Babka Pie

Makes 2 babka pies

PREPARATION

Make a batch of Chocolate Babka

PROCEDURE

For the Shell:

1. Lightly flour a work surface with flour and transfer the dough to the table. Cut 2 – 50g pieces of dough from one side of the rectangle and loosely form them into two flat discs. Cover the discs with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Cover and return the remaining dough to the fridge as well. 
2. Lightly grease 2 - 9” pie pans with nonstick baking spray. Remove the two 50g pieces of dough from the fridge and, on a floured surface, roll each piece into a circle until very thin and approximately 12” in diameter. Pick the disc up by rolling it onto the rolling pin, then center it over the pie shell and unroll, ensuring that it reaches up the sides. Press the dough into the bottom seam of the pie pan, removing any air bubbles. Repeat for the second pie.  Put both shells in the freezer.

For the Babka:

1. Remove the remaining dough from the fridge. Lightly flour a rolling pin and work surface and roll the dough into a rectangle measuring about 36 inches by 9 inches. If the dough shrinks back as you roll it out, cover it with a towel or plastic wrap for 5 minutes to let it rest and then continue rolling again. 
2. Using an offset spatula, spread the Nutella evenly over the dough, spreading it out to all of the edges. Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly out over the Nutella.
3. Place the dough in front of you with the long side in front of you. Starting from the lower left side of the dough, roll it up from the left side to the right side, using your fingertips to make the roulade as tight as possible (the tighter the roulade, the more layers of chocolate the babka will have). 
4. Once you’ve rolled the dough, gently pull the roulade so that it reaches about 48 to 50 inches in length. Using a serrated knife, cut the roulade in half lengthwise along its 36-inch length. 
5. Then, cut the dough in half crosswise, creating two 18”-long halves. 
6. Starting with one half, cross two pieces cut-side up to form an X. Starting on one side of the intersection, twist the two halves around each other all the way to the end, always keeping the cut side facing up. Repeat for the other side. 
7. Repeat step 8 with the second babka.
8. Remove the pie shells from the freezer. With a paring knife, trim the top edge if necessary so that it aligns with the mold. Spread 2 tablespoons of Nutella onto the bottom of each pie pan and sprinkle a small handful of chocolate chips on top of each.
9. Carefully transfer each babka to its pie shell, keeping the cut side facing up and joining the ends where they connect.  

Proofing and Baking:

1. Cover the babka pies with a towel or place in a clean plastic bag to cover completely. Set in a warm place until doubled in size, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. In the meantime, make the simple syrup. Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes. The sugar should be completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. 
2. Preheat the oven to 350oF. Bake the babkas for 40-50 minutes, or until very dark golden brown.
3. Remove from the oven and immediately brush generously with the sugar syrup. You should still have about a quarter of the syrup leftover after brushing the babkas. You can refrigerate the syrup for up to a week and reserve it for a later use. 
4. Let the babka pies cool completely at room temperature before serving.