Cinnamon Babka - by Peyton Sanders
Hello new faces!
Dear old faces, thank you for your patience and support. I took a little hiatus during December to relax, plan, and experiment. Now I am going to start sharing those experiments more with you, here!
Starting with a pared down, easier version of my babka recipe that is staggeringly not chocolate and unsurprisingly cinnamon. Chocolate is tricky and unpredictable. Cinnamon is nurturing and kind, an easy bedfellow. Cinnamon babka comes out cleaner and is easier to predict cooking times. It doesn’t explode and become uneven like chocolate. The presentation is admittedly less slutty but the taste is as hedonistic as ever.
Non-negotiable needs
Negotiable needs
Offset spatula
Freshly ground spices
Dough
Filling
200g butter
175g brown sugar
2 tbsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1 orange, zested
1 tsp grated nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp flour
Syrup
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup cane sugar
In a bowl of a stand mixer, add milk, yeast, and a pinch of sugar. Whisk to dissolve. Whisk in beaten egg. In a separate bowl, combine, flour, sugar, and salt. Whisk to combine. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Affix dough hook and mix on med-low speed for 10 minutes or until a shaggy, cohesive dough forms. If it’s a little dry, add some milk. If it’s a little wet, add some flour. Turn off mixer and place a kitchen towel over the bowl and let rest for 5 minutes.
Mix on medium speed and begin adding the room temp butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Hold off adding another until the butter is mostly incorporated into the dough and it is pulling away from the sides of the bowl. This process should take anywhere from 10-15 minutes. Once all the butter is added, let knead for 15 more minutes. Turn out onto a work surface and roll into a tight ball using the edges of your hands. Place in a lightly buttered bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. 12-14 hours is ideal. No more than 18 hours.
(Next Day) Combine filling ingredients and set aside.
Removed refrigerated dough. It will have not quite doubled. On a lightly floured surface, dump out the dough and divide into 2 equal pieces. Place once half under cloth or plastic wrap and roll out to 10”x16.” Once rolled out, spread half of the cinnamon butter evenly on the rolled out piece of dough, leaving a 1/2 inch margin along the edges closest to you. Roll it up length-wise, starting from the far end, until it forms a log. Pinch and seal the ends and seam.
Cut the log in half, lengthwise with a very sharp knife. Pinch the end together and perform a simple braid (see picture above). Pinch and seal the end. Repeat with the other piece of dough and remaining butter
Grease two loaf pans and line with a cut sheet of parchment paper for easy removal.
Place both loafs into your awaiting loaf pans and cover loosely with plastic wrap or a linen. Allow to proof for 2-4 hours or until risen near the top of the load pan. *It’s ok if it doesn’t puff up twice its size, the oven will make it rise significantly and fills the gaps.
Once proofed. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 45 min - 1 hour.
This will depend on your rising time, oven setting, gas or electric, and other factors I’m sure. But keep an eye on the loafs and if they start to brown too quickly, place some foil on top.
Your loafs are ready when the internal temperature is 180 - 190. Higher than this and the babka will begin to dry out. Remove from the oven and place on a wire wrap to cool, leaving them in their loaf pans.
While everyone is still hot. Make the simple syrup by placing the water and sugar in a small saucepan and heating over medium high heat until the sugar is dissolved. Once dissolved, poke many holes on the babkas with a toothpick or cake tester. Brush down both loafs of babka with the simple syrup until all the syrup is used.
All to rest and absorb in the pans for 30 minutes, then remove from the loaf pans and continue to cool on the wire wrack until room temperature. Now they are reach to cut and serve.
I hope you try and enjoy! Talk to you soon.
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