I took two things I had never made before (milk bread and babka) and put them together. The hubris.

Got it right the second time around but boy, Day 1 was not pretty.

This is basically a milk bread dough flavored with hojicha powder, filled with a black sesame paste, shaped into a babka loaf, and finished like a babka with simple syrup (flavored again with hojicha). The smokiness of the hojicha pairs well with the nuttiness of the black sesame - I prefer this pairing over the more common matcha/black sesame combination because both ingredients have a roasted quality to them that makes sense to me. The milk bread is tender and pillowy, like most Asian bakery breads made with the tanzhong method. Babka filling is usually made with dark or semisweet chocolate, but I replaced it with white chocolate to maintain stability while allowing the black sesame flavor to shine.

Ingredients

For the Tangzhong Roux

• 25 g all-purpose flour

• 115 g water

For the Dough

• 325g flour 

• 14g dry milk powder 

• 75g sugar 

• 1 tsp salt 

• 12g instant yeast 

• 1 ½ tbsp hojicha powder

• 113g evaporated milk 

• 1 large egg 

• 60g unsalted butter

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Filling

• 4 oz white chocolate

• 4 tbs unsalted butter, softened

• 2 tbs black sesame paste

• 2 tbs black sesame seeds, coarsely ground

• 50 g granulated sugar

• ½ tsp vanilla extract

• Pinch of salt

For the syrup

• 3 tbsp granulated sugar

• 3 tbsp water

• ⅛ tsp hojicha powder

Directions

• Make the roux. In a small saucepan, whisk together the flour and the water until smooth. Cook over medium heat, whisking continuously, until a thick, glossy paste forms. Set aside to cool.

• Whisk together the flour, milk powder, sugar, salt, yeast, and hojicha powder in the bowl of a stand mixer. 

• Heat the butter in a measuring glass in the microwave. Stir in the milk to cool down the butter. Once it is lukewarm (about body temperature), stir in the vanilla extract and the egg. Once smooth, transfer the roux to the measuring glass (does not need to be stirred in).

• Attach the bowl and dough hook onto the stand mixer. Turn the mixer on to the lowest setting, then pour in the wet ingredients. Knead on low until all the dry ingredients are incorporated, then increase speed to medium low and knead for about 20 minutes (or more), or until the dough passes the windowpane test. Scrape the dough from the sides of the bowl periodically to ensure even kneading.

• Once the dough is smooth and elastic (passing the windowpane test) grease a medium mixing bowl with 1 tbsp oil (vegetable or canola). Work the dough into a smooth ball, then transfer in one piece to the oiled bowl. Gently turn it in the bowl so all of the surface is greased. Cover and refrigerate overnight to proof slowly, or cover and set in a warm place to proof for about an hour and a half, until about doubled in size.

• While proofing the dough, make the filling. Melt the white chocolate over a double boiler. Remove from the heat, then stir in the black sesame paste and butter, just until incorporated (take care not to overheat or the sesame oil will separate from the paste). Stir in the remaining ingredients. Let cool to room temperature, or chill in the fridge until needed. If refrigerating, allow the mixture to soften on the countertop for at least 1 hour before using.

• When the dough is proofed, punch it down and roll into a 9x13 rectangle. Spread the filling over the dough, leaving a 1” border. Roll into a tight spiral from the shorter side (you should have a 9” log). If possible, transfer to the fridge to chill for about 20 minutes before proceeding. 

• Retrieve the log from the fridge. Cut the log down the middle lengthwise. Turn the filling sides up for both strands. Make an X with the strands, then twist the two ends over each other, keeping the filling sides facing up. Transfer the braid into the prepared pan, layering or trimming the ends as necessary. Cover loosely with plastic and proof in a warm spot for about 35 minutes, until puffy and lightly (but not completely) springs back to the touch. 

• While proofing the dough, preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x5” loaf pan and line it with parchment, leaving 2” overhang on the sides to ease lifting the loaf out once it’s finished baking. 

• Once the dough has finished proofing for a second time, remove the plastic. Loosely tent the pan with foil. Bake for about 35 minutes with the foil on. If the dough is not browning, remove the foil for the remainder of baking (about 10 minutes). (If the dough is browning, leave the foil on for the remainder of baking.)

• While baking the loaf, prepare the syrup. In a small saucepan, whisk together the sugar, hojicha powder, and water (whisk vigorously to get rid of any lumps of hojicha). Stir together over low heat to dissolve the sugar, then bring to a simmer. Set aside to cool.

• When the loaf is done baking, brush the syrup on top of the babka. Sprinkle extra black sesame seeds if desired. Save the remaining syrup for dipping, if desired. Cool the babka in the pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes, then lift the bread out of the pan to cool directly on the rack.