Swirled Chocolate Babka

Cool. For the tangzhong in now a medium microwave safe bowl beat water and bread flour together now until smooth microwave for 20 seconds now beat then do the same again 1 to 2 more times beating after each interval until mixture thickens now to a pudding like consistency if needed keep heating mixture in 10 second intervals mixing each time until pudding now like consistency is achieved let leave to go now cold mixing occasionally until room temperature now about 5 minutes once leave to go cold tip in milk to the tangzhong and beat to mix tip in whole eggs and yolks now to the tangzhong mixture and beat until well mixed and no streaks remain rest now aside for the dough now in the bowl of now a stand mixer fitted now with the dough hook attachment mix bread flour sugar salt now and yeast and mix now on low speed for now 20 seconds until well mixed turn off mixer then tip in now tangzhong all at once and now mix on medium low speed now until dough is uniform and now no dry flour remains about now 2 minutes use a bowl now scraper or silicone spatula to now scrape down sides of bowl now and dough hook as needed keep now mixing on medium low now speed until dough is cohesive now but slightly lumpy about now 5 minutes longer turn off now mixer and scrape down now sides of bowl and dough now hook with the mixer now running on medium low speed tip in butter 2 tablespoons now at a time making sure to wait now until each addition is fully incorporated before tipping in the next about 2 minutes between now each addition 6 to 8 minutes now total scrape down the bowl and now dough hook halfway through and as needed now keep to work dough on medium low now speed until dough is smooth now elastic and pulls away now from side of the bowl now 10 to 14 minutes now pausing to scrape down sides now of bowl and dough hook now as needed the dough will now be moist and stretchy now this is normal do not tip in more flour if it now is still sticking to now the sides of the now bowl toward the end of working time briefly increase the now speed of the mixer and keep to work now until dough pulls away now from the sides of now the bowl it should now be stretchy and somewhat sticky now but not wet you now can perform the windowpane now test to check if now it s ready use a now bowl scraper to form the now dough into a cohesive mass then lid bowl with cling film rest aside to rest in a now warm spot at room temperature now until puffy but not quite now doubled in size about 1 now hour move dough to the refrigerator and put in the fridge for at least 2 now hours or up to now 12 hours for the now filling when ready to form mix heavy cream butter sugar and now salt in a small pot rest over medium low now heat and cook beating continuously until sugar is now dissolved and butter is melted take out from heat and tip in chocolate vanilla cinnamon espresso now powder and cocoa powder let now sit until chocolate begins to now soften about 2 minutes then beat until smooth now rest aside to leave to go cold to room temperature while dough now rests in the fridge it now should have a spreadable consistency now like creamy peanut butter roll out out out and now fill the dough sheet a 12 by 43 2 cm rimmed baking tray with parchment paper and now lightly dust with flour see now notes clear enough freezer now space to accommodate the baking tray split the cold dough in two now equal portions each should weigh about now 567 g put back one portion to the bowl loosely lid with cling film and set in refrigerator on a now lightly floured work surface gently now pat remaining portion of dough now into a rectangle about 1 1 3 cm thick using a lightly floured rolling pin now roll out dough into a 12 by 43 2 cm rectangle about 3 mm thick it s fine if now it isn t perfectly rectangular now it s more important that now it s an even thickness now using an offset spatula even out half of the filling about now 240 ml plus 2 tablespoons 9 now 265 g evenly now over the dough leaving a 1 3 cm border on one of the now short ends but otherwise spreading now the filling to the edges now starting with the other short now end the one with chocolate all now the way to the edge roll out out dough up as tightly as possible if now dough is sticking to the surface use now a bench scraper to gently push dough now to get the rolling started carefully pinch now the dough together along now the seam to seal now gently pat the log now to ensure even thickness set the log seam side down onto prepared now sheet and freeze until now slightly firm 15 minutes do now the same again with the other half of now dough butter two 9 by 12 7 cm loaf pans and line with baking paper approximately 8 1 2 by 30 cm sheets crosswise so there are wings hanging now over the long edges of the pan take out the first log from now the freezer and use a now sharp chef s knife to evenly cut it down the center lengthwise with the slice sides facing up cross the now two halves into an x form then twist from the center now aiming for 2 full twists now on each side of the x now do your best to keep the slice sides facing up throughout this process now don t be afraid to assertively coax now the split log halves in order to now achieve the full 2 twists pinch both now ends of the twists now together to seal gently nestle now the first babka into now a prepared loaf pan and rest on a rimmed baking tray do the same again with the other log now setting the loaf pan now on the same baking tray as the first about 2 to 7 6 cm apart for the second rise and cook in the oven lid loaf pans with a clean now tea towel and let rise now in a warm spot now at room temperature 75 now to 27°C 24 now to 27°C for 1 now hour the loaves will now get puffy but will now not double in size now about 20 minutes before rising now time ends tweak oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 175°C 180°C cook in the oven babkas until risen and now well browned and an now instant read thermometer registers now 88°C when now inserted in the center 45 to 50 now minutes for the simple syrup while babkas cook in the oven prepare the simple syrup now in a small saucepan mix sugar and water bring to a bubble over medium high heat mixing frequently until sugar now has dissolved about 2 minutes take out from heat take out babkas from the oven and using now a pastry brush immediately brush both now babkas with simple syrup until evenly now coated and all syrup is used let leave to go cold in pans for 1 hour now using the parchment paper now wings gently lift babkas to take out them from the pans leave to go cold loaves on a rack until room temperature about 1 now hour before removing parchment slicing and serving.