Almond croissant babka

Instructions

• Prepare the dough
• Make the tangzhong by whisking together the 2 Tbsp of flour and scant 1/3 cup of milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until a thick paste forms. Immediately transfer into a large mixing bowl.
• Whisk in the cold milk to help break down the tangzhong a little bit. Then whisk in the egg (feel the mixture first just to make sure it’s not piping hot before adding the egg). Add in the salt, sugar, yeast, and flour and mix until the dough starts to come together. You can do this in a stand mixer or by hand. If using your hand, start kneading and mixing by hand until there are no more spots of flour and you have a ball of dough. Then one tablespoon at a time, knead in the butter, each time waiting until it is fully incorporated before adding the next tablespoon (about 10 minutes total). Once all of the butter has been incorporated, pat into a ball, return to the bowl, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator for at least six hours or ideally overnight.
• Prepare the filling
• Place the almond flour in a large saucepan over medium low heat, stirring frequently until it’s fragrant and golden brown. Pour into a bowl and let cool to room temperature.
• Make the frangipane by whisking the butter and powdered sugar together in a mixing bowl. Add in the almond flour, salt, and all-purpose flour and whisk until incorporated. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the almond extract, until the mixture is smooth.
• Assemble
• Butter your loaf pan and line the bottom and up the long sides with parchment paper.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 12″ x 20″ rectangle. Spread the almond filling evenly over the dough, coating the entire surface but leaving a 1/2-inch blank space along one of the 20″ edges. You may have a little bit too much filling so leave some behind if your layer of filling becomes very thick. Then, starting on the long 20″ edge without the filling gap, roll tightly into a 20″ log. Then, use a sharp knife to completely cut the log in half lengthwise so that you have two 20″ strands. If the filling seems a bit runny or the dough is getting soft, refrigerate for about 15-20 minutes on a baking sheet or parchment paper to make the the babka easier to work with.
• To shape the babka, rotate each of the cut pieces so that the filling is facing up. Overlap the end of one piece with the end of another and press lightly to fuse them together. This will be one end of your loaf. Then lift one strand and place it over the other, keeping the cut side with filling facing up at all times. After creating that first cross, you’ll now place the second strand over the first, continuing to alternate which strand is on top until you have twisted/braided all of the dough (see photo above). Always try to keep the filling facing up. Then place one hand on each end, with your palms facing each other, and push them towards each other, squidging the dough together until it’s about the size of your loaf pan. Then carefully lift up the babka and place in the loaf pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen cloth and let rise for about 1-2 hours until it has risen considerably in size (a bit less than doubled) and has filled out the rest of the gaps in the loaf pan.
• Preheat the oven to 375F. Sprinkle the top with sliced almonds and bake on a rack in the center of the oven for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• While the babka is in the oven, in a small saucepan mix together 1/4 cup of water, 1/4 cup of granulated sugar and 1/2 tablespoon of honey. Heat over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved. Then remove from the heat and set aside.
• As soon as the babka comes out of the oven, brush or spoon the syrup over the top, generously using most or all of the syrup. Let cool completely before removing the babka from the loaf pan and slicing. You can keep the babka at room temperature for a few days, covered in plastic, or cover tightly in plastic and store in the freezer.