Servings: two babkas in loaf pan

Preparation Time: 45 minutes

By Natalie Levine, Photo and Styling by Natalie Levine

Ingredients:
For the dough:
500 grams (3.5 cups) flour
10 grams (1 tbs.) dry yeast
150 grams softened Tnuva Butter, cut into cubes
70 grams (1/3 cups) white sugar
2 eggs
1 carton of sour cream
3 tbs. of milk
A dash of salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the filling:
180 ml (2/3 cup) 3% milk
200 grams (1 cup) white sugar
A dash of salt
½ tsp. vanilla extract
75 grams Tnuva Butter
60 grams (3 tbs.) date honey
100 grams (1 cup) chopped nuts
200 grams (2 cups) freshly ground poppy seed
1 egg for glazing before baking

For the sugar syrup:
100 grams (1/2 cup) sugar
120 ml water
1 tbs. brandy (optional)

Instructions:
For the dough:
1.In an electric mixer with a dough hook, mix together the flour, yeast, butter, sugar, eggs, sour cream, milk, salt, and vanilla extract for 10-13 min., until the dough is one stretchy mass.
2.Roll the dough into a ball and place in a bowl covered with a damp towel. Let the dough rise for 1-2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in volume.

For the filling:
1.Add the milk, salt, sugar, vanilla extract, butter and date honey to a medium-sized pot and bring to boil on a high flame.
2.Turn the flame off, then add in the chopped nuts and poppy seeds. Mix well until the mixture is even.
3.Chill the mixture completely.

Putting it all together:
1.Divide the dough into two pieces.
2.On a floured surface, roll each piece into a rectangle of about ½ cm thickness.
3.Pour half of the poppy seed mixture on each piece of dough and spread into an even, thin layer.
4.Roll each dough rectangle into a tight roulade.
5.Cut each roulade in two, then wrap them two by two around each other in the shape of a screw. Place each twirled roulade into a greased English cake pan.
6.Cover and let the babka rise for about an hour at room temperature, or until they’ve almost doubled in volume.
7.Preheat the oven to 165 degrees Celcius.
8.Lightly brush each babka with whisked egg and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the babka is fully browned.

For the sugar syrup:
1.Bring the sugar and water to boil. Lower the flame and continue to cook for another 1-2 min.
2.Brush the finished babka with syrup and serve at room temperature.