You haven’t heard the last of babka, I’m telling you! After Jeffrey Cagnes’ chocolate hazelnut babka, this time it’s The French Bastards’ “chococahuète” babka recipe that caught my eye, also published in the latest issue of Fou de Pâtisserie. Here, the hazelnut is replaced by peanut, and I must say the timing was perfect, as I had some peanut praline left to use up.
I was “inspired” by their recipe, because I stayed faithful to Jeffrey Cagnes for the brioche dough recipe — you don’t change a winning team! However, I did try the “babka chocolate” recipe suggested by the magazine. It seemed a little strange to me, as it’s a mix of chocolate, butter, cocoa and caster sugar. I was really afraid of feeling the grain of the sugar, even though it’s fine (I’d actually hesitated to use icing sugar instead, but I trusted the recipe) and… it’s true, you can feel it. On the other hand, once spread in the brioche and after baking, it’s no longer a problem at all.
A little tip: after making the roll of dough, you might want to chill it a little so that it’s easier to handle and cut. In this recipe, don’t do it, because the ganache will set and harden, and when it comes to making the plait, the chocolate will break. Nothing serious in itself — it’s just for the sake of looks.
In any case, this recipe is just as indulgent as its hazelnut friend. If you’re a peanut fan, I highly recommend it!
Ingredients & Method
4 components · Full recipe
Peanut praline (to be made ahead — there will be some left over)
Ingredients
- 200 g (7.1 oz) peanuts
- 155 g (5.5 oz) sugar
- 33 g (1.2 oz) water
- vanilla powder
- a pinch of fleur de sel
Method
1
Toast the peanuts in the oven for 10 minutes at 150°C / 300°F.
2
Bring the water and sugar to the boil. At 118°C / 244°F, off the heat, pour the peanuts into the hot sugar syrup. Stir until the mixture turns whitish. Return to medium heat and stir until the sugar liquefies again and caramelises (this may take a little time).
3
Spread on baking paper and leave to cool.
4
Add the fleur de sel and vanilla powder and blitz in a food processor until it reaches a praline consistency.
Brioche dough (to be made the day before)
Ingredients
- 250 g (8.8 oz) T45 flour (or bread flour)
- 3 g (0.1 oz) salt
- 50 g (1.8 oz) sugar
- 12 g (0.4 oz) fresh baker’s yeast
- 150 g (5.3 oz) milk
- 50 g (1.8 oz) butter
Method
1
Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk.
2
In the stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the salt, sugar, flour and the milk with the yeast. Note: salt and sugar must not come into direct contact with the yeast (which is why I dissolve it in the milk first).
3
Knead at medium speed (2–4 on my KitchenAid) for about twenty minutes until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
4
Add the butter cut into small pieces and continue kneading until the dough pulls away from the sides again. It should be smooth and glossy.
Chocolate filling
Ingredients
- 150 g (5.3 oz) dark chocolate
- 85 g (3 oz) butter
- 16 g (0.6 oz) caster sugar
- 16 g (0.6 oz) unsweetened cocoa powder
Method
1
Melt the dark chocolate and butter in a bain-marie or microwave. Stir gently with a spatula to emulsify everything.
2
Add the sifted cocoa powder and sugar and mix again. Blend with a hand blender to make everything smooth.
Assembly of the chocolate peanut babka inspired by The French Bastards
Ingredients
- peanut praline (recipe above)
- salted peanuts (I used unsalted)
- chocolate chips (personal addition)
- sugar syrup
Method
1
Flour the work surface and roll the dough out into a rectangle the length of your mould and three times its width.
2
Spread the chocolate over the entire surface of the dough using a small offset spatula.
3
Drizzle the peanut praline evenly over the top.
4
Add the crushed peanuts and chocolate chips. Gently roll the dough into a log, then cut in two lengthways.
5
Turn one of the babka strips over (with the layers facing up) then place the other strip on top forming an X shape, always keeping the layers facing up.
6
Wrap the two strips together to form a braid. Roll the braid so as to form a circle, then place it in the centre of a greased 20 cm (7.9 in) diameter ring. Leave to rest for 2 hours at room temperature (personally, I place it in an oven heated to 30°C / 86°F).
7
Preheat the oven to 170°C / 340°F.
8
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. When out of the oven, brush the babka with a sugar syrup (30 g (1.1 oz) water and 30 g (1.1 oz) sugar previously brought to the boil).
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