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
Wanted to let you know that in the version of this recipe in your published book, you don’t have a step written that calls for incorporating the second half of the sugar. Maybe you’re aware of this, but I couldn’t find it after reading the recipe several times–but then I checked to see if you had an online recipe, which does have that step. I didn’t add the second half of the sugar, will see how it goes…
I had the same thing happen to me as well. I am going to try and add it during the bulk fermentation phase.
Sorry about that, it’s a typo! Add the sugar all in one go at the start, do not split in two. (If you did, that’s okay too, but easier to add all at the beginning!)
Sorry about that, it’s a typo! Add the sugar all in one go at the start, do not split in two. (If you did, that’s okay too, but easier to add all at the beginning.)
Hi Maurizio— love your blog! I am currently bulk-fermenting my dough on the counter, waiting to do the second set of folds. Could you give me some tips on what I’m looking out for that indicates I can start the cold ferment? Should the dough double, or is it less of a rise and more of a puff? Thanks!
More of a puff!
I really like the recipe. One of those that is easy to follow without seeing a video! I have a couple of questions and remarks: why do you use a 1:1:1 ratio for the levain? Do you typical use a ratio like that also for the bread or is this a special ratio for the Babka? Second, I think you call for too much sugar and think that 100 g for the filling is enough. Thx
Great question, Mak. Oh, and a video in the works, too 🙂 So a 1:1:1 levain will emphasize yeast activity and reduce bacterial activity—which is what I want with this recipe: minimal sourness but lots of rise.
Yes, it’s quite a bit of filling, reduce as desired.
Hope it turns out great and you enjoy this one, I know I do!
Ah so glad to hear that, Darryl! Yes, great idea putting this pan inside a baking sheet when baking, just in case. The chocolate knots are wonderful, too, a little more delicate and dangerously snackable. Have fun!
This was my first time making a babka, or even eating one for that matter, so I was a bit nervous. This is a fantastic recipe that’s easy to follow.
I did the chocolate one and the taste is incredible! The slight tang and butteriness of the bread with the chocolate is the perfect combo. Reminded me of a chocolate cheesecake in terms of flavour. I have a cold kitchen so I did my proofing in the oven, turning the heat on for just 30 seconds every half hour or so to keep it cozy and warm. Proofed nicely in about 4 hours.
I did ever-so-slightly underbake it but it was amazing regardless. I’ll let it darken a teensy bit more next time.
I brought it to (Canadian, so it’s in October) thanksgiving tonight and everyone loved it. Definitely making this again, maybe in a double batch next time so I have leftovers for French toast— it went quickly with 4 adults and 2 kids! Loved someone’s idea in the comments about making a double batch in a bundt pan.
Thanks so much for the recipe!
Thank you so much for the feedback, Melanie (sorry for my delay). This recipe doubles really well, and you can even freeze it after baking, it thaws and warms in a low oven very well.
Thanks for the comments!
Would a juicy filling work as a substitute for the cinnamon filling? I have a lot of apple butter, and was hoping I could sub an apple butter filling. If not, do you have any recommendations? Thanks!
Yes, that will work just fine, Katie! Just be aware you’ll get more leakage when you bake as the filling might come out some. But, I think this will be okay, more caramelization on the outside 🙂
dear Maurizio, I love this recipe so much (as I do so many of your recipes – thank you!!) . Here in Germany where I am at it’s also not uncommon to make a “Hefezopf” (with commercial yeast) with a savory filling. So I wondered if it was also possible to make this babka savory style? What do you think?
Thank you, Calli! Yes, absolutely, this would be great savory!
I can’t thank you enough for your babka recipe, Maurizio! I baked it yesterday , followed your step by step instructions and it came out beautifully! My first time in baking babka. It was a hit among my friends when I brought it on our coffee-time after yoga class. I started my sourdough journey from your blog last year, had tried your recipes, so far I also succeeded with the bomboloni and sandwich bread recipe, but still not lucky with the artisan style sourdough bread. I realized I have a heating issue on my oven. Maybe that’s the problem. Not give up for sure! 😄 I had pre-order your kindle version book, too! Can’t wait!
So glad to hear it turned out well for you, Henny! Also happy the other recipes worked out, too. I hope you love the book, lots of info packed into that thick tome 🙂 Happy baking!
I also converted a cherished Mennonite Paska recipe (that I’ve always done with commercial yeast) to sourdough and it also turned out really well.
I have not heard of that, but now I am curious!
It’s a classic egg, cream, butter sweet bread with lemon zest. I replaced the yeast with sourdough starter, calculating the amount of flour & water to remove from the recipe that is added with the starter. I changed the process to a stretch & fold routine with fermentation time and cold proof. I was nervous because my family counts on this Easter bread every year. Happy to see I could braid the dough and it rose beautifully. I found Jacob Burton helpful: https://youtu.be/wUjj4wNSEb0
Maurizio, do you have a formula for converting yeast breads to sourdough?
Nice video! I don’t have a formula, I usually have to arrive on the conversion through trial and error in combination with gut instinct on the conversion!
Made the Babka for my family for Easter. A big hit! Thank you, Maurizio.
So happy to hear that, Clara!
There seems to be an inconsistency in your Sourdough Babka recipe. In the ‘narrative’, the main dough calls for 29g of caster sugar. In the recipe, it calls for 26g of caster sugar.
Sorry about that, just fixed it! Should be 29g 🙂
Any recommendations if I plan on “mixing by hand” (kneading) as I don’t have a mixer?
Check out my guide to the slap and fold technique!
Love this recipe! I’ve been using a red bean paste filling to great success for my eaters who love it. About half a 450g package – 225g or so of paste mixed with 1 stick of butter (warmed slightly). Also, I’ve been able to use bread flour (Hayden Mills’ high extraction artisan bread flour) and found it works well too.
Oh that sounds delicious! I love red bean.
Hello. I just made this today and I followed the instructions to a T and it’s just so dense. It rose fine on the first proof and then I feel like it didn’t rise at all once I filled and shaped. I also had to bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes and it’s still underdone in the middle. Where did I go wrong?
This dough needs a lot of rise time and a very strong starter and levain! It was likely that, but it also helps to keep it very warm (78F)!
I have the same issue after many many tries, dense, requires long bake time. It doesn’t rise on the proof, it rises during the bake somewhat, then collapses on the cool.
I’ve tried everything:
— doubled the proportion of starter – no luck
— doubled the proof time – no luck
— fed starter everyday for 14 days (starter is very active, works fine for pizza & bread) – no luck
— baked covered for the first hour — no luck
— doubling the number of stretch & folds — no lu
I have the same issue after many many tries, dense, requires long bake time. It doesn’t rise on the proof, it rises during the bake somewhat, then collapses on the cool.
I’ve tried everything:
— doubled the proportion of starter – no luck
— doubled the proof time – no luck
— fed starter everyday for 14 days (starter is very active, works fine for pizza & bread) – no luck
— baked covered for the first hour — no luck
— doubling the number of stretch & folds — no luck
— pan of water in the oven — no luck
Hi! This looks delicious! Can this be made without a stand mixer? If so, do you have suggestions how? Thanks!
It can! You’ll have to strengthen the dough significantly by hand using something like the slap and fold technique or other kneading technique before adding the butter. Be sure the dough passes the windowpane test before the butter is added!
Wonderful, looking forward to trying it!
I am in the process of making this right now. My original starter is made with rye and spelt, so when I made the levain, it did have a little of that in the original starter, but I fed it with AP flour.
I followed the instructions as you laid them out, using my KitchenAid mixer but it isn’t at all coming together. It’s very wet and sticky. Since my flour isn’t King Arthur and I’m not sure about percentage of protein, I added a little high gluten flour just in case. I buy my AP at a local farmers market. It’s unenriched, unbleached, organic flour. Why would this dough be so sticky? I’ve let it rest, hoping to help strengthen the gluten, but nothing. Still just sticking to my hands and NOT sticking together. It wasn’t pulling together in the mixer, so I even pulled it out to mix by hand and stretch it a little more. I have no idea what I did wrong.
Sorry for the late reply, Laura! I hope your bake turned out okay. It sounds like maybe it was a bit over hydrated given your flour!
The has become a favorite of mine . I have made it with rye starter as well as our regular starter and it is always delicious. One modification I tried was using some cardamom ( as in the cardamom buns which I absolutely love) with the cinnamon filling and this too was delicious.
One thing I have noticed is that the baked loaf seemed to have risen more on one side. I have tried the following which I think helps.
After taking the roll out of the freezer and cutting it into two halves, I take one of the halves and rotate it 180 degrees and then go ahead and braid the two sections.This doesn’t make complete sense but perhaps the roll isn’t entirely symmetrical and this evens it out. just a thought
Glad to hear that, Clifford! Your suggestion is a good one, actually, I do this from time to time to try and encourage more filling at the side and inside of the babka instead of it all ending up at the top (if you braid with the cut-side-up). Thanks for the comments and enjoy!
Hey Maurizio! I’ve made this so many times now, and it’s amazing. I’m wondering though if you can freeze it. I have the time to make it on a Sunday for a party that’s not till Thursday.
I’d imagine it would freeze pretty well and then reheat in a low oven until soft! You might not want to do the sugar glaze until after you reheat.
Hello! I’ve made this once before with wonderful success and now I’m wondering if I could block ferment for 36 hours with maybe a little less levain? Anyone have an opinion about this? Thanks! Liza
Glad to hear that, Liza! That’s a long time for fermentation, you’ll likely end up with much more sourness in the end!
I just baked a double batch of this magnificent babka, and it’s picture perfect. I’d like to comment that when doing a double batch, the dough takes much longer to fully come together and then to absorb the butter pats. I’ll post photos to Instagram and tag you, Maurizio. Thank you!!
Ah so glad to hear it worked out well for you, Ellen!!
Hi Maurizio. I can’t thank you enough for this amazing babka. I have never tasted better than it. I just had an issue with the dough. It became very dense with no air pockets at all in the baked loaf. I followed the recipe exactly. Does this mean my fold sets need to be increased or probably make the folds more strong? I use a proofer which maintains heat and my sour starter is alive and bubbly. It might help you to know that after the 2 sets of folds the dough did not rise at all (i kept it for 3 hours untouched).
Thank you
You’re welcome, Rukaya! You might need to try giving the dough more time in bulk fermentation. This is a very slow dough, it needs plenty of time in bulk and proof. If you’re seeing no rise at all, it might be the dough was too cold at the end of mixing or you used your starter/levain too early!
Hi, any storage suggestions? I’m baking off a few today, and will be delivering them to friends and family tomorrow.
Place in paperbag and keep in the microwave?
Kind thanks
Yes, I usually keeping a paper bag and on the counter!
Hi Maurizio! I’m thinking of giving these a go, but i’m wondering if I can just use starter instead of the levain? I read about the differences, and i’m thinking it may end up like your cinnamon roll recipe but folded into a babka shape! As the doughs are pretty similar. I’m not sure, but do you have any suggestions? Thanks!
As long as your starter is well-maintained and not overly acidic, it’ll work just fine 🙂
So glad to hear that, Ruth! Enjoy 🙂
I LOVE this babka, and have made both the cinnamon and chocolate versions (more than once). I’m wondering… could I use this same recipe for a savory filling (like pesto)? There isn’t too much sugar in there, but I’m wondering if I should omit. Thanks!
Yes, savory will work well!
I love all your recipes and had great success with all the ones I have tried. For this one, do you think it would work if I were to do all the steps on the same day except proof the shaped log in the fridge overnight for a cold proof instead of a warm proof and bake it the next day to accommodate my timing?
Yes, that’ll work! As always, just be sure the dough is very soft and fully proofed before baking.
This recipe looks great want to try it can I use oil instead of butter?
Thanks for this stunning recipe! It will be quite a challenge for me to make this but I’m sure it is well worth the effort. As I’m a beginner in SD baking, I do have a question. Under total formula of the above recipe, how do you get to 357g of flour? In total weight, there’s 310g + 46g flour from the levain will only yield 356g. Am I missing something here? Thanks. Maria
Hey, Maria! You’re right about that, sorry for the confusion. There’s a rounding issue there. In my spreadsheets it totals to 357 with rounding, but because I did manual rounding on the others, it comes up 1g short. It’s ok though, no worries either way!
Have fun with the recipe. It’s a little work, but super delicious 🙂
Wish me luck, thanks for your quick response!
Hi Maurizio,
I’ve tried it today and I am glad I gave it a go! It’s so good 🙂 Thank you very much!
Though mine sunk in the middle of the loaf after I took it out of the pan and the bottom half looks a bit wet & dense, not fluffy as the top half. After I braided this morning, I let it proved for about 5.5 hrs at 23 – 26 degrees until it rose to the height of my pan (mine is a bit shorter than yours).
I put a tray resting on the edge of the pan during the first 25 minutes to keep the moisture in to help with the spring and I could see the top reached the tray in the middle of the loaf. I am not sure if it caused the ‘dense’ looks in the middle of the loaf as described above.
Thanks in advance!
N
So glad to hear that, Nga! A dense collapse like that could have been due to slight over proofing. What happens there is it rises up really tall, then collapses due to the weight of the ingredients in the dough (and the filling). Try proofing just a little less next time and that should help!
Enjoy 🙂
380g flour and 383g liquids (water-milk-eggs-butter-starter) ??? over than 100% of hydration??? does it work???
It does, and I’ve done it (along with other bakers) many times!
It depends on the protein flour right? In Argentina we have a low quality flour within easy reach
Well, hydration always needs to be adjusted for a recipe based on the flour used. Typically, I notice with lower protein flour the hydration does need to be reduced. But yes, it’s always relative to the flour you’re using!
Hi Maurizio!
First time making a babka, I thought it’d be a nice gift for a friend’s birthday! The dough is currently cold proofing, it was looking already spectacular…!
I am simply wondering if I could use tahini instead of butter for the chocolate filling? I love the combination of tahini & chocolate…!
Have a good day!
I love the idea of using tahini and chocolate! I’ve not tried mixing the two, though, so I might do more chocolate than tahini the first test.
Excellent, I’ll give it a go and let you know!
The tahini/chocolate filling came out really, really nice! I also topped it with some toasted white sesame seeds. Here are the ingredients:
* 75g dark chocolate (99%)
* 70g unsalted cultured butter
* 25g unsweetened cocoa powder
* 50g muscovado sugar
* 30g well stirred tahini
* Sesame seeds for topping
Here are some pictures: https://www.instagram.com/p/CPdZ_BDBjzl/
Hello, thank you for this recipe, i would like to try it out. I please have a question- is it ok to leave the dough in the fridge at step 4 – cold bulk fermentation for 48 hours for example? It will work better with my schedule. Thank you so much for your time, Hila
That’s quite a long time in the fridge, but my guess it’ll likely make it just fine. If you find the flavor a little too sour, cut back that cold bulk time.
Take care of yourself because if you don’t find this too sweet, you’re probably diabetic or pre-diabetic. I’ll put just half the filling next time. I really liked the dough though, thank you for this beautiful site full of good information.
Definitely full to the brim 🙂
Hi can I make an egg free version of this recipe? What substitute can you recommend I use? Thank you!!
Khushboo, I just made this using chickpea liquid in place of eggs. It worked fantastically. I was happy to note that the dough firmed up a lot in the fridge overnight, as it turned out as a high-hydration formula. The finished product was sooooo light and fluffy – gorgeous!!!
Others have used “flax eggs” with success!
Hi there:) how is this dough different from the cinnamon rolls or doughnuts? Aren’t they all brioche-like doughs? How come the doughnut dough needs to bulk ferment for Round 6 hours while this dough needs only 2-3?
Thank you:)
Generally, the higher the enrichments (sugar, fat, egg) the longer the fermentation time required.
Loved this babka recipe ! The dough was perfect but I think next time I’ll only use 0.5 times the filling recipe as the people I’m living with thought it was too sweet… but super great! I did the cinnamon one this time but maybe next time I’ll try the chocolate… 😋
It is a sweet one, isn’t it!? The chocolate is pretty tasty, but I could go either way 🙂 Enjoy, Rebecca!