Cinnamon Babka
Cinnamon babka is an aromatic sweet, twisted bread with layers of cinnamon and brown sugar and a streusel topping. Serve it warm and save a few slices for French toast. This recipe has instructions for different flours, yeast and sourdough.
- Prep time
- 1 hr
- Cook time
- 45 min
- Yield
- 8 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
- Dough
- 285 g yecora rojo whole grain flour or all purpose flour (2 cups + 3 Tbsp)
- 36 g sugar (3 Tbsp)
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (1.3 grams)
- 1/2 tsp salt (2.2 grams)
- 84-140 g milk, warmed to 110°F or less, divided for blooming the yeast (6-10 Tbsp)
- 2 tsp instant yeast (6.2 grams)
- 1 egg
- 36 g light-flavored oil (scant 3 Tbsp)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (4.2 grams)
- Filling
- 125 g brown sugar (1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp)
- 5 tsp ground cinnamon (13 grams)
- 1 tbsp flour (8 grams)
- 4 tbsp melted unsalted butter (57 grams)
- 1 tbsp light-flavored oil (13 grams)
- option to sprinkle onto the filling after it's spread on the dough, 50 grams toasted crushed walnuts (before crushing volume 1/2 cup)
- Glaze
- 1 egg beaten with a teaspoon of water
- Streusel Topping
- 2 tbsp flour (16 grams)
- 1 tbsp brown sugar (13 grams)
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (1.3 grams)
- a pinch salt
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter (14 grams)
Instructions
- 1
The recipe is scaled to a medium USA loaf pan 9x5x2.75 inches.
- 2
From mixing to oven, this babka took 3 1/2 hours with the dough at 78-80°F. The first rise and the final proof were about 1 1/2 hours each. If your dough/ambient temperature are cooler, expect longer rise times.
- 3
Dough (see the Notes for hand mixing instructions)
- 4
In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt.
- 5
Warm 6 Tbsp/84 grams of the milk to 110°F or less. The rest of the milk can be cold or warm, and will be added later as needed depending on the flour you have chosen.
- 6
Add the instant yeast to the warmed milk, whisk and let it bloom for a few minutes.
- 7
Pour this yeast-milk mixture into the stand mixer bowl with the dry ingredients. Add the egg, oil and vanilla extract.
- 8
Mix at low speed for a few minutes, scraping down the sides of the mixer at least once. I use the dough hook attachment from the get-go, but you can start with the paddle attachment if you prefer.
- 9
Add more milk one tablespoon at a time, mixing for a minute or two in between, until there are no dry bits of dough.
- 10
Turn off the mixer and let the dough rest about 5 minutes.
- 11
Resume mixing for 1 minute, then stop the mixer and feel the dough with your fingers. If it is very stiff add more milk, and if it is gloppy and sticks to your fingers add more flour.
- 12
Mix for 2-3 minutes more until the dough is supple.
- 13
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl or straight-walled container, cover and let it rise until it has doubled in size.
- 14
Filling Prep
- 15
Combine all of the filling ingredients in a small bowl and mix thoroughly.
- 16
Babka Assembly
- 17
Lightly grease a loaf pan or line it with parchment paper.
- 18
When the dough has doubled in size, transfer it to a clean work surface and roll it out to a square about 14x14 inches. Use a light dusting of flour if needed to make sure it can be peeled up and rolled later.
- 19
Spread the filling over the dough, leaving about 1/2 inch uncovered around the perimeter.
- 20
Sprinkle on the toasted and crushed walnuts if desired.
- 21
Roll the dough into a tube.
- 22
With the seam facing up and centered, cut the dough lengthwise along the seam (the goal with this is to not have a loose thin strip of cut dough). I use a chef's knife for this.
- 23
Position to the two halves of dough in an X shape with the layering facing up.
- 24
Twist the strands above and below the intersection of the X until you have one long twist.
- 25
Compress the length of the dough a bit with your hand and a bench knife on either end, and lift and transfer the dough to the loaf pan.
- 26
Cover and let the dough rise until it fills the pan more (see Photo Gallery), about 1 1/2 hours at 78°F.
- 27
Streusel Prep
- 28
Whisk together the flour, brown sugar, ground cinnamon and salt. Using your fingers, break apart the tablespoon of butter rub it into the dry ingredients until you have many coated crumb-flakes of butter.
- 29
Topping and Baking
- 30
Preheat the oven to 350°F
- 31
When the babka has finished proofing, brush it with the egg wash and sprinkle the crumble on top.
- 32
Bake for 45 minutes, tenting the babka with foil about halfway through. The internal temperature of the babka should be over 190°F when it is done.
- 33
Let cool about 15 minutes, then remove the babka from the pan. Slice carefully if serving warm or let it cool fully and heat slices in the toaster or microwave.
- 34
Wrap in plastic, beeswax wrap, or aluminum foil to store at room temperature for several days. Babkas also freeze well if wrapped tightly.