APPLE ALMOND RAISIN SOURDOUGH BABKA

Steps:

• Dough Mixing & Bulk Fermentation
• In a large bowl, mix together the flours, water, starter, and salt. Knead the dough by hand for a few minutes. If the dough is too wet to knead, add a little more flour.
• Cover and let the dough rest for about 30 minutes, and then stretch and fold the dough, going around the bowl several times until the dough is tighter. Click here to see a video of stretching and folding, as well as other forms of gluten development. You can do more stretching and folding after another 20-30 minute rest, but the dough will likely be quite strong after just one round.
• Let the dough ferment until it's puffy and expanded by about 75%. For my dough, this was about 7.5 hours at 78F room temperature.
• At this point you can chill the dough for several hours or overnight, which may make it easier to shape, or simply proceed to the next step.
• Filling Prep
• Peel and core two apples. Thinly slice one of the apples and set aside for now. Cut the other apple into chunks for the next step.
• Combine all the filling ingredients (minus the apple slices) in a food processor and blend until you have a thick paste.
• Babka Shaping (see the Photo Gallery below)
• Scrape your fermented dough out onto a heavily floured countertop and roll it into a rectangular sheet that's about 3/8" thick.
• Spread the filling on the dough with an offset spatula, and then layer the apple slices on top of the filling.
• Roll the dough into a long tube, and rest the tube on its seam while you lightly grease a loaf pan.
• Reposition the tube so the seam is facing up and centered. With a serrated knife, cut the tube in half, lengthwise and more or less along the seam. (This is so you don't have a loose strip of cut dough.)
• Cross the two strands of dough at their center points, and then twist the strands around one another on both sides of the center.
• Using your hand and a bench knife, scrunch the long twist to be shorter, place it in the loaf pan, and cover.
• Final Proof & Baking
• Let the babka dough proof for 1-2 hours or until it has expanded and is puffier. In a medium USA pan the center of the dough will crest over the edges of the pan.
• Preheat your oven to 350F for at least 15 minutes.
• Load the pan into the oven on the middle rack and bake for about 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until the temperature of the center of the dough is over 190F. Cover the dough with a foil tent after about 50 minutes so the top doesn't burn.
• Syrup Drizzle
• In a small saucepan, combine the water, sugar, and rum. Bring to a simmer and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.
• When the babka is finished baking, remove the loaf pan from the oven and immediately poke holes in the babka with a skewer and then pour the syrup onto it.
• Leave the babka in the pan for about a half hour to absorb the syrup, and then transfer it to a cooling rack.
• Storage
• Once it is completely cool, wrap the babka in plastic or place it in a tightly covered container. The babka can be stored at room temperature for about a week. Babkas also freeze well (wrap tightly in plastic and then in foil).