.
- Gently lift it and place it in the prepared muffin tray.
- Cover the tray with the cling wrap and keep it aside to proof until it almost doubles
Bake the knots:
- Pre heat the oven to 200 C
- Keep a tray with 2 glasses of water at the bottom rack to create steam in the oven
- Brush the knots generously with melted butter and sprinkle coarse sugar (for an extra crunch) over the knots taking care not to deflate the knots.
- Bake the knots in the oven for 18-20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let it cool in the muffin tray for 5 minutes.
- Gently, remove the knots on a wire rack to cool and enjoy!

Notes

I would strongly recommend reading ‘Making wild/fruit yeast water from grapes’ before you start to bake this bread.
Bread flour has higher protein content than plain flour and therefore helps form build gluten strength. However, if you cannot find bread flour, substitute the bread flour with plain flour.
If the preferment takes more than 10-12 hours to show signs of activity (webs, doubling up, bubbles etc), it is best to discard and start again.
Like all naturally leavened breads, the times listed here are more of a guidance. Appearance, volume and feel of the dough are better indicators for a successful bake. Times can vary dependent on the type of flour, strength of the starter, the temperature of the environment among other things.
I use US cup measurement which is 1 cup = 235 ml, however I would strongly recommend using the weighing scale to get the best results.
These knots can also be baked on a sheet tray as a free form.
Chocolate chips or chunks can be used in these knots. Do chop the chocolate chunks in smaller pieces as large pieces can tear the dough while folding.

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