Chocolate and Walnut Babka

Ingredients

• 400 g spelt flour type 1050
• 50 g lukewarm water
• 10 g sourdough starter
• 120 g lukewarm milk (3.5% fat)
• 1 egg (medium size)
• 25 g raw cane sugar
• 80 g butter (room temperature)
• 3 g salt
• 120 g dark chocolate
• 50 g walnut kernels

Instructions

1. 1.

   In the evening, mix 50 g flour with 50 g lukewarm water and the sourdough starter; let it ferment overnight at room temperature.

2. 2.

   The next morning, combine warm milk, sourdough, and the remaining flour. Add egg, 25 g sugar, 20 g softened butter, and salt; knead well for at least five minutes. Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place for about three to four hours.

3. 3.

   For the filling, chop the chocolate. Melt half of the chocolate with 60 g butter over a double boiler and allow it to cool. Chop the walnut kernels. Roll the dough on a floured surface into a rectangle (as long as the loaf pan and roughly three times as wide).

4. 4.

   Spread the chocolate mixture over the dough and sprinkle chopped chocolate and walnuts on top. Roll the dough from the long side. Cut the roll lengthwise in half and twist the strands together so that the cut surface is always facing up.

5. 5.

   Place the braid in a loaf pan lined with parchment paper, cover, and let it rest for another 1.5 hours. Then bake in a preheated oven at 200 °C (180 °C fan; gas level 3) for 30 minutes.