This fluffy babka loaf recipe it’s hard to resist! The dough is similar to a French brioche and therefore buttery and soft. Paired with roasted pecans and cognac cream filling, this dessert will surely please everyone around the table. One of the most important ingredients here is to have patience and follow the recipe steps outlined in the recipe. But, hey! All good things take time, isn’t it? Rest assured, the result it’s worth it and it will become a staple dessert, especially around the festive season.
Christmas is one of the most loved holidays of the year. It’s a moment of celebration and sharing. And what better way to picture this, if not gathered around the festive and abundant table showcasing the most delicious food and desserts?
There is always a debate in our family regarding the starters, first and second-course meals, whether we should serve turkey, fish or beef, but one thing we can all agree upon: this babka loaf!
I’ve got this recipe from one of the most appreciated and well-known Romanian chef, gastronomer and food blogger, Adrian Hadean.
WHAT IS A BABKA LOAF?
Babka has been first created in Eastern Europe and is well-known, loved by all, sweet treats among Jewish communities and has been sold in bakeries for years. Nowadays, the babka’s popularity has expanded and you can find it in most grocery stores in the USA. Variations of this dessert can be encountered in countries such as Romania, Poland, Ukraine and it’s made especially during Christmas and Easter holidays.
The babka dough is usually quite dense, however, the rich, flavoursome filling, be it chocolate, Nutella or another melty and gooey cream, balance out the texture and creates a moist, irresistible, cake-like bread. I encourage you to try this at least once in your life to see for yourself why everyone is raving about it.
WHAT INGREDIENTS TO USE FOR THE BABKA DOUGH:
- Fresh Yeast: you will need to activate the yeast before adding it to the rest of the ingredients. To do this, add the fresh yeast to a jug and combine it with 30 g of flour and 60 g of tepid milk (for those of you that have a thermometer the milk should be at 28 °C)
- Whole Milk: You will use 120 g of milk for the dough as follows: 60 g of tepid milk to activate the yeast (see above) and 60 g of cold milk (straight from the fridge) when you will start kneading the dough.
- Type “ooo” Flour: The recipe calls for 530 g of type “000” flour, however, the all-purpose flour can be a suitable alternative if the first one is not available to you.
- Caster Sugar: A small amount of sugar is needed for the dough, 80 g to be precise.
- Eggs: You’ll need 2 whole eggs (50 g each without the shell) + 3 egg yolks (60 g of egg yolk in total).
- Unsalted Butter: The butter needs to be at room temperature and added in three batches of 50 g each to allow the dough to gradually incorporate it.
- Lemon & Orange Zest: Use a grater, such as Microplane to obtain the zest of 1 large lemon and 1 large orange. Avoid peeling the “white” flesh as it has a bitter taste.
- Rum: You will need a rum liquor. Not to be confused with rum essence. I use this, but any other rum liquor alternative will do.
- Vanilla Extract: 10 g will be needed to flavour the dough.
- Salt: 5 g
WHAT INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED FOR THE BABKA FILLING:
- Roasted Pecan Nuts: Preheat the oven to 170 °C. Place the pecans on a tray lined with baking paper and roast for 10 – 12 minutes.
- Eggs: Use 3 whole eggs at room temperature.
- Icing Sugar: 200 g will be needed.
- Cognac: You can find small bottles of cognac in most supermarkets like the one you can see in the picture below – 50 g will be required.
- Cocoa Powder: Sift the cocoa powder before adding it to the food processor. Source the best quality cocoa powder you can find.
HOW TO KNEAD THE BRIOCHE DOUGH:
You have two options:
- The best and easiest way to knead the dough is to use a stand mixer. You will use the wire whisk attachment at first, when combining the wet ingredients, then replace it with the dough hook when starting to knead, using a medium speed until it forms a ball around the hook. Increase the speed to medium-high and knead for about 10 minutes. Begin incorporating the room temperature butter as it mixes on medium speed. It is very important to use room temperature butter for it to incorporate properly. Add the butter in 3 batches of 50 g each and knead only until the butter is combined.
- The alternative is to make the dough by hand. It is harder and it will test your strength but trust me, it’s possible! This was the method I have used when I first made this babka loaf. The only difference from the step listed above is that you will need to knead the dough for about 20 minutes before adding the butter and another 6 – 10 minutes after that.
Christmas Babka
This fluffy babka loaf recipe it's hard to resist! The dough is similar to a French brioche and therefore buttery and soft. Paired with roasted pecans and cognac cream filling, this dessert will surely please everyone around the table.
Ingredients
- FOR THE DOUGH
- 25 g fresh yeast
- 530 g "000" flour or all-purpose flour
- 120 g whole milk
- 150 g unsalted butter, cut into cubes at room temperature
- 2 medium whole eggs (50 g each, without the shell)
- 3 egg yolks (60 g in total)
- 80 g caster sugar
- 5 g salt
- zest from 1 lemon
- zest from 1 orange
- 30 ml rum liquor
- 10 g vanilla extract
FOR THE FILLING
- 400 g roasted pecan nuts
- 200 g icing sugar
- 50 g cocoa powder
- 3 medium eggs
- 50 g cognac
- a pinch of salt
Instructions
MAKING THE DOUGH
- In a jug, add the fresh yeast, together with 30 g of flour and 60 g of tepid milk. Wisk well with the back of a spoon until the yeast has dissolved completely. Let is sit for 15 minutes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the wire whisk attached, add 2 whole eggs and 3 egg yolks, 80 g of caster sugar, 5 g of salt, the zest of one lemon and one orange, 30 g of rum liquor and 10 g of vanilla extract. Mix on medium speed until well incorporated, and "bubbles" start forming.
- To the same bowl, pour the activated yeast, 500 g of flour and 60 g cold milk. If the dough is too dense, you can add another 10 - 20 g of milk. Depending on the quality of the flour you are using the additional milk might be needed. The recipe will work either way.
- Start mixing the dough at low speed, stopping the mixer to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. After 5 minutes, when a ball starts to form around the hook, increase the speed to medium and knead the dough for another 5 - 8 minutes, it comes off easily from the sides of the bowl.
- Slowly start adding the room temperature butter in three batches of 50 g each and mix only until it is incorporated into the dough.
- Lightly grease a bowl with some vegetable oil, transfer the dough and cover with cling film. Place in the fridge for 2 hours or until it has doubled in size.
- When the 2 hours have passed, transfer the dough to a worktop and cut it into two equal-size pieces and shape each of them into individual balls. Wrap them in cling film and place them back in the fridge for 3 hours.
THE FILLING
- Preheat the oven to 170 °C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper, place the pecan nuts, and roast for 10 - 12 minutes.
- In a food processor, add the roasted pecans and blitz until you obtain a paste. Then add the eggs, cocoa powder, cognac, icing sugar and a pinch of salt and mix until well combined. Set aside until ready to use.
SHAPING THE BABKA
- Take one of the dough balls out of the fridge and transfer it to a floured surface. Roll into a 30 x 40 cm rectangle. Use as little flour as possible.
- Spread the cream filling evenly over the dough using an offset spatula, making sure to leave a small border (around 3 cm) free from the edges. Lightly brush the edges with cold water all around.
- Roll it up: starting with the rectangle closest to you, roll it up from the bottom along the longer edge, working evenly side to side and pulling back with your fingertips to make the roulade as tight as possible. Place onto a tray and into the freezer for 15 minutes. Chilling makes the process of shaping the babka loaf a lot easier.
- Cut the ends of the dough off - you can use your loaf pan to measure how much to cut off. Then, with the help of a serrated knife or a pizza cutter, cut straight down the middle, leaving you with two exposed pieces. Braid the dough, placing one piece over the other, keeping the layers facing upwards.
- Transfer the babka to a loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Cover again with cling film and let it proof overnight, or for a minimum of 8 hours. Repeat the same process for the other piece of dough.
BAKING THE BABKA LOAF
Place a medium-sized pot filled with hot water into the oven. Remove the babkas from the fridge and the cling film and place them into the oven for 30 minutes. The over must be switched off, the only source of heat would be the pot with boiling water that will create a humid environment and "wake" the babka loaves.
When the time is up, remove the pot and the babkas and now you can preheat the oven to 160 °C Fan. Bake for 45 - 50 minutes. The loaf should be golden brown and firm to touch. Let it cool down for 10 - 15 minutes.
THE SIRUP
In a small pot, combine the sugar and water. Let the sugar completely dissolve and do not stir. Set aside and let it cool for about 5 - 8 minutes. Then add the cognac and vanilla pod.
Once cooled, brush the babka loaves with the sirup, cover in cling film and let it rest for another 3 - 5 hours minimum (or for a day if possible) in order for the dough to absorb the liquid. It will be well worth the wait!
Notes
How to store babka leftovers:
Babka is best eaten the day it's made. However, if you do have any leftovers, it keeps well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Can you freeze babka?
Yes! You can freeze the babka loaf if you would like to keep it for longer. Wrap the babka in cling foil before wrapping it into tin foil. Stored this way, it will keep well for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, simply take it out of the freezer and place it overnight in the fridge and then bring it to room temperature. Enjoy it with a glass of warm milk or coffee.
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