Right now, I’m front-row seat at the best kind of concert: ogling at the twisted cacophony of an enriched naturally leavened dough with sharp cinnamon and warm brown sugar (or chocolate, read on), all topped with a luxurious, simple syrup. This sourdough babka is sitting there cooling on a wire rack, but I swear I hear it singing. If there ever was such a thing as too much anticipation, right now surely qualifies; it’s as palpable as any musical instrument in an empty music hall. And I’d pay a hefty sum to cut in, take a bite, and end the concert a little early.
But let’s be completely clear: this is a sticky, gooey, and sinfully delicious treat.
I’ve stepped up my baking research and development for this babka to get this recipe out after the enthusiasm displayed on my recent Instagram post. This dough is straightforward, playing at not quite the enrichment level of brioche (or my cinnamon rolls), but not precisely lean, either. I feel it’s just right: not cloying, not overly rich, and certainly not dry or under-flavored. And while it unquestionably looks drenched, the interior is not—the interplay between the crust and crumb is wonderfully balanced.
But let’s be completely clear: this is a sticky, gooey, and sinfully delicious treat.
And the timing for making something like this is perfect; right now, we can all use a little joy, a dab of sunshine through the clouds, the sweet, tangible canto of a sourdough babka (with all of its buttery deliciousness) humming to itself on a cooling rack.
Sourdough Babka Recipe
Equipment
Pullman Pan
This recipe will work with many different pans, but I eventually turned to my trusty 9 x 4 x 4-inch Pullman Pan in testing. The reason is twofold: I love the resulting straight-sided and presentable sourdough babka. Second, the USA Pan has a natural silicone lining, which, combined with parchment paper, makes cleanup a snap.
If you don’t have a Pullman pan, a typical 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.75-inch loaf pan will also work well.
Rolling Pin
You’ll need a standard rolling pin/dowel to roll out this dough, and this rolling dowel is my favorite (and made in the USA).
Vitals
| Total Dough Weight | 800 grams |
| Pre-fermented Flour | 13.0% |
| Yield | One babka |
Total Formula
Desired dough temperature: 76°F (24°C) (see my post on the importance of dough temperature).
| Weight | Ingredient | Baker’s Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 357g | All-purpose flour (11-12% protein; King Arthur All-Purpose Flour) | 100.0% |
| 107g | Whole milk (cold from the fridge) | 30.0% |
| 107g | Large eggs (about 2, cold from the fridge, plus one more egg in reserve for the egg wash) | 30.0% |
| 100g | Unsalted butter (Kerrygold; room temperature) | 28.0% |
| 46g | Water | 13.0% |
| 29g | Caster sugar (superfine white sugar) (if you don’t have caster sugar, use the finest sugar you have) | 8.0% |
| 8g | Fine sea salt | 2.3% |
| 46g | Sourdough starter (100% hydration) | 13.0% |
Instead of All-purpose flour, feel free to use high-protein white flour (“bread flour”) in its place if that’s all you have in your pantry.
Sourdough Babka Method
1. Levain – 10:00 a.m. (or when your starter is ripe)
In the morning, mix the following in a small jar:
| All-purpose flour | 46g |
| Water (warm) | 46g |
| Ripe sourdough starter, 100% hydration | 46g |
Loosely cover the jar; it should be ready after about 3 hours at a warm temperature, 78-80°F (26-27°C). If it’s cold in your kitchen, warm the mixing water for this levain to get close to 80°F (27°C) (see my post on baking in the winter for more tips).
If you’re new to making a levain, see my post on the differences between a levain and sourdough starter.
2. Mix – 1:00 p.m.
| Weight | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 310g | All-purpose flour (11-12% protein; King Arthur All-Purpose Flour) |
| 107g | Whole milk (cold from the fridge) |
| 107g | Large eggs (about 2; cold from the fridge) |
| 100g | Unsalted butter (Kerrygold; room temperature) |
| 29g | Caster sugar (superfine white sugar) |
| 8g | Salt |
| 138g | Ripe levain |
First, cut the butter into 1/2″ pats. Set them on a plate to warm to room temperature.
I used my KitchenAid stand mixer to mix this dough. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add the flour, milk, egg, half of the sugar, salt, and levain. Set the mixer to low and mix until everything is incorporated. Let the dough rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
After the 10 minute rest, turn the mixer up to medium and mix for 5 minutes until the dough starts to pull from the sides of the mixing bowl. At this point, slowly stream in the remaining sugar while the mixer is running. Mix for another 1-2 minutes until the dough comes back together.
With the mixer still set to medium, add the butter, one pat at a time, waiting to add the next until the previous is absorbed into the dough. It might take around 5 minutes to mix all the butter into the dough. After all of the butter is added, continue mixing for another few minutes until the dough smooths out and once again begins to cling to the dough hook. The dough should be almost fully developed at this point (it won’t completely pass the windowpane test, but almost).
Transfer the dough to a container for bulk fermentation and cover.
3. Warm Bulk Fermentation – 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. (or longer, as needed)
At warm room temperature, 74-76°F (23-24°C), this portion of bulk fermentation should take 2 hours. During this time, give the dough two sets of stretches and folds where the first set is 30 minutes after the beginning of bulk fermentation and the second set is 30 minutes after the first. After the second set, let the dough rest, covered, until the next step.
4. Cold Bulk Fermentation – 3:30 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. (next day)
Assess the dough: has it risen a little in the bowl during the warm bulk fermentation? It should be a little puffy and smoothed out. If it looks like there’s no activity at all, give the dough another 30 minutes to 1 hour and check again.
Once you see some rise in the dough, place the covered bulk fermentation bowl into the refrigerator overnight.
Same day option: Let the dough finish bulk fermentation for 2 to 3 hours on the counter. When the dough has risen around 50% and feels puffy, proceed with the rest of the steps below. However, I recommend placing the dough in the fridge for at least 1 hour after this warm bulk fermentation to chill to make rolling and filling easier.
5. Roll, freeze, cut, and shape – 8:00 a.m.
Before taking the dough out of the refrigerator, make one of the fillings below and keep covered.
Brown Sugar Cinnamon Filling
| Dark brown sugar | 200g |
| Unsalted butter, melted | 42g |
| All-purpose flour | 15g |
| Ground cinnamon | 8g |
| Salt | 1/4 tsp (small pinch) |
Mix all of the ingredients above in a bowl and cover until ready to use.
Chocolate Filling
| Granulated sugar | 110g |
| Unsalted butter | 75g |
| Bittersweet chocolate, chopped | 70g |
| Unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch-processed) | 25g |
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Remove from the heat and add the sugar and chocolate; stir everything together while the chocolate melts until everything comes together and smooths. Add the cocoa powder and stir to incorporate. Set aside to cool until ready to use.
In the morning, take the dough out of the refrigerator and scrape the dough out to a floured work surface. Flour the top of the dough, and using a rolling pin (or dowel), roll the dough out to a rectangle approximately 10″ x 24″ in size (if you want fewer layers and more filling pooled between them, roll to 10″ x 12″, instead) in size with a short edge closest to your body.
If you want a less-sweet, less-sticky babka, spread less filling over the rolled out dough.
Using your hand or an offset spatula, spread the filling over the dough, leaving about 1″ clean on the short side farthest from you. Then, starting at the side closest to you, roll up the dough into a tight cylinder. The dough needs to be rolled up rather tight, so pull the dough at each revolution of the cylinder.
Important: Place the rolled-up log on a baking sheet and place it into the freezer for 15 minutes (this makes it much easier to cut and braid).
Prepare your baking pan by inserting a piece of parchment so two “handles” stick up at the long sides of the pan (see photo above). The parchment will drape down one long side, over the bottom, and up the other. Once it fits, take it out and place it on the counter next to your pan.
After the 15-minute freezer rest, take the baking sheet out of the freezer and return the dough log to the counter. Using a sharp knife, cut the log to split open the log from one side to the other. Next, pinch the two top halves together and braid the dough one strand over the other. At the bottom, pinch the two halves together again. Don’t worry if filling spills out or things get messy.
After the dough is braided, pick up the braid and place it on the parchment right in the middle, then pick up the sides of the parchment and lift the dough and drop it into the pan.
Cover the pan and place it somewhere warm, ideally, 78-80°F (26-27°C), to proof.
6. Proof – 8:30 a.m. 12:00 p.m. (or until ready)
This dough can be slow to rise so give it the time it needs to rise within 1/2″ below the rim of the Pullman pan. For me, at 78°F (26°C), it took about 3.5 hours. See the image below for how high my dough filled my pan.
7. Bake – 12:00 p.m.
Preheat your oven with the rack in the middle to 350°F (176°C), non-convection.
When the oven is preheated and the babka dough is fully proofed, place the pan on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (to catch any sugar spilling over). In a small bowl, whisk together one whole egg and 1 Tbsp water and brush a thin layer of the egg wash on the top of the dough. Then, slide the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes until the center of the babka reaches 200°F (93°C). Keep an eye on the babka in the last 10 minutes of the bake; if it’s coloring too quickly, drop the temperature to compensate.
While the babka is baking, make the simple syrup. Heat over low 52g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar with 59g (1/4 cup) water in a small saucepan. Heat until the mixture bubbles a bit and occasionally stir until the sugar fully dissolves in the water. Transfer this simple syrup to a container to cool. If covered, it will keep indefinitely in the fridge.
Remove the pan to a cooling rack. Using a plastic spatula, free the short sides of the babka (the sides without parchment) from the sides and bottom of the pan by pressing the spatula down from top to bottom.
Using a pastry brush, brush on a thin layer of the simple syrup (the more you brush on, the sweeter the crust). Let rest for 10 minutes in the pan. Do not let the babka rest for longer than 10 minutes, or it’ll be hard to remove from the pan.
After the rest, lift the sourdough babka out of the pan using the parchment paper sticking up as a set of handles.
The flavor of this babka is just wicked. The exterior looks intense, gooey, perhaps even glutinous—but once the babka cools, it turns into a thin and crunchy layer of pure enjoyment. Because of the way I braid the dough, pushing the cut-side to mostly face up out of the pan, the interior is a little shy, with fewer pockets of the filling. I enjoy this balance, making each bite sweet but not too sweet.
And your babka will undoubtedly look different (isn’t that the beautiful thing about baking by hand, anyway?), as the filling ebbs and flows its way through each slice. Looking at a slice is like pretending you’re a palm reader: you subconsciously trace the dark lines as they wind here and there, trying to see the future, to plan each bite to land you right in the next delicious zone of brown sugar and cinnamon.
Print
Sourdough Babka
- Prep Time: 26 hours
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 26 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 1 babka
- Category: Sweet
Description
Sticky and decadent, this cinnamon (or chocolate, choose which filling you’d like more) babka is sure to please.
Ingredients
Levain
- 46g all-purpose flour
- 46g water
- 46g ripe sourdough starter, 100% hydration
Main dough
- 310g all-purpose flour
- 107g whole milk
- 107g egg (about 2 large)
- 100g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 29g superfine sugar (caster)
- 8g fine sea salt
- All of the levain
Brown sugar-cinnamon filling
- 200g dark brown sugar
- 42g unsalted butter, melted
- 15g all-purpose flour
- 8g ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
Chocolate filling (Optional, instead of the brown sugar-cinnamon filling)
- 110g granulated sugar
- 75g unsalted butter, melted
- 70g bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 25g unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch-processed)
Egg wash
- One egg
- 1 tablespoon whole milk or heavy cream
Simple syrup glaze
- 52g granulated sugar
- 59g water
Instructions
- Levain (10:00 a.m.)
In a medium jar mix together the Levain ingredients. Cover the jar and keep it at a warm temperature for 3-hours. - Mix (1:00 p.m.)
To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add the flour, milk, egg, half of the sugar, salt, and levain. Mix on low speed until incorporated and let rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Turn the mixer up to medium speed and mix for 5 minutes until the dough pulls from the sides of the mixing bowl. Stream in the remaining sugar while the mixer is running and mix for another 1 to 2 minutes until the dough comes back together. While continuing to mix, add the butter, one pat at a time. Mix for another few minutes until the dough smooths out and clings to the dough hook. Transfer the dough to a container for bulk fermentation and cover. - Warm bulk fermentation (1:30 p.m. to 3:30 pm)
At warm room temperature, 74-76°F (23-24°C), the warm bulk fermentation should take 2 hours. Give the dough two sets of stretch and folds where the first set is 30 minutes after the beginning of bulk fermentation and the second set is 30 minutes after the first. After the second set, let the dough rest, covered. -
Cold bulk fermentation (3:30 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. the next day)
Place the covered bulk fermentation bowl into the refrigerator overnight. - Roll, freeze, cut, and shape (8:00 a.m.)
Choose a filling and make it: stir the ingredients in a medium bowl and cover. Remove the dough from the fridge and roll to a 10 x 12-inch rectangle with the short edge closest to your body. Spread the filling over the dough, leaving about 1″ clean on the short side farthest from you. Roll the dough into a tight cylinder. Place the rolled-up log on a baking sheet and freeze for 15 minutes. Fold and place a piece of parchment inside your baking pan to make two “handles.” After 15-minutes, take the sheet pan out of the freezer and using a sharp knife, cut the log in half lengthwise. Pinch the top of the two halves together and braid the dough one strand over the other. At the bottom, pinch the two bottoms together again. Pick up the braid and place it on the parchment right in the middle, then pick up the sides of the parchment and lift the dough and drop it into the pan. Place the pan in a bag and seal. - Proof (8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., or until ready)
Let the dough rise at a warm temperate, 78°F (26°C), for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, or more. The dough should rise to within 1/2-inch below the rim of the pan. - Bake (12:00 p.m.)
Preheat the oven with the rack in the middle to 350°F (176°C), non-convection. Line a half baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg wash ingredients. Brush a thin layer of the egg wash on the top of the dough. Then, slide the babka on the baking sheet into the oven, bake for 40-45 minutes until the center of the babka reaches 200°F (93°C). While the babka is baking, make the simple syrup by combining the ingredients in a small saucepan, heat until the mixture bubbles a bit, and occasionally stir until the sugar fully dissolves in the water. Cool the mixture. When baked, remove the babka to a cooling rack. Using a plastic spatula, free the short sides of the babka (the sides without parchment) from the sides and bottom of the pan by pressing the spatula down from top to bottom. Brush on a thin layer of the simple syrup and let rest for 10 minutes in the pan. After resting, remove the babka from the pan using the parchment paper “handles” and let cool on a wire rack.
Notes
- The simple syrup can be saved in the refrigerator indefinitely (and is great for more babka or cocktails).
What’s Next?
If you love chocolate, check out my dark chocolate-cherry sourdough bread for even more. Or, for something lighter (but no less delicious) and still in pan form, my sourdough shokupan (Japanese milk bread) is just the thing.
If you use this recipe, tag @maurizio on Instagram so I can take a look!
558 Comments
i’m looking to bake a loaf similar to brioche, but slightly lighter, yet still have that rich flavour. do you think i could use the dough recipe (minus the filling of course) and braid and bake like regular brioche? would i need to cut down on oven temp, etc?
That would work really well. I would still bake it the same, but keep an eye on it near the end, like you suggest, it will likely take less time without the dense fillings.
How do you think this will perform with king Arthur’s 12.7% protein patent flour?
Very well!
Great! I’ve used a lower protein ap the past few times so I’m excited to see how it goes
Hello! I’m excited to make this…getting the sourdough starter ready.
Quick question: I know this only make 1 loaf.. if I wanted to make 2 (1 cinnamon & 1 chocolate – as a gift), how do i go about doubling the recipe without messing it up? Fairly new to the bread baking world. Appreciate all the help!
To make two, just double all the ingredients to make a larger batch of dough. When it comes time to roll out the dough, divide it in half and roll out two (you can keep one half in the fridge while you work on one).
For more on doubling (or halving) recipes, see my post on Baker’s Percentages. Happy baking, Christina!
Thank you so much for the quick response, Maurizio! One more question, I apologize for being such a noob lol… for building the levain- do I also double the recipe? So instead of 138g it would be 276g, or leave as is? Thanks so much again!
That’s right, double the levain as well!
Have done this pretty successfully many times. Maurizio, another perfect loaf recipe! Working on changing timing a bit. Trying to not make it the day before giving it as a gift. Needs to be finished about 11am. Only way I can think of is to refrigerate after second proof & bake in the morning. OK to refrigerate after shaped? Then bake cold or wait? Thanks!!!
Glad to hear that, Peggy! You can refrigerate the dough in bulk or after shaping — it might introduce a little more sourness in the end, but still be great. I’d likely refrigerate after it’s shaped, then finish proofing it the next morning (as needed) and bake.
What is the best way to store this?
I’ve been keeping it loosely wrapped on the counter!
I’ve made this twice now, and I think I am unclear as to the starter maturity. I read your other post about what a mature starter means – just at its peak, is that right? I’m not seeing much rise in my bulk fermentation periods so I’m wondering if I’m doing something wrong with the starter.
Ultimately everything ends up tasting great and rising a fair amount both in the final proof and in the oven, but I know I’m not getting those first rest periods right. Thank you!
You want to use your starter (and any levain) when it’s ripe, but not overly acidic for this recipe. It should have a delicate sour aroma (not pungent like vinegar), be well-risen, and bubbly. It should feel loose, too, if you stir it.
Making for the second time now, would you mind adding a third egg (for the egg wash) to the ingredients list somewhere? I imagine a day where I make this, having two eggs left, and having to sprint to the grocery store!
Amazing recipe though, thanks for all your work!
Great suggestion, Ruben!
Thanks a lot!
Hello!!
I have a quick question.
If i have a big kitchenaid, to you think i Can make 2 or 3 at the same time ?
Thank you!
Absolutely!
Hi Maurizio! I did this recipe for the second time now, this time with the cinnamon filling, I might have over proofed it a bit, but the taste and texture was great anyway (it does not rise that much as yours, but my tin is a wide one too). The only problem I had is that a lot of the filling was dripping as I took it from the tin to cool. I might have taken it too hot? I was just afraid it would stick to the tin. Any thoughts? Thank you!
That’s ok, it does happen. You could reduce the amount of filling or make the filling more dry by adding in some flour to the mixture to help absorb some of the liquids!
This happens to me too and I just spoon up the parts that dribble out and put them on the top 🙂
Mario, I followed the recipe to a T, with the exception of using a mixer. (Don’t have anything with a dough hook, so I blistered my thumb working the dough with a wooden spoon in a bowl.) After the warm rise (a 3rd stretch and fold and 30 more minutes), retarded in the fridge over night, and proofed the braid in an 80 degree box. However, the 350 degree baking stage took more than 80 minutes to reach an internal 200 degrees.
It’s still cooling, but the oven spring looks acceptable.
Any thoughts?
I’m having the same issue. The bread with the chocolate filling has been cooking for 55 minutes now but only at ~65c in the centre while the second loaf with the cinnamon filling is at ~75c
Hi was wondering if there was any typo of some sort since the total weight of the levain adds up to 138g but the recipe calls for 139g of levain?
Cheers
Fixed — thank you!
Can’t thank you enough chef. This recipe is a keeper. Loved every bit of it.
Glad to hear that, Nandini!
I made this dough today….and it was very wet and not very bread-ish in terms of its elasticity—not sure where I goofed. Made one chocolate per this recipe and another marzipan. Eating tomorrow and will share the verdict. Just not sure if it will work out as it was supposed to…and also curious about how to best store them overnight (normally, they’d disappear day1).
Update: I failed! Not me whining…live, learn, do better. Not sure what/how I goofed, but my bread did not get bready and rise sufficiently, such that it was too dense and fallen, thus salty and the sour came through oddly. I will try again!
Hmm, that’s odd. Sorry to hear that, Rick! Is it possible you weren’t getting strong enough fermentation? Was the dough too cold? It’s an enriched dough so it can move a little slowly.
Hey! Im having a bit of toruble… everything is going really well all the way up until I take the babka out of the oven and it sinks. i have tired multiple options with proofing and bulk ferment all with the same result. Please help
It sounds like maybe it’s over proofing, Ben. It could also be over hydration. If the dough feels excessively wet or sloppy when mixing, and never really comes together, try decreasing the liquid in the recipe a bit to bring more strength (or add more flour). If its in bulk or proofing too long at too warm of a temperature it might be over proofing as well.
Hi! Is is possible to overmix the dough? I was using the mixer to incorporate the butter and now my dough is very runny. Can i fix this?
If you heat the dough up excessively the butter can potentially “leak” out of the dough. You could try popping it into the fridge for just a few minutes to firm back up a bit, then take out and resume.
Kitchen aid at medium speed is at what number 2 or 4?
I use speed 2 for “medium.”
Thank you. I am trying out for the first time with savoury filling. Feta walnut & sun dried tomato. Hope it turns out well 🤞
Do you have any suggestions for a savoury one?
I haven’t tried a savory version! Would love to hear what you tried in the end 🙂
Question about the eggs. In France they are not the same size, so 2 are always around 97g. Can I top it up with an egg alternative?
That’s why I give the weight, I usually crack as many eggs as needed and remove whites until it reaches the called for weight. But you could use an egg alternative for that small margin as well.
I was wondering if I wanted to add salted caramel, how much do you think I should add? Maybe add it to the chocolate filling so reduce by 1/2 and do 1/2 caramel?
That could work! It might be very sweet, but that might not be a bad thing 🙂
Hi Maurizio! Fantastic recipe and I’ve made it over a dozen times now with many different fillings (chocolate, cinnamon, fruit). Quick question– whenever I do the cinnamon filling, the babkas end up sweating out a lot of liquid while proofing. It’s so strange and doesn’t happen with the chocolate (or the fruit or savory fillings I’ve created). They still bake beautifully, and I just use a turkey baster to try and suck up as much of the liquid right before baking as possible. Any thought on why this might be happening? And has anyone experienced this? I’m following your recipe to the letter.
Glad to hear that! That’s interesting — it’s likely the makeup of the cinnamon filling itself. This usually happens with my cinnamon roll dough and, as you can see in the photos above, it did happen when baking my babka as well. You could try to thicken that filling up with something to help it hold together a bit more. Just thinking offhand here, maybe a little more flour? Cornstarch?
So funny that you say that– more flour is exactly what I did this last time! It certainly helped. There was still some liquid in the pan, but this time I left it and let it bake with the bread and it created it’s own syrup. When the babkas came out of the oven, I took a dry pastry brush and sopped up the syrup from the bottom of the pan and covered the tops & sides of the loaf. No need to make simple syrup anymore! I believe the filling ratio I used was around: 42 g butter, 150 g brown sugar, 50 g four, 12 g cinnamon, & salt to taste. Thanks again!
What would be your suggestion for adding raisins? Into the dough itself or the filling?
Either would work! I’d probably add it in with the filling.
I tried it with 1/2 cup soaked raisins scattered on top of the filling and it worked beautifully!
Hi Maurizio! I am hoping to bake your babka this weekend and have it ready for Sunday brunch, so trying to figure out the best approach re: timing… do you think it’s best to follow recipe exactly, bake it Saturday night and eat the next day OR shape and proof in fridge over night and then bake on Sunday AM?
Great question. I’d probably bake it late the night before (less hassle day of brunch!). It should hold just fine cooling on a rack overnight.
i made it and it is amazing.What is best way to store it?Thanks
I’ve been keeping them loosely covered on the counter. If you cover too soon they seem to get a bit gooey as they rest. They don’t last long, but that’s because we usually eat them before they have a chance to get stale 🙂
Hey Maurizio,
Debating whether to use this dough base, (without the filling)or the hamburger bun brioche recipe, to just make a plain brioche loaf. Which would you advise to be better for a plain brioche? Thanks!
I would use this dough!
Would it work to cut the rolled up dough into rounds and make cinnamon rolls? If so, how long would you recommend baking them? Thank you!
I went for it, and they turned out great! Put nine little rounds in a 9 by 9 glass pan, and baked for just over an hour.
I was going to say “yes” ! Glad to hear it 🙂
Tonight, after the room temp bulk fermentation and refrigeration for an hour, I rolled and shaped. I just stuck the pan in the refrigerator to cold ferment until early morning. I’ll take the pan out and let the dough rise for a few hours, then bake. So, basically I still did the cold ferment, but while the babka is shaped already. I’m just trying to have it done reasonably near brunch tomorrow. Do you think that will work all right ? I will let you know how it turns out!
So… How did it go? :B
No comment lol. I rushed the process since I was trying to have it done by a certain time. It was good – like a Cinnabon, but lacked the good texture you get when you allow for the dough to proof properly. I think my problem was that I didn’t let the dough rise long enough in bulk ferment. I think my method would have worked fine if I didn’t shape and plop it in the fridge too soon. I might try this method again just to see if it would work better with a proper bulk ferment.
I would like to try it as a cold baked babka straight from the fridge as well as sitting out for a few hours to see if cold baking is an option. I wonder if the enriched dough would still have oven spring straight from the fridge. When I try, I’ll try to remember to report back.
Could you do the braid and just leave it laid out on a parchment lined pan? Or is there something particularly important about having it inside the loaf pan?
That should work as long as it’s shaped tightly enough so it doesn’t spread when baked!
Could apples be added to this instead of chocolate? If so how? It would be like a healthy non fried apple fritter type desert!
Maybe grated?
Just baked this today with a poppy seed filling! It turned out great despite not having a stand mixer! I also cheated on a few aspects and still got good results. I just used my starter discard rather than making a separate levain (slightly passed it peak). Didn’t have a mixer so I scalded and then cooled the milk (breaks up the enzyme to help gluten development) and mixed the dough by hand.
Hi, i tried the recipe a few times so far and the result is amazing. however the dough is not developing properly. i.e. it is not smooth and not clinging to the spiral attachment during mixing neither before nor after adding the butter. I m using Kenwood chef XL titanium and following the recipe 100%. i m using a AP white flour 11.5% protein.
The recipe says to use the dough hook of a mixer.
You might want to try reducing the liquid in the recipe or use stronger (protein) flour!
Many thanks Maurizio! Will try to reduce the milk slightly as a first try. I admire your work and your generosity in sharing your amazing recipes with the public. Thank you 🙂
I finding the kneading hook on the kenwood doesn’t work as quickly as the kitchenaid one. I crank my kenwood upto level 3 and let it run for 15 minutes. you should then see the dough pulling from the walls of the bowel then.
Hello! I am planning to make this for Memorial Day weekend. How will it do if I bake on a Thursday and serve on a Friday evening?? Is this a treat best served same day?? It looks soooo good.
I think it will be great the next day. I get the sense that the sugar syrup preserves it from drying out initially. I made one and ate t for 3 days, then toasted the leftovers with butter when the bread was a bit dry. Delish!
Will last just fine — hope it worked out for you!
I just took mine out of the oven. It smells amazing but is a little too hot to try yet. Mine did not rise as much as your photo but I also had to use a regular loaf pan because I do not have a Pullman pan. I am sure it will taste amazing though and it is still really pretty.
Well this is the nicest thing I have ever made, hands down! My girlfriend wanted to leave me since I can’t get the hang of sourdough bread and have messed up so many breads. Then I made this Babka, now she’s promised to give me another chance. Thank you Maurizio for saving my relationship with your Babka recipe.
You make me laugh!!
Little did I know my blog has gone on to not only help others bake bread, but also save relationships! 🙂
Thank you for sharing this! Is it possible to make without a mixer?
You’re very welcome, Emily! As @disqus_84WMI73XT3:disqus said below, it’s possible!
I don’t have stand mixer, so I made this by hand. Turned out better than perfect! I just melted the butter instead of beating it in with the mixer. Used a bit of Rubaud kneading until the dough had some strength. Final proof was 3.5 hours with hardly visible growth but oven-spring was larger than expected. Some of the chocolate filling oozed off the bread pan.
Just let it be known that this was really easy to make without a stand mixer.
Great to know!! Thank you!
I will be, without a doubt, making this one again! Rose very nicely in the oven, came out with a nice soft crumb, and the cinnamon swirl is to die for. I didn’t feel like waiting around for the practically frozen dough to come to room temp, and I don’t have a proof box. So, I turned on the oven to the lowest temp and heated the dough to 80 degrees (on the outside, it was still 55-60 in the middle), then I turned the oven off and left the door open until the oven was 100 degrees. Then, I closed the door and left the light on. Three and a half hours later it was beautifully puffy. After 40 min in the oven, I dropped the temp to 325 because the top was pretty brown, but the middle was only 160 degrees. It took another 10 min to get to 200 (so 50 min total). Oh, and if you don’t eat some of the crispy bits of sugar off the parchment on the baking sheet, you’ve done yourself a horrible disservice!
Awesome, Shana! Glad to hear it turned out well for you. Sounds like good alterations to get the dough where you wanted when you wanted it. And you’re so right, those little caramelized bits are a treat in their own right 🙂 Enjoy!