Method

• 1.
  Add the water to the bowl of an electric stand mixer and stir in the yeast until dissolved. Add the egg, egg yolk, butter and vanilla, then weigh the flours, sugar and milk powder on top. Add a heaped 1/2 tsp fine sea salt and the vodka last.
• 2.
  Knead for 10 minutes on speed 4 (below medium), stopping to scrape the dough a few times. At times, force the butter into the dough with your spatula to encourage it to cohere. It will be a sticky, slumpy mass (not a ball). Look for an elastic response (it should bounce back when poked) and a fibrous appearance when you scrape the dough during the kneading. The dough will start to rise up the dough hook at the end of the kneading. Let go of the clichéd goal of a tight ball of dough. This dough will firm up during the long, cold proof into a structurally sound dough.
• 3.
  Scrape the dough into a plastic tub sprayed with cooking oil. Spray the top of the dough and pop the lid on. Leave to proof for 30 minutes at room temperature (less if your kitchen is warm). The dough will have spread a little and feel faintly puffed.
• 4.
  Do your first folds. Dampen your hands with water, reach into the tub and pick the dough up at one end. Raise it 20cm, give it a hearty shake, then lower it back down, folding it on itself as you go. Spin dough 90° so the open end faces you, then repeat this fold three or four times until the dough feels smooth and springy. The folds develop extra gluten strength in this very soft dough. Sticky at the start, by the end of the fold steps, the dough will feel more elastic and stronger and have some puffy blisters of air forming.
• 5.
  Place dough back into tub, cover and leave for another 30 minutes, then do another set of three or four shake-and-folds.
• 6.
  After the last fold, re-spray and press a piece of plastic wrap to the surface of the dough. Re-lid the tub, then chill overnight. It will be ready to use after 12-18 hours. Making the dough the day before and allowing a long, cold overnight proof has many benefits – more flavour and tenderness, and it makes shaping such a soft dough much easier.
• 7.
  Start the filling 30 minutes before assembly. In a small bowl or tub, cover the prunes with just-boiled water and leave covered with a lid or plate for 30 minutes to swell. While they soak, spray the sides and base of a 25-29cm × 10cm × 7cm loaf pan with cooking oil and line with baking paper.
• 8.
  Drain the prunes, pat dry and tear into small pieces. Melt the chocolate and butter together (microwave or double boiler). Zest the orange (we’ll use the juice in the glaze) into the chocolate, then stir in the prunes and the remaining filling ingredients, adding the egg last to make a spreadable paste – it should be like moussey peanut butter. Too hard and the paste won’t spread easily on the soft dough. Too soft and the filling will ooze mid-shape. The egg addition allows the filling to expand with the dough so the final babka structure isn’t gappy and pulling apart from the dough.
• 9.
  On a lightly floured work surface, roll the chilled dough to a 45cm × 20cm rectangle.
• 10.
  Position dough with the long edge facing you. Smear filling over dough, leaving a clear 5mm border on all sides. Roll dough up tightly and pinch along the seam to seal the roll well. Chill the roll, covered with plastic wrap, on a tray for 15 minutes to set filling – this will make the next step easier.
• 11.
  Place the roll back on your work surface. Spray a large sharp knife with cooking oil spray and cut the log lengthways so you have two long doughy strands. Cross the strands to form an X. Then, starting on one side of the X junction, braid/intertwine the strands two or three times, gently twisting the strand as you braid so some sections show the interior layers side and others the doughy exterior. Repeat with other side of the X.
• 12.
  Place the loaf pan alongside the braid and make length adjustments as needed – scooching the braid shorter or teasing it out to fit your loaf pan. Carefully pick it up with both hands and place it into the pan.
• 13.
  Spray the top with cooking oil and cover loosely with plastic wrap, then leave in a warm place to rise for 1-2 hours, until the dough lazily bounces back from a firm poke. If the indent bounces back quickly, leave a little longer. When the dough is almost ready, preheat your oven to 220°C/200°C fan-forced.
• 14.
  When the babka has proofed, brush the reserved egg over the top and place in the oven. Immediately reduce the heat to 180°C/160°C fan-forced and cook for 30-35 minutes. If your pan is a bit shorter (and thus the babka a bit thicker), give it an extra 5 minutes. Babka will be puffed and burnished brown on top. Because of the filling, the best way to test doneness is to insert a digital thermometer – it will read 95°C. Alternatively, insert a wooden skewer – it’s done when the skewer is lightly covered in fine dry crumbs. If babka colours a bit too far, carefully tent some foil over the top to slow the colouring.
• 15.
  While babka bakes, prepare the glaze. Juice the orange left from the filling, then simmer juice in a small saucepan with the brown sugar for 1 minute, until glossy and viscous like oil. Be watchful so it doesn’t burn. Set aside at room temperature. The glaze should be a thin honey consistency. If it’s too thick, warm with 1 tbs water. If you burn it, heat brown sugar with water for a last-minute fix.
• 16.
  Remove the babka from the oven and leave the pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes to set the baked structure.
• 17.
  Unmould babka and peel paper back from sides. Brush all over with brown sugar glaze, then cool for an hour before cutting the first slice. Serve with cool butter.