Γεμιστό Τσουρέκι με Επικάλυψη Λευκής Σοκολάτας

For the chocolate filling

1. In a saucepan, heat the cream to just before boiling.
2. Remove from heat and add 100 g of milk chocolate. Stir until melted and let it come to room temperature for at least 1.5 hours. (ideal step for a babka with white chocolate filling if you use white chocolate instead of milk chocolate – see the relevant babka recipe).
3. Spread the chocolate, leaving a 1.5 cm border around the dough. (You can add nuts or fruit, for a babka with white chocolate and nuts or a babka with white chocolate and fruit).
4. Remove from oven, let cool slightly, and evenly drizzle melted chocolate for topping and almonds over top. (With white chocolate, it easily converts to a white chocolate filled babka, perfect for any babka recipe!)

For the bun

1. Melt the 75 g butter and let it come to room temperature.
2. In a medium bowl, pour the lukewarm milk with the yeast, mix and leave for 5 minutes.
   Caution: if the milk is hot it will burn the yeast and the tsoureki will not rise.
3. At the same time, in a mortar or blender, add the mastic, mahlep, 1 tbsp. sugar and grind them into a powder.
4. Then, add the mahlep with the mastic and sugar, the butter, the remaining sugar, the egg and yolk, the salt to the milk and mix well with a whisk.
5. Continue adding 2/3 of the flour and mix well with the whisk.
6. Add the remaining flour and knead the dough with your hands until it is no longer sticky and has a soft texture. Form a ball and leave it in the bowl, covered, in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
7. Transfer the risen dough to a well-floured work surface, flour the top and use a rolling pin to roll it out into a rectangular shape approximately 35×20 cm.
8. Spread the chocolate, leaving a 1.5 cm border around the perimeter of the dough.
9. Roll from the long side, creating a tube.
10. With a sharp knife, cut the dough lengthwise, creating two long pieces.
11. With our hands, we join the two ends, pinching the dough so that it sticks together, and then we cross one piece over the other to create a braid. In the same way, we pinch the two remaining ends to join them.
12. Butter 1 individual long cake pan and transfer the tsoureki. Cover with a towel and leave in a warm place in the house for about 45 – 60 minutes, until it rises again.
13. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
14. With the remaining butter, brush the surface of the tsoureki and bake for 25 - 30 minutes, until it takes on a nice rosy color.
15. Remove from the oven, let it cool slightly and evenly pour the melted chocolate for the topping and the almonds over the top.