Method (Babka)

1. Place the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl, or a stand mixer bowl fitted with a dough hook. Mix to combine.
2. Warm the water and pour into a bowl and sprinkle over the yeast and a teaspoon of sugar. You want the water to be just warm, too hot can kill the yeast resulting in a dense and non-fluffy dough. Mix gently then cover with a tea towel and set somewhere warm for 10 minutes to activate. You’ll know the yeast is activated when there are bubbles forming on the top of the mixture and it’s foamy. It will also smell yeasty too.
3. Preheat the Panasonic Combination Oven to the Oven setting on 30℃. Allow the oven to heat up to a very low setting. This will create a warm atmosphere for the dough to prove. You don’t want the oven boiling hot, just warm, as again this can kill the yeast and cook the dough in its proving stage which you don’t want to happen.
4. Once the yeast is activated, pour the oil into the yeast mixture then pour into the dry ingredients.
5. Once all the ingredients are in the bowl, begin to knead the dough until it forms a smooth ball. You can either do this using a dough hook on a stand mixer or by hand on a floured surface. You may need some extra flour for kneading on the work surface if that’s the method you are using. You may also need to add a small amount of flour as you go to make the dough less sticky. The dough should feel very soft and pillowy.
6. Grease a heat-proof bowl with a tiny amount of sunflower oil. Once a smooth ball of dough has formed, place the dough into the bowl and cover with some cling film / plastic wrap. 
7. Place the bowl into the warm oven and allow it to prove for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size. Check the oven is only warm before allowing the dough to prove by feeling the air inside. If it feels too hot, leave the door open for a few minutes or turn the heat down.
8. Before the dough has finished proving, prepare the filling and the streusel.

Biscoff Filling 

1. Spoon the Biscoff spread into a small bowl and give it a stir to make it smooth. Crush the Biscoff biscuits into crumbs and pour into a separate bowl. Set aside.

Method (streusel) 

1. In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the flour and sugars.
2. Place the room temperature butter and crumbled up Biscoff biscuits into the flour mixture and use a fork to mix and claw the ingredients together until combined but still clumpy. Don’t over-mix or the streusel will become like a soft paste, simply toss together until mixture is clumpy, no longer dry, and the flour is completely combined. You can make the streusel the day before and store in the fridge in a sealed container. This saves time!

Assemble Babka

1. Line a loaf tin with a loaf liner or with greaseproof paper. Allow the paper to overhang the tin, this will make it easier when removing the Babka. 
2. Once the dough has doubled in size, roll it out using a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface and shape into a rectangle, measuring 16 x 12 inches (40 x 30 cm).
3. Using an offset spatula, spread the Biscoff spread over the dough leaving a 1 inch border, sprinkling over the crushed up Biscoff biscuits.
4. Use both hands to roll up the rectangle, starting from the long side, until you have a long log shape. Try to roll it quite tightly as this will create more swirls of Biscoff throughout the bread when baked. Press to seal the dough and rest the log on it’s seam.
5. Using a sharp serrated knife, gently cut the roll in half lengthwise, starting at the top and finishing at the bottom, dividing the log of dough into two long even halves.
6. Position each half parallel to each other with the cut sides facing upwards. Twist and braid the halves together, keeping the cut sides facing up, and tuck both ends under to neaten. 
7. Gently lift and place the braided Babka into the lined tin. Don’t worry if there are any gaps in the tin as the dough will grow in size during it’s second proving. 
8. Sprinkle the streusel over the top of the loaf then cover the Babka loosely with plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm place either in the oven as we did for the first prove or somewhere warm at room temperature for 1 & ½ – 2 hours until noticeably puffed up (It won’t quite double in size).
9. Once the Babka has puffed up, it’s time to bake. Remove the plastic wrap from the Babka, and set the Panasonic Oven to the combi setting and at 180 degrees c the same as 160℃  fan. I use the steam setting which helps to keep moisture in the Babka when it’s baking.
10. Place the tin into the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes. You will know the Babka is ready when the top is golden in colour and a tooth pick inserted down the middle comes out clean. 
11. Once the Babka has baked, remove from the oven and place the tin on a cooling rack. Allow it to cool fully at room temperature.
12. To give shine to the top of the Babka, add the water and sugar into a small saucepan, heat until the water is simmering and the sugar has melted. Brush this mixture over the top of the loaf and allow to set.
13. Slice and serve!