Elevate your baking game with this delicious Caramel Coconut Babka. Featuring a sweet braided bread filled with rich caramel spread and crunchy coconut streusel, this recipe combines flavors and textures for a truly decadent treat. The two-tone dough, tinted with natural purple potato powder, adds a beautiful touch to this already fabulous bread.
Ingredients
Coconut Streusel:
- 60g desiccated coconut
- 35g sugar
- 30g softened butter
- 20g milk
- 2 large yolks
Caramel:
- 100g sugar
- 100g whipping cream
- 20g butter
Sweet Stiff Starter:
- 60g sourdough starter
- 180g high protein flour
- 80g water
- 30g sugar
Dough:
- 460g high protein flour
- 40g sugar
- 8g salt
- 230g milk
- 100g whipping cream
- 40g unsalted butter
- All of the sweet stiff starter
Purple Potato Dough:
- 15g purple potato powder
- 30g water
Method
- Prepare the Sweet Stiff Starter:
- Mix the starter ingredients and let it triple in volume, about 7-8 hours at 27-28°C.
- Make the Caramel:
- Heat sugar in a pan over medium heat until it melts and turns a deep amber color.
- Carefully add whipping cream and butter. Stir until smooth. Set aside to cool.
- Prepare the Coconut Streusel:
- Mix desiccated coconut, sugar, softened butter, milk, and yolks until well combined. Set aside.
- Make the Dough:
- Combine high protein flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
- Add milk, whipping cream, and all of the sweet stiff starter. Mix until combined.
- Add unsalted butter and knead until dough is smooth and elastic.
- Divide the dough into two portions. To one portion, add purple potato powder and 30g water, kneading until evenly colored.
- Shape and Braiding:
- Roll out both portions of dough into rectangles.
- Spread caramel evenly over each rectangle.
- Sprinkle with coconut streusel.
- Roll up each rectangle tightly into logs.
- Slice each log lengthwise and twist the two halves together to form a braid.
- Place the braided dough into greased loaf pans.
- Proof and Bake:
- Proof the loaves for 2-3 hours or until doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.