Duff Goldman Baby Gender Food

CHOCOLATE BABKA

Steps:

• Make the dough: Sprinkle the yeast over the milk in a liquid measuring cup; add a pinch of sugar and set aside until bubbly, about 7 minutes. Combine the flour, the remaining 1/3 cup sugar, the eggs, yeast mixture, salt, vanilla, nutmeg and lemon zest in a large bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead until soft and smooth, about 5 minutes. Knead in the butter in three additions, dusting the dough with flour if it's too sticky. Transfer the dough to a large bowl; cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature, about 1 1/2 hours. Punch down the dough, re-cover with plastic wrap and let rise in the fridge overnight.
• Make the filling: Heat the sugar, heavy cream and salt in a saucepan until scalding. Pour over the bittersweet chocolate chips, butter and vanilla in a bowl. Whisk until smooth and shiny. Let cool to room temperature.
• Make the topping: Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder and salt in a separate bowl; work in the butter with your fingers until the mixture is sandy and chunky. Stir in the mini chocolate chips; set the topping aside.
• Form the loaves: Cut the dough in half with a bench scraper or chef's knife. Using a rolling pin, roll each half into a 12-by-16-inch rectangle. Using an offset spatula, spread the filling on both dough rectangles, all the way to the edges. Starting from a long side, tightly roll each rectangle into a log. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and refrigerate 15 minutes. Unwrap the logs; cut each in half lengthwise with a bench scraper or chef's knife. Twist the halves together a few times, starting from the middle. Coat two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans with cooking spray and line with parchment, then spray the parchment. Place a dough twist snugly in each pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 1 1/2 hours.
• Finish and bake the babka: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush each loaf with butter and sprinkle with the topping. Bake until browned, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, make some simple syrup: Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan; simmer, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Let cool. Pull the loaves out of the oven and immediately poke a bunch of holes in each with a wooden skewer. Pour 1 1/4 cups simple syrup evenly over the loaves.
• Let sit 10 minutes, then remove the babka from the pans, remove the parchment and let cool completely on a rack.

DUFF'S BEST BREAD ON EARTH BREAD

Steps:

• Combine the all-purpose flour, bread flour, sugar, yeast and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Add the water to the center of the bowl and mix on low speed to combine. Raise the speed to medium and knead until the dough pulls away from the bowl in a smooth, clean mass, about 10 minutes.
• ​Lightly flour your workspace, turn the dough out of the bowl and lightly knead for about a minute, then shape into a ball. Lightly oil the inside of a large bowl, add the dough and rub oil over the top. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, then put in a warm spot, such as the top of the fridge, until it's more than doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
• ​When the dough is almost ready, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F with a rack in the middle position. Stack two matching baking sheets and place in the oven. Or, if you have a baking stone, use that instead.
• Turn the dough out of the bowl, punch it down and flatten it until it's about 2 1/2 inches thick. Shape the dough into a boule (round loaf). Lightly flour the top, cover lightly with plastic wrap and let rise for another 25 minutes.
• ​Remove the plastic wrap and score the top of the loaf. Open the oven door all the way and use a baking peel or the floured underside of a baking sheet to slide the loaf onto the hot stacked baking sheets or baking stone, working gently but quickly so as not to deflate the dough. Bake for about 10 minutes, then open the oven door and carefully throw a few handfuls of water at the bottom of the oven to create steam. Close the door quickly and continue to bake until well browned, 12 to 15 minutes more.
• Reduce the heat to 325 degrees F and bake until the loaf is deep golden brown and sounds hollow when you tap it, 15 to 20 minutes more. Transfer the loaf to a wire rack and let cool completely, at least 1 hour. That lets the crumb set. Listen to the loaf crackle as it cools-that's a good sound. Serve at room temperature.