Babka is one of the quintessential desserts around the holidays, where a sourdough version is even better, at least in my opinion. It is softer, easier on your stomach, and it keeps fresh longer. Carob is one of my mom’s favorite dessert ingredients. So I thought to make sourdough carob babka for her name-day in December. It turned out amazing, and so I decided to share the recipe here.
ABOUT CAROB
Carob is perhaps not so well known generally, but it is ubiquitous and present in many desserts in the Mediterranean.
The carob is an evergreen tree, adorning many of the parks in the Mediterranean, with edible pods. The pods have a unique floral fragrance, which is even more pronounced when ground.
When using the carob in baking, make sure it is very finely ground, almost powder-like.
It absorbs a lot of liquid so it can act as a thickening agent. In some products, it is stated as an E40 food stabilizer. Pretty cool, since it is natural.
Carob is deemed very healthy, especially for the digestive system.
NOTES ON THE SOURDOUGH CAROB BABKA
The base for this babka is the enriched sourdough dough. The dough is quite soft and velvety, which once adequately proofed gives an amazingly smooth and melt-in-your-mouth taste.
This base is one of my favorites for sweet doughy desserts. The process of making the enriched sourdough is described in detail in my post on the sourdough cinnamon rolls.
Since the dough is on the softer side, proper overnight cold fermentation is essential.
If the dough reaches the ambient temperature too fast while you are rolling it, you can plop the finished logs in the freezer or fridge for a short time until the dough sets again.
The filling can be made in advance, like the night before you plan on baking the babka. The reason for this is that the carob flour/powder is cooked for 5 minutes.
The cooking process enables the carob to hydrate in the milk. This results on a very creamy and not sandy taste. Before you would spread the filling on the rolled dough, the filling should be room temperature. I find that it is best to make it the night before and leave it to cool on the kitchen counter until morning.
SERVING & STORING
You can serve the babka once it has cooled down from baking. The sourdough carob babka is on a softer and very tender side, so if you cut into it while still piping hot, you might destroy its delicate structure.
The sourdough carob babka holds well even a couple of days after the bake. It retains the softness and moisture, given that you keep it in an airtight container.
Sourdough carob babka
Equipment & Tools
- Kitchen scale
- Stand mixer with dough hook attachment
- Kitchen ruler
- 2 nonstick loaf pans (26cm/11cm/8cm; 10in/4in/3in)
- Icing spatula
INGREDIENTS
Dough – wet ingredients
- 250 g sourdough starter (young, 3/4 mature, 100% hydration (Note 1))
- 165 g milk (whole, room temperature)
- 2 eggs (medium)
- 1 egg yolk (from medium egg)
- 1 tbsp dark rum
- 40 g sugar (unrefined)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (pure)
- 3 clementine (zest)
Dough – dry ingredients
- 500 g T00 flour (organic)
- ½ tsp cardamom (freshly ground)
- 1 tsp salt (kosher)
- 185 g butter (unsalted, room temperature)
Filling
- 150 g carob (organic, very finely ground)
- 425 g milk (whole, organic)
- 30 g butter (unslated, room temperature)
- 30 g sugar (unrefined)
- 100 g brown sugar (light muscovado)
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract (pure)
- 1 clementine (zest)
- 65 g apple butter (homemade or low in sugar)
- 3 tsp Port wine (high quality)
Other
- 1 egg (small)
- 1 tsp milk (whole)
- 1 tbsp pearl sugar (optional)
- butter (unsalted and at room temperature, for coating the loaf pans.)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Gather all the ingredients.
Prepare the sourdough starter (7:30 am)
- Feed the sourdough starter at 100% hydration.
Prepare the dough (4:00 pm)
- In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook mix all the wet ingredients until well incorporated.
- Sift the flour, salt, and ground cardamom directly into the bowl with the wet ingredients.
- With the mixer on speed 2 mix until you get one cohesive mass and there are no dry lumps visible. Cover and leave to rest for 15 minutes.
- With a mixer on speed 4-5 knead the dough until the bowl starts to get cleaner and the dough makes a thumping sound (about 8 minutes). Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Check the gluten development by using the windowpane test.
- With the mixer on speed 4, add butter incrementally, about one tablespoon at a time.Continue mixing until the dough comes back together and forms a cohesive mass and the sides of the bowl of the mixer is clean (about another 6 to 8 minutes).
- Transfer the dough to a clean lightly buttered mixing bowl. Do a couple of coil folds to form a nice ball from the dough. Cover and rest for 1 hour.
- Perform two coil folds. Cover and rest for 1 hour.
- Perform two coil folds. Cover and rest for 1½ hours. Transfer the dough to the fridge for overnight fermentation.
Prepare the filling (8:00 pm)
- In a medium saucepan whish together the carob and the milk until there are no clumps of carob visible. Add the butter, sugar, and brown sugar and mix well to incorporate. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes until the mixture is boiling slowly. Stir the mixture continuously.
- Take off the heat and add the vanilla extract, clementine zest, and the Port wine. Mix to incorporate the ingredients.
- Transfer to a clean glass or ceramic bowl, cover and let cool to room temperature.
Rolling & Shaping (next day, 8:00 am)
- Lightly dust the working surface with the flour. Roll out the dough into a rectangle the size of 50cm by 64cm (20in by 25in). Thedough should be about 0.5cm (⅕in) thick.
- Spread the filling evenly on the surface of the dough using an icing spatula. Fold the dough into a log by rolling it inwards along the long edge.
- Using the kitchen ruler measure and mark the middle of the log. Cut the dough in half using the side of a plate. Transfer the logs on a tray, cover, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- Take the logs out from the fridge. Take one log and cut it in half lengthwise. Flip each of the cut sides so that they are facing up exposing the filling and the layers.Twist the halves together, interchangeably, as if braiding them.Hold the babka along the long edge and carefully place it in the buttered pan. The edges should naturally fold under slightly.Repeat with the second log.
- Cover both babkas and let them proof for 2 hours at about 26ºC (78ºF).
Baking & Serving (next day, 10:30 am)
- Preheat the oven at 180ºC (356ºF)
- Brush both babka's with the egg wash (mix an egg with the milk) and sprinkle some pearl sugar on top (if using).
- Bake babka's at 180ºC (356ºF) for 35 minutes or until very golden in color and the inserted wooden skewer comes out clean. (Note 2)
NOTES
- In this recipe, a “younger” version of a sourdough starter is being used. The reason for this is that we want to reduce the sour taste as much as possible. So you would use your starter when it is almost ripe and mature and hence reached its peak. In other words, it is about 3/4 mature. Note that the sourdough starter has to be vigorous enough and very frothy in structure.
- Be careful not to overbake as it will dry the babka significantly. Also, the carob filling get golden pretty quickly which can be deceiving, so just to make sure it is baked to the test with the thin wooden skeweer.
