Reuben Babka

How to make Reuben Babka

Prep Time: 30 minutes, plus proving time        |        Cook Time: 35 minutes        |        Serving: 8

Ingredients

Dough:

• 85ml Farmdale full cream milk, slightly warmed
• 15g White Mill caster sugar
• 2 x 7g sachets White Mill dry yeast
• 300g White Mill plain flour, plus a little extra for rolling
• 2 Lodge Farms free range eggs, beaten
• 85g Pure Valley butter, softened

Filling:

• 100g cooked and trimmed Ready, Set…Cook! corned beef silverside, shredded
• 80g Deli Originals sauerkraut, squeezed dry
• 40g Colway real mayonnaise
• 3 tsp Colway tomato sauce
• 1½ tsp Colway worcestershire sauce
• 1½ tsp Stonemill ground paprika
• 30g Deli Originals European style pickles, finely chopped
• 100g Emporium Selection Swiss cheese slices
• 1 Lodge Farms free range egg yolk

Method

1. Cook the corned beef, as per package instructions.
2. For the dough, place the warmed milk into a bowl with the sugar and yeast. Stir to combine and set aside for 5 minutes or until frothy.
3. Place the flour and ¾ teaspoon salt into the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached. Add the frothy mixture and mix. Once combined into a shaggy, dry mix add the eggs and butter. Mix for 3 minutes or until the dough is coming away from the sides of the bowl. Form into a rough ball and place into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover loosely and set aside in a warm place to prove for an hour.
4. For the filling, place shredded corned beef into a mixing bowl with the sauerkraut, mayonnaise, tomato sauce, worcestershire sauce, paprika and pickles. Season well with salt and pepper then mix to evenly combine.
5. Place the rested dough onto a clean work surface with a touch of flour and knead until smooth. Place onto a large piece of baking paper and roll into a rectangle roughly measuring 20cm x 30cm. Smear corned beef mix evenly over the dough leaving one of the long edges with a clear 2cm border. Position the cheese slices over the corned beef mix and press down to compress slightly. Working from the covered long edge to the clear border edge, gently roll into a thick, tight log, pushing it firmly as you roll.
6. Gently roll the log – seam-side down – and position it roughly in the middle of the baking paper. Cut the log in half lengthways so you have 2 long, thin pieces. Gently twist these around each other to create a plaited look, making sure the filling sides face upwards. This can get a bit messy – but don’t worry! Using the baking paper, gently transfer the log and the paper into a 1L capacity loaf tin. Gently squish the dough to fit in into the tin if necessary. Trim off excess paper. Cover and set aside to prove for 45 minutes or until well puffed up.
7. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180°C. Whisk the egg yolk and brush it over the proven babka. Season the top with salt and pepper. Bake for 35 minutes or until cooked through and nicely golden, covering loosely with foil halfway through the cooking time. Remove from the oven and leave in the tin for 10 minutes. Gently remove and place onto a cooling rack. Serve in slices, warm or at room temperature.

Option: You can use leftover cooked corned beef.

Tip: Try customising the filling to your taste. Adding a good dollop of mustard will give a lovely spicy kick.