Chocolate Mint Cheesecake Babka

Babka Dough:

1. In a small bowl, mix together lukewarm milk, yeast, and a pinch of granulated sugar. Mix well and leave undisturbed for 5–10 minutes until the mixture gets foamy.
2. In your stand mixer bowl, whisk together foamy yeast mixture, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract.
3. Attach dough hook. Add 1 cup (120g) flour, mixing on low until flour starts to become incorporated. Continue adding and mixing in 1 cup (120g) flour at a time until you’ve added 5 cups (600g) flour. Add kosher salt with final cup of flour. While adding the flour, scrape down sides of the bowl as necessary.
   NOTE: If the dough still seems sticky, you can mix in an additional ½ cup (60g) of flour a tablespoon or two at a time.
4. After all flour has been mixed in, add butter to bowl a cube or two at a time, allowing buttery addition to be fully incorporated before adding the next.
   NOTE: This will take a few minutes to properly add the butter.
5. Once butter is fully incorporated, increase mixer speed to medium. Knead dough until very smooth, soft, and supple—about 5 minutes.
6. Tip dough out onto a clean work surface and form into a ball. Lightly grease a large bowl with neutral oil or baking spray. Form dough into a ball and place into bowl and roll around to coat all sides with oil. Cover bowl with beeswax wrap or cling film and place in fridge to proof overnight. ^[3]

Cheesecake Filling:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat together softened cream cheese, egg yolks, sugar, and salt.
2. Transfer cheesecake filling to a lidded container and store in fridge overnight.

Chocolate Streusel:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Mix in melted butter until dry ingredients are fully moistened. Mix in mini chocolate chips.
2. Transfer chocolate streusel to a lidded container and store in fridge overnight. We’ll see you back here tomorrow!

Assembly & Baking:

1. Welcome back! Grease two 9" x 5" loaf pans and line with parchment paper slings. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Retrieve dough and cheesecake filling from fridge. Allow dough to warm up slightly, then punch it down to release excess gas build-up.
3. Divide dough into two equal pieces. (Each piece will weigh about 600g.) Place one dough blob on a lightly floured surface. Cover the other dough blob with a clean dish towel.
4. Roll dough into a 12" x 16" rectangle. Using an offset spatula, spread half of softened cheesecake filling (roughly 250g) onto dough, leaving a bare 0.5–1" border.
5. Dollop 4 tablespoons (72g) chocolate mint spread over cheesecake filling. Using an offset spatula, spread chocolate mint spread, trying your best to not mix the two fillings.
6. Stand with one of the 16-inch sides closest to you. Lightly brush opposite bare edge with water. Starting with the long edge closest to you, gently—yet tightly—roll dough up into a log. Pinch moistened seam and ends to seal. Place seam side down prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
7. Place baking sheet and dough logs in fridge for 20 minutes (Chilled dough is easier to cut and twist.)
8. After dough logs have chilled, retrieve baking sheet from fridge.
9. Using a sharp knife, trim 0.5" from dough ends. Cut babka log lengthwise, leaving 1" at top attached. ^[4]
10. Starting at the connected top, cross one side of the dough over the other. Repeat 2–3 times, keeping the cut side facing upwards. Pinch ends together. ^[5]
11. Place babka into prepared loaf pan. Cover loosely with cling film.
    NOTE: We find the easiest way to transfer and place the babka is to gently lift it up from underneath with both hands. Place centre of babka into centre of pan first. Then, if your babka is too long for the pan, curl and tuck the ends under the babka while setting into pan.
12. Repeat process with second dough log.
13. Place pans in a warm, dry spot and leave undisturbed for 30–60 minutes until babkas are visibly puffy.
14. While babkas are proofing, place previously used baking sheet on bottom oven rack to catch any runaway streusel. Heat oven to 350°F.
15. When babkas are ready to bake, scatter half of streusel (roughly 120g) over each babka.
    NOTE: Babkas are ready when the dough springs back slowly after being gently poked with your finger.
16. Bake for 30–40 minutes or until golden brown. (The internal temperature should be 190–200°F.) If tops or edges are browning too quickly, tent with foil.
17. While babkas are baking, make simple syrup. In a small pot, bring water and sugar to a boil. Let boil for 3 minutes until sugar has dissolved and syrup has thickened. Remove from heat.
18. Remove loaves from oven and place pans on wire rack. Gently brush hot babkas with simple syrup. It may seem like a lot of syrup of first, but keep brushing it on for a lovely, shiny finish.
19. Allow babkas to cool in pans for 20–30 minutes, then remove from pans by pulling up on the parchment slings.
20. Transfer babkas to wire rack and allow to cool completely, if you have enough willpower. Warm bread straight from the oven is sometimes impossible to resist!