What looks more stunning than the randomly swirling bands of dark chocolate in this loaf of white sweet bread? This style of braiding is known in many countries, and is used with different fillings as well,” says former contestant on The Great British Bake Off, Jurgen Krauss. “Always an eye-catcher, it used to be a special treat on our Saturday afternoon coffee table. The rich spices and citrus zest in combination with chocolate make this truly a great braid for any special occasion.” Babka chocolate braid Serves: 15 Ingredients: For the dough: 190g bread flour 140g white spelt flour or plain flour, plus extra for dusting 6g instant yeast 1 pinch salt 40g caster sugar 180ml whole milk 1 medium egg 40g unsalted butter, softened Zest of 1 lemon Zest of 1 orange ½ tsp ground cardamom For the filling: 100g dark chocolate (54% or 70% cocoa solids, to taste) 60g unsalted butter 60g soft light brown sugar 2 tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp ground cloves 30g cocoa powder Unsalted butter, melted, or apricot jam for glazing Method: 1. For the dough, put all the ingredients in a bowl and, using your hands or a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix the ingredients until evenly distributed. Then knead the dough for several minutes until it has a smooth and silky texture. Cover with a tea towel or a plastic bag and leave to prove at room temperature for about one hour. Check with the poke test that the dough is ready. 2. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Put the chocolate, butter and sugar into a pan and melt over low heat. Once liquid, take the pan off the heat and add the cinnamon, cloves and cocoa powder. It’s OK if the filling looks grainy. 3. Line a 950g loaf tin with baking paper. 4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a rectangle measuring about 50 x 30cm. Spread the chocolate filling over the dough rectangle, leaving 2cms of the far short edge uncovered. Roll up the dough rectangle, starting at the near short edge. Seal the seam by pinching it. 5. Place the roll on a work surface with the seam facing down and, with a sharp knife, cut the roll lengthwise into halves. Twist the halves together to form a rope. You can do this starting at one end and twist this half of the roll, and then do the same for the other half; this way you don’t have to manipulate the whole length at once. 6. Place your hands palm down on the ends and, with a scooping movement, bring the ends to meet underneath the middle of yourrope. Transfer this into the lined tin, and cover with a tea towel or a plastic bag. Leave to prove for 30 minutes to one hour until the Babka is well risen and the dough starts to feel fragile; a gentle touch with a finger will leave a dent that only slowly recovers. 7. Preheat the oven to 170C fan/gas mark 5. 8. Bake the babka for 30-40 minutes. 9. Melt the butter for glazing or heat the apricot jam with a teaspoon of water. Brush the babka with melted butter or jam as soon as it is out of the oven. Leave to cool for about 15 minutes, then carefully remove from the tin and baking paper. 10. Let the babka cool completely before eating. Stored in an airtight container it will last for three days. ‘German Baking: Cakes, Tarts, Traybakes And Breads From The Black Forest And Beyond’ by Jurgen Krauss (published by Kyle Books on 31 August, £26). Read More The dish that defines me: Evelin Eros’s rum cake ‘It started with a radish’: Chef Simon Rogan reflects on restaurant L’Enclume at 20 The true story – and murky history – of Portuguese piri piri oil ‘My depression stopped me doing what I loved most in life – cooking’ What Bake Off’s Jurgen Krauss really thinks of his shock elimination Quick, moist and flavourful: Jurgen Krauss’s marble cake

Amazon will literally pay you to shop this Prime Day. No, really. For the second

After a bitter split from her footballer ex Gerard Pique, Colombian superstar Shakira is back...

Leave it to Rickie Fowler to find that brilliant combination of hydration, product placement and doing what the kids like

Companies tend to put their marketing dollars behind their more profitable products, which may be

LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 27, 2023--

If Quordle is a little too challenging today, you've come to the right place for

Kevin Magnussen’s car caught fire after a high-speed crash at the Mexico City Grand Prix. The Haas driver, running midway through the order, lost control at turn nine on lap 34 of the race. His car piled at around 130mph into the barrier but the Danish driver escaped unharmed, if a little shaken. Shortly afterwards, the car caught fire at the rear before the marshals quickly extinguished the flames. The crash triggered a red flag, stopping the race. Magnussen became the second driver to retire from the race after home hero Sergio Perez crashed out on the opening lap following a collision with Charles Leclerc. More to follow... Read More F1 Mexican Grand Prix LIVE: Race updates and times in Mexico City Charles Leclerc leads shock Ferrari front row at Mexican Grand Prix Who is Ollie Bearman? Essex boy with Italian twang making F1 history

Swiss luxury watchmaker Omega says it has been the victim of "organized criminal activity," alleging three of its former staff members admitted working with intermediaries to sell a fake Speedmaster watch for some $3.4 million dollars.

TikTok employees are headed back to the office. Starting in October, TikTok employees will be

Many gaming mice strive to deliver ergonomics that primarily assist during fast-paced play, but very

While the writers have been striking for the past five months, Stephen Colbert — aside