Gourmet babka with squash based on Emilie's recipe from Not a crumb left on my plate
Ingredients :
• 550g butternut squash (or pumpkin)
• 85 ml of lukewarm milk
• 10g fresh yeast
• 50g of sugar
• 1 egg
• 60g butter
• 325g of wheat flour
• 30g of brown sugar
• 1 C. tablespoon of cinnamon
• 1 C. tablespoon of cornstarch
• salt
The little extra of Parpaille: A large handful of toasted and caramelized almonds
Preparation :
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Peel and cut the squash into pieces. Pour a drizzle of olive oil over the squash pieces, mix and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20 minutes.
Pour the cooked squash into a blender and blend until pureed. To book.
In a small bowl, combine warm milk, fresh yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar. Leave to rest for 10 minutes.
Pour 145g of butternut squash puree, the egg, 30g of butter, 25g of sugar, a pinch of salt, the flour and the milk-yeast mixture into the bowl of a food processor.
Once the dough is homogenous, knead for ten minutes.
The dough remains sticky, this is normal. Cover the bowl with a clean damp cloth and leave to rise for 1 hour in a warm place (oven preheated to 40°C).
Degas the dough, then place cling film over the bowl and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
Meanwhile, prepare the garnish.
In a bowl, mix 300g of squash puree, 25g of sugar, 30g of brown sugar, 30g of soft butter, cinnamon, cornstarch and 1 pinch of salt. Mix until you obtain a smooth cream.
Crush the almonds – roast them and when they give off a good smell sprinkle them with a tablespoon of sugar to caramelize them – keep.
Spread the brioche dough on the floured work surface to form a rectangle of approximately 50 x 35cm. Spread the filling all over the dough, add the caramelized almonds then roll it on itself widthwise. Cut the roll in half lengthwise then twist the two pieces of dough together to form a braid. Place the brioche in a cake mold covered with parchment paper, then let the dough rise again for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Brush the brioche with egg yolk, then bake for 50 minutes.
Personally I don't brush with egg – just a little milk – it gives a more rustic effect that I like!
