Love or Hate it, you won’t be able to deny having a slice of this Marmite and Cheddar Cheese Babka. This recipe has a slightly sweetened enriched dough, with plenty of creamy bechamel sauce with a deep hit of Marmite, sharp mature Cheddar Cheese with extra pockets of the delicious Marmite. Think of it as the best cheese on toast of your life, with the swirls of deep salty Marmite and oozy bechamel sauce and crazy crunchy toasted cheese. Slice this loaf up and serve with a fresh green salad, or if you’re feeling naughty, slice up the loaf and make the best sandwich you’ll ever have!
Let’s talk plaits! Don’t worry they won’t be as complicated as creating a fishtail plait in the hair of a moving 6-year-old singing along to Frozen. It looks more complicated than it actually is. As long as you remember to keep the cut edge upwards with the filling exposed, you’ve won half the battle. The easiest way is to cut the roll down the middle lengthways, roll each half so the cut is upwards. Cross the two pieces in the middle to form a cross, then keeping the cut upwards, lift over each other until twisted to the end. Repeat on the other side. Tuck in the ends and gently lift into the tin the cut always upright.
Equipment You'll Need
Marmite and Cheddar Cheese Babka Recipe
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: Serves 8
Description
Serves 8
Ingredients
For the Dough –
- 2tsp Dried Fast Active Yeast
- 330g Strong White Bread Flour
- 40g Caster Sugar
- A Pinch of Table Salt
- 1 Free Range Egg
- 85g Whole Milk
- 90g Unsalted Butter, room temperature
For the Filling –
- 75g Unsalted Butter
- 75g Plain Flour
- 400ml Whole Milk
- 3tsp Marmite
- 200g Strong Mature Cheddar, grated
- 2tsp Marmite, extra
Instructions
- First, make the dough. In a stand mixer bowl, mix the yeast, flour, sugar and salt with a hook attachment. Add the egg, milk, and butter to the flour mixture, mix until combined at a medium speed, and form into a ball. Knead the dough for 5-6 minutes. Cover the bowl and chill in the fridge overnight.
- On the same day of making the dough, make the filling. In a saucepan, melt the butter, then whisk in the flour. Cookout the flour for a couple of minutes over medium heat. Slowly add the milk, whisk whilst adding, keep cooking until all the milk has been added and thickened. Stir in the Marmite until it has melted and combined. Decant into a bowl, allow to cool then chill overnight.
- Roll the chilled dough on a lightly dusted surface and roll into a rectangle about 50cm x30cm. Spread the Marmite bechamel filling over the dough, right into the corners. If the filling is too thick, beat the mixture for a few minutes to loosen it up. Scatter over the grated Cheddar, drizzle over the extra Marmite. Roll up tightly from the long side, so you have a 50cm log. Chill the dough for 30 minutes if it becomes too soft.
- Butter a 2lb loaf tin and line the base and alongside with parchment, overhanging the edge to help to remove it later.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the log in half along its length to expose the layers. Place the halves with the cuts facing upwards. Lift half over the other half so they are forming a cross, with the filling upwards, twist the ends. Place the plait into the tin. Leave to prove, until doubled in size, this can take up to 2 hours if you’re kitchen is cold, but normally takes about an hour and half.
- Oven to 180C, bake for 40-45 minutes, cover with tin foil half way through to stop the top browning too quickly. Leave for 20mins before slicing up and serving with a fresh green salad.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Prove Time: 1 hr
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Savoury, Cheese, Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
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