Chocolate
prune
babka
I
know,
I
know – prunes?
Really?
But
don’t
turn
the
page …
please
hear
me
out!
The
prunes
here
are
enveloped
in
dark
cocoa
and
brown
sugar-enhanced chocolate ganache so they
really
only
lend
a
juicy
bite
and
sweetness
to
the
cocoa
filling.
It’s
a
sneaky
prune.
A
gateway
bake
for
the
prune
shy.
Glazing
the
loaf
of
burnished
babka
swirl
is
one
the
proudest
kitchen
moments
you’ll
feel – a
shiny
puffed
swirl
of
tan
dough
and
umber
filling.
Consume
thick
slices
with
tandsmør,
a
Danish
word
literally
meaning
‘tooth
butter’:
butter
spread
thickly
enough
to
leave
teeth
marks
in.
Start
the
filling
30
minutes
before
assembly.
In
a
small
bowl
or
tub,
cover
the
prunes
with
just-boiled
water
and
leave
covered
with
a
lid
or
plate
for
30
minutes
to
swell.
While
they
soak,
spray
the
sides
and
base
of
a
25–29
cm
×
10
cm
×
7
cm
(10–11½
in
×
4
in
×
2¾
in)
loaf
tin
with
cooking
oil
and
line
with
baking paper.
Drain
the
prunes,
pat
dry
and
tear
into
small
pieces.
Melt
the
chocolate
and
butter
together
(microwave
or
double
boiler).
Zest
the
orange
(we’ll
use
the
juice
in
the
glaze)
into
the
chocolate,
then
stir
in
the
prunes
and
the
remaining
filling
ingredients,
adding
the
egg
last
to
make
a
spreadable
paste – it
should
be
like
moussey
peanut
butter.
Too
hard
and
the
paste
won’t
spread
easily
on
the
soft
dough.
Too
soft
and
the
filling
will
ooze mid-shape.
The
egg
addition
allows
the
filling
to
expand
with
the
dough
so
the
final
babka
structure
isn’t
gappy
and
pulling
apart
from
the
dough.
On
a
lightly
floured
work
surface,
roll
the
chilled
dough
to
a
45
cm
×
20
cm
(17½
in
×
8
in)
rectangle.
Position
the
dough
with
the
long
edge
facing
you.
Smear
the
filling
over
the
dough,
leaving
a
clear
5
mm
(¼
in)
border
on
all
sides.
Roll
the
dough
up
tightly
and
pinch
along
the
seam
to
seal
the
roll
well.
Chill
the
roll,
covered
with
plastic
wrap,
on
a
tray
for
15
minutes
to
set
the
filling – this
will
make
the
next
step
easier.
continued
…
Keeps
2
days
airtight
at
room
temperature.
Then
cut
slices
and
freeze
for
a
toasted
treat.
Makes
A
loaf
of
8
nice
slices.
Takes
With
the
dough
made,
30
minutes
to
make
the
filling
and
shape,
1–2
hours
hands-off
proofing
and
1½
hours
to
bake
and
cool
to
slice-able.
cooking
oil
spray
1
×
batch
Sweet
yeast day-
before
dough
(page 84)
Prune
chocolate
filling
60
g
(2
oz)
pitted
prunes
50
g
(1¾
oz)
good
dark
chocolate
(50–60%
cocoa),
roughly
chopped
30
g
(1
oz)
unsalted
butter,
squidgy
soft
grated
zest
of
1
orange
30
g
(1
oz)
dark
brown
sugar
10
g
(¼
oz)
Dutch
(unsweetened)
cocoa
powder
25
g
(1
oz)
egg
(approx.
½
egg
–
use
the
rest
for
the
pre-bake
egg
wash)
Brown
sugar
glaze
juice
of
1
orange
60
g
(2
oz)
light
brown
sugar