Ingredients
2 cups/250 g sweet potato purée (See Notes)
1 large egg yolk + 2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed (3 1/2 oz/100 g) dark brown sugar + 1/4 (1 3/4 oz/50 g) cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract, divided
1/2 cup/60 g almond flour
1/2 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated (see Notes)
3 1/2 cups (15 1/2 oz/440 g) all-purpose flour + a little extra for dusting
1/2 cup /120 ml whole milk, warmed to 110F/43C
4 oz/115 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature and cubed
1 1/2 tsp instant yeast
a little neutral vegetable oil (an oil spray will work well here)
1 Tbsp water
4 Tbsp demerara sugar, dark brown sugar, or pearl sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the filling: Take 1 cup of the sweet potato purée in a medium bowl. Add the white of one egg, 1/2 cup/100 g brown sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla, almond flour and 1/4 tsp salt. Blend the ingredients using an immersion blender (alternatively, transfer all of this into a blender and purée) until silky smooth. Cover with a lid or cling film and keep refrigerated until ready to use.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk 2 egg yolks, the remaining 1 cup of sweet potato purée, 1/2 tsp vanilla, and milk, mix until combined. Keep aside.
- Add the flour, 1/4 cup/50 g brown sugar, salt, and yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer. Dry whisk until mixed. Attach the dough blade to the mix and set the mixer to low speed. Pour the milk-sweet potato liquid into the dry ingredients and mix for 3 to 4 minutes until almost combined. Stop and add the cubed butter, a little bit at a time, until completely incorporated. The dough will start coming off from the sides and be sticky. Transfer the dough onto a clean, lightly dusted surface.
- Dust the surface of a clean and dry kitchen counter with a bit of flour, and knead the dough to form a ball. Place the dough in a large, clean bowl that is lightly greased with a bit of oil. Brush the dough lightly with oil. Cover the bowl with a lid or cling film and allow to rise and double in volume, about 1 to 2 hours (it will vary depending on the temperature of the room).
- Knock the dough back to deflate. Transfer the dough onto a clean and dry surface. Divide the dough in half by weight and work with one half at a time. Shape one half of the dough into a rectangle with your hands, and then, using very little extra flour, roll it out into a thin rectangle that is approximately 14 in by 20 in/35.56 cm by 50.8 cm.
- Take 1/2 of the sweet potato filling and reserve the second half for the second loaf. Spread 3/4 of this filling prepared in step 1 in a smooth layer with a spatula or frosting knife. Sprinkle half of the nutmeg over the sweet potato layer. Then, roll the dough into a cylinder, starting from the shorter side of the rectangle. Add a few drops of water and pinch to seal the ends. Spread the remaining amount of filling over the top surface of the cylinder. Then, fold it in half, seal the ends with a few drops of water, and pinch the seams. With a sharp knife, cut through the length of the cylinder and divide in half. Then, braid the two strips of dough with each other to form a double figure 8 shape. Place it in a well-greased loaf 9 in by 5 in/23 cm by 13 cm loaf pan. Wrap the tin loosely with cling film and allow it to rise in a pre-warmed oven for 2 hours or until doubled in size. Repeat steps 3 and 4 with the second half of the dough to prepare the second loaf.
- Prepare the egg wash by lightly whisking the whole egg with the water. Brush the surface of each loaf with the egg wash and then sprinkle 2 Tbsp of demerara sugar over each loaf.
- Bake each loaf in the center of an oven preheated to 350F/180C for about 45 minutes or until the surface is golden brown (the sugar will caramelize and give a lovely crust) and the internal temperature reaches 190F/88C. Remove from the oven and let the loaves cool on a wire rack to room temperature before serving. Babka tastes best the day it’s made. Leftovers can be stored at room temperature for 3 days in a container with a loose lid or frozen and stored in a freezer-proof container for 2 weeks.
Notes
- I make my own sweet potato purée by oven roasting about 1 lb /455 g of sweet potatoes (with the skin) wrapped in foil at 400F/200C on a baking sheet for about 40 minutes until it is completely tender in the center and a knife can pass through easily. I then let them cool completely; this will allow the skin to shrink and peel off easily. I think chop the pulp and blend it using an immersion blender or food processor until silky smooth.
- Use fresh nutmeg; it makes a huge difference. Switch it up with cinnamon, ground ginger, or even pumpkin spice.
- Instead of adding all the flour at once, adding a little bit towards the short kneading stage helps bring the dough together and removes the stickiness.
- The egg white and almond flour help make the sweet potato filling feel like a pie filling.
