Prep 40min (+ 3hr proving, 20min standing and cooling time)Bake 45min12-14 serves

Laced with swirls of rich dark chocolate and drenched in a marmalade glaze, you’ll find this impressive loaf hard to resist – I dare you to stop at just one slice! 

Ingredients

525g (3½ cups) strong (baker’s) flour
2 teaspoons instant dried yeast
75g (⅓ cup) caster sugar
½ teaspoon fine salt 
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
180ml (⅔ cup) lukewarm milk
2 eggs, plus 1 extra
150g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease

Chocolate Filling

150g dark (70%) chocolate, chopped
50g unsalted butter, chopped
110g (½ cup, firmly packed) brown sugar

Marmalade Glaze

300g jar blood orange marmalade (see Baker's Tips)
2 tablespoons boiling water

Method

1. To make the dough, combine the flour, yeast, sugar, salt and orange zest in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Combine the milk and eggs in a jug. With the motor running, add milk mixture to the flour mixture and knead on low speed for 1-2 minutes or until mixture is evenly combined and a stiff dough forms.
2. Switch to the paddle attachment and gradually add the butter, about 20g at a time, beating well after each addition on low speed until dough is smooth and very elastic (this will take about 5 minutes). Scrape down side of bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 1 hour 30 minutes or until dough has doubled in volume.
3. For the Chocolate Filling, combine all ingredients in a large heatproof jug and microwave on high, in 30 second bursts, stirring after each burst, for 1 minute 30 seconds or until chocolate has melted. Stir vigorously until well combined, glossy and smooth. Set aside at room temperature to cool.
4. Grease a 2.5L capacity (24cm top, 22cm base measurement) fluted ring pan with extra butter. Knock back the dough by punching it in the centre with your fist. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 1-2 minutes until smooth and elastic and dough has returned to its original size.
5. Use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll dough into a 30cm x 35cm rectangle. Spread dough evenly with the chocolate filling. Starting from the longer end, roll up the dough into a tight roll. (At this point, if the dough is too soft and your kitchen too warm, you can place the log, slightly bent to fit, on a large baking tray lined with baking paper and chill for 20 minutes to firm slightly. This will make cutting and shaping the babka easier). Trim ends of roll. Starting about 2cm from the top end, cut in half, leaving the top end intact. Turn each half so that the cut edges are facing upwards. Twist the two halves together, keeping the cut edges facing upwards. Place in prepared tin, wrapping around the centre tube. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 1½ hours or until well risen.
6. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Bake the babka for 45 minutes or until deep golden and babka sounds hollow when tapped on the top. Stand in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.
7. For the marmalade glaze, place marmalade in a large heatproof jug and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir well, then microwave for a further 15 seconds or until bubbling. Immediately stir through boiling water until well combined. Stand for 3 minutes, stir again, then drizzle over the cooled babka. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly.
8. Cut babka into wedges to serve.

Prep 40min(+30min standing and 1hr 45 min proving time)Bake 1hr-1hr10minMakes 12-15 serves

Hot cross bun meets cinnamon scroll! With all the flavours of Easter plus cinnamon richness, this brings together two all-time favourites… Once you’ve tried it, it will be hard to go back to one without the other.

Ingredients

¼ cup (60ml/2fl oz) maple syrup
3 teaspoons pure icing sugar, sifted
Salted butter, to serve

Dough
60g (⅓ cup/2oz) seedless raisins
60g (⅓ cup/2oz) sultanas
55g (⅓ cup/2oz) currants
560g (3¾ cups/1lb 4oz) strong bread or pizza flour, plus extra for dusting
55g (¼ cup/2oz) caster sugar
1½ x 7g/¼oz sachets (3 teaspoons) instant dried yeast
2½ teaspoons mixed spice
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon fine salt
45g (1½oz) unsalted butter, diced and softened, plus extra to grease
1 egg, at room temperature, plus 1 extra, whisked, to glaze
1½ teaspoons natural vanilla extract or essence
310ml (1¼ cups/10½fl oz) lukewarm milk

Filling
60g (oz) unsalted butter, softened
⅓ cup (75g/2¾oz) brown sugar
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon fine salt

Method

1. Place the raisins, sultanas and currants in a heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water and set aside to soak for 20 minutes until the fruit is plump. Drain well.
2. Place the flour, sugar, yeast, mixed spice, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl and mix to combine. Add the butter. Whisk the egg and vanilla into the lukewarm milk. Add to the dry ingredients and use a wooden spoon and then your hands to mix to a soft dough.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured bench top. Knead for 8-10 minutes or until smooth, elastic and springs back when you poke your finger into it (see notes).
4. Lightly grease a clean large bowl with extra butter. Add the dough and well-drained fruit and use your hands to mix through (the fruit doesn’t need to me evenly distributed at this stage). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 1 hour or until doubled in volume.
5. Grease a 24cm/9½in (base measurement) springform tin with extra butter. Remove the side from the base and then place a square of non-stick baking paper over the base of the pan, allowing it to overhang the edge of the base (do not reattach side of tin at this stage). Set aside.
6. For the Filling, place the butter, sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl and use a wooden spoon to beat until evenly combined and soft.
7. Knock back the dough by punching it in the centre with your fist. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 1-2 minutes or until smooth and elastic, the dough has reduced to its original size and the fruit is evenly distributed. Use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll out the dough to a 30cmx40cm (12inx16in) rectangle, about 1.5cm (5/8in) thick.
8. Spread the filling as evenly as possible over the dough. Use a large sharp knife or a pizza cutter to cut the dough lengthways into 6 even strips. Roll one of the strips into a scroll and place in centre of prepared tin. Wrap another strip around the centre scroll. Repeat with remaining strips to make one large scroll. Clamp side of tin around base to secure. Clamp the side of the pan around the base to secure (there will be about 2cm/¾in between the outside of the scroll and the side of the pan).
9. Brush the top of the scroll with the whisked egg and cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel. Set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 45 minutes or until well risen, puffy and has increased in volume by about 50 percent.
10. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C/315°F).
11. Bake the scroll in preheated oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes or until deep golden and sounds hollow when tapped on the top.
12. Meanwhile, place maple syrup and icing sugar in a small jug and whisk until combined and smooth. Remove the scroll from oven and immediately brush top with maple syrup mixture. Stand in tin for 10 minutes before removing. Cut scroll into wedges, and serve warm with salted butter.

Photography: Nigel Lough
Styling: David Morgan

This recipe first appeared in delicious. Australia's April 2023 edition.