Cardamom Pistachio Babka

Make the dough:
Spray two loaf pans and line them with parchment paper, then set aside.

In a medium sized bowl add the milk and microwave it for about 20 seconds.
Pour the active yeast over the top and wait about 5 minutes for it to start to develop a foam at the top.

Once the yeast is ready, add it to your mixing bowl along with your flour, sugar, salt, vanilla, orange zest, and eggs.

Add the kneading attachment to your mixer and turn your mixer on low. Allow it to knead the bread for 3- 5 minutes until it comes together.

Add 4 tablespoons of softened butter into the dough and beat for 3-5 minutes. Once incorporated add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter and beat for an additional 5-6 minutes until combined.

Butter a large bowl and add the dough to the buttered bowl. Allow to rise for 1 to 2 hours. It should be about doubled in size.

While the dough is rising make the filling.

Make the filling:
In a food processor or blender, add 1/2 cup plus a tablespoon of pistachios and pulse blend until the pistachios are the size of small pebbles/sand. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, add cardamom, butter, finely ground pistachios, brown sugar, flour, and salt. Mix until it forms a soft, spreadable paste. Set aside until your bread is rolled out.

Make the streusel:
In another bowl add brown sugar, butter, flour, pistachios, and salt blend it together until it is the texture of wet sand. Set aside.

Make the bread:
Once the dough has risen punch it down.

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.

Flour a clean surface and roll the dough out to about 20 inches by 16 inches.

Using a large spatula, spread the filling over the top of the dough making sure it covers the whole thing.

Starting on the long side, roll the dough up as tightly as possible, into a roll.

Cut the roll in half in the middle so that you have 2 loaves.

Cut the roll in half lengthwise down the middle so that you have two half circles, and the filling layers are exposed for each loaf.

Twist the sides together into a sort of braid, and fold under any extra and place it in your prepared loaf pan. Do this again for the second loaf.

Using your streusel, sprinkle it over the top of the loaves until they both have equal amounts of streusel.

Place both loaves on a cookie sheet equally spaced into an oven heated to 350 degrees.

Bake the bread for 50-60 minutes, until you can place a skewer in and comes out clean.

OR

You can use a meat thermometer to test if your bread is done it should read 185 to 210 internal temperatures.

Remove the bread allow to cool, slice and enjoy.

Expiry: The bread will keep for 5 days in room temperature. The bread can be frozen for up to 3 months.

* Use a food processor or blender to finely chop pistachio nuts, make sure all the shells are removed.
* If the dough is too sticky add a tablespoon of flour until it no longer sticks to the side of the bowl.
* Save softened butter wrapper to use to butter the dough for its first rise.
* If your house is cold use an unheated oven with the oven light on to let the dough rise.