Cream Cheese and Basil Babka

Directions

• For brioche dough
• Take 30 ml of luke warm water, add in 1 tsp of sugar and the yeast. Let it sit covered for 5 mins.
• In a stand mixer bowl (attachment – dough hook) or mixing bowl, combine the flour, remaining caster sugar and add in the yeast mixture.
• Add in the milk and egg (More milk for a vegetarian option) and knead the dough.
• Once it all comes together, add in the salt and butter and continue kneading till a window pane is seen. This should take about 10 minutes in a stand mixer and 20 minutes or so by hand.
• Once the window pane test comes through, shape the dough into a round.
• Now place it in a greased bowl and cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap.
• Let it rise for one hour.
• For Cream cheese and basil Filling
• In a blender, combine the cream cheese and basil. Blend it well.
• Add in the garlic powder, salt, dijon mustard, pepper, lemon juice and mix it in well.
• Now, add in the Parmesan cheese and combine.
• Place it in the fridge.
• Preheat the oven to 175C/350F.
• Assembling
• Once the dough is double in size or after 1 hour of letting it rest, punch down the air from the dough and place it on a clean surface dusted with flour.
• With the help of a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a thin rectangle.
• Now spread the cream cheese filling on the dough all over and sprinkle the onion seeds.
• Now roll the dough tightly into a log.
• With the help of a serrated knife, cut the log lengthwise into two parts.
• Place the two parts in a ‘ x ’ and twist the two parts around each other to form a braid.
• Place the braid in a greased and lined loaf pan.
• Cover it with plastic wrap and let it rise for 30 minutes.
• Sprinkle some onion seeds on it and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, until golden brown on top.
• Once baked, let it cool in the loaf pan for 15 minutes and then remove from the pan. Let it cool completely on a wire rack.
• Slice to see the beautiful layers inside!