Jason says: “The number of babkas I made while working on this recipe is second only to the number of babkas I ate. It was worth the struggle; this one is my idea of perfect. It’s soft and sticky, but not too sticky. Sweet, but not too sweet, and loaded with chocolate without being difficult to handle.

“I’ve called for a sweeter percentage of chocolate to balance the bitterness of the marmalade. For those who simply can’t stand the orange stuff, feel free to swap in another flavour of jam at your discretion. Refrigerating the dough overnight makes the dough easier to shape and the babka more flavourful.”

Makes about 8 servings

Difficulty: advanced

Ingredients

For the dough:

125ml whole milk, warmed to about 43°C
4 ½ tsp instant yeast (14g, or two 7g envelopes)
1 whole large egg, plus 1 large yolk
71g granulated sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp finely grated orange zest (from 1 orange)
355g plain flour, plus additional for dusting
1 tsp freshly ground cardamom
1 tsp coarse salt
4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for greasing the bowl

For the filling:

50g best quality dark chocolate, preferably around 55% cacao, finely chopped
3 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp icing sugar
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed
1 pinch coarse salt
3 tbsp orange marmalade

For the syrup:

120g orange marmalade
2 tbsp orange liqueur, such as Triple Sec

Method

In a small bowl, combine the milk and yeast and let stand until the yeast softens, about five minutes.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the egg, yolk, granulated sugar, vanilla, and orange zest. Whisk the milk and yeast into the egg mixture, then stir in the flour and cardamom until a dry, shaggy dough forms. Cover the bowl with beeswax wrap or plastic film and let the dough sit for 15 minutes to hydrate.

Add the salt to the bowl. Using the electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, knead the dough on low speed for about three minutes, until it is sticky, smooth, and cleans the sides of the bowl.

Begin adding the butter, about one tablespoon at a time, waiting until each piece has been incorporated before adding the next.

Continue kneading on low speed, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally, until the dough is soft and elastic, just a bit tacky to the touch, and once again cleans the sides (but probably not the bottom) of the bowl, six to eight minutes.

Using a bowl scraper or a rubber spatula, scrape the dough into a buttered bowl and, with buttered hands and quick movements, shape into a tight ball. Cover the bowl with beeswax wrap or plastic film and set in a warm spot to rise until doubled in volume, about one and a half hours.

Flip the dough out of the bowl onto a floured surface and press into a square about 10 inches across. Fold the top half down to meet the bottom and the left half over to meet the right. Press the dough out into a square once more; it will be stiffer now and may stretch to only about 8-9in. Fold in quarters again. Tuck the edges of the dough under and shape into a ball.

Return the dough to the buttered bowl (with the seams on the bottom), cover, and refrigerate for 8-12 hours. Sleep well.

In the morning, make the babka filling before you take the dough out of the refrigerator. Combine the chocolate and butter in a small heatproof bowl. Set over a pan of gently simmering water and heat, stirring occasionally, until melted, about two minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the icing sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Set aside to cool slightly.

Brush a standard 8 ½ x 4 ½in loaf pan with butter and line the bottom and two long sides with a sheet of parchment paper, leaving about 2in overhanging the sides.

Flip the dough out of the bowl onto a well-floured surface. Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour and roll into a rectangle that’s about 12 x 14in, with a short side facing you.

Use a small offset spatula to spread the chocolate filling over the dough, leaving about a ½in border around the edges.

Drop tablespoons of marmalade on top of the chocolate filling and spread to form a thin, even layer.

Beginning at the side closest to you, roll the dough around the filling, forming a tightly spiralled log. Transfer the dough to a rimmed baking sheet and freeze for about 15 minutes, until firm enough to slice.

Return the log to the work surface with a short end facing you. Use a sharp knife to slice the log in half lengthwise and open like a book, exposing all the layers of dough and filling.

Carefully lift the left strand of dough and cross it over the right, forming an X in the centre.

Starting in the centre and working toward the ends, twist the two strands over and under each other, always keeping the cut sides face up, forming a spiral known as a Russian braid.

Gingerly scoop the shaped loaf off the work surface and lower it into the prepared pan, tucking the ends of the dough under as you do.

Set the pan in a warm spot to rise until the dough is light and full of air and crests about 1in above the top of the pan, about 1 ½ hours.

At least 30 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 170°C with a rack in the centre position. When the dough is ready to bake, set the loaf pan on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips.

Bake the babka until it’s golden brown and firm to the touch and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the centre reads 85°C, about one hour, tenting with foil if the top darkens too quickly.

Remove the pan from the oven and make the syrup: In a small saucepan, whisk the marmalade, orange liqueur, and two tablespoons water. Stir over medium heat until the mixture is loose enough to pour easily, about 45 seconds.

Strain the syrup through a coarse-mesh sieve and slowly pour over the cooling babka, letting it work its way down through all the crevasses.

Allow the babka to cool completely in the loaf pan, then use the overhanging parchment paper as handles to lift it out.

Storage

The babka will keep for a few days in an airtight container at room temperature.

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