Busting out all over

The babka project ...

It spent the night and most of the morning in the fridge, as we went to the market as soon as we got up. We ended up spending longer than intended there, as we unexpectedly spotted S and T, just back from Dublin, and sat and had a coffee with them. We'd planned for a picnic in the garden, so when we got back I took the dough out to warm up a bit and made a pilaff for lunch, using the last of the broad beans. While it was cooking I made the babka filling (frangipane with pain d'épices spices, a diced apple, and a few sultanas). Rolled out the dough, spread the filling, rolled it up, chilled it for 15 minutes, split it, twisted it, put it in the mould, left it to rise.

It took a while, but eventually we got to the garden and had a lovely relaxed lunch in the shade while nightingales trilled in the trees. S has now tidied it up and while it's not exactly manicured, it's a very pleasant place to sit.

We had to get back home for 4 pm so that S could go and play table tennis. The dough was taking its time, as I expected, and I ended up putting it in the oven only half an hour before I left for my 6:30 gym session. So I left S with instructions. He duly saved it from hitting the top of the oven (hence the rather brown top), and it also expanded so much that it bulged over the sides of the mould. In a team effort we managed to get it out onto the cooling rack without damage and have just tried some. Pretty pleased with it!