Chocolate Babka Bread Machine

Ingredients

Biga

• 1 cup milk, warmed
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon yeast

Dough

• 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
• 6 egg yolks, whisked lightly
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, as needed
• 1/2 cup raisins, soaked to rehydrate
• 1 lemon, zest of (orange is nice too)

Coating for pan

• 2 tablespoons almond cookies, crushed fine

Filling

• 4 ounces almond paste
• 2 egg whites
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Directions

1. 1

   Place biga ingredients in bread machine according to your manufacturers directions. Start on dough cycle. When done unplug and leave closed till the next morning.

2. 2

   Dough:.

3. 3

   The next morning add butter to biga which at this point should have collasped. Whisk well eggs,sugar and vanilla add to machine. Top with flour.

4. 4

   Set machine for dough cycle. At beep add raisins.

5. 5

   Meanwhile mix filling ingredients together in a food processor and chill till ready.

6. 6

   Grease tube pan well and coat with cookie crumbs.

7. 7

   Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

8. 8

   When dough is done turn ount on to a lightly floured work surface, and punch it down to release the built up gases.

9. 9

   Roll out into a rectangle 8 by 14 inches.

10. 10

    Spread the filling then roll them up jellyroll style and pinch the seams to seal them. Flatten the dough slightly with a rolling pin, then twist the dough 6 to 8 times. Allow the dough to rest a few minutes. Make spirals with the dough and place them in a greased tube pans. Cover pan with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled in volume, about 30 to 60 minutes.

11. 11

    Bake the cakes for 45 minutes; then let cool in the pan.