30 September 2011

Cinnamon Babka - Not A Lesser Babka!

Cinnamon Babka - Not a Lesser Babka! / www.delightfulrepast.com

Wouldn't you know it--my two favorite episodes of Seinfeld are about bread! (Myname is Jean, and I'm a breadaholic.) Marble rye and babka. If you recall, Jerry and Elaine stopped at a bakery on the way to a dinner party to pick up a babka, but the people in front of them got the last chocolate babka and Elaine was not pleased to have to settle for a cinnamon babka. But I agree with Jerry: "[Cinnamon a] lesser babka? I think not!" Not a huge fan of chocolate anything, I much prefer the cinnamon and always intended to make one.

Well, years went by. Then I read the post The Cake that Makes Our Family by Lila Byock on Gilt Taste. She tells the heartwarming story of her grandfather Sy's babka. And you know how I feel about family food stories. She doesn't make it herself, considering it her mother's job for now. My own family is not a babka-making family, but I was so taken with Lila's that I sent her the message: You can be sure that when this shiksa gets around to making one, it will be Sy's! (Thought of calling the post Shiksa Babka but was afraid too many people would be expecting skewered meat!)

But I can never make anything strictly by a recipe. Not even if it's my first attempt at something I've never even eaten! I took so many liberties with the recipe, it can no longer be called Sy's. But he was my inspiration, and I will think of him and his granddaughter Lila every time I make it. And I will be making it again! It goes wonderfully well with a cup of tea (which seems to be a requirement for everything I make!). 

So tell me, do you have strong opinions about babka? Chocolate or cinnamon? Or both? Nuts? Raisins? Streusel topping or glaze? Is there a particular food that "makes" your family?
 

Cinnamon Babka - Not a Lesser Babka! / www.delightfulrepast.com

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Cinnamon Babka

(Makes one babka)

The Dough

3 1/2 dip-and-sweep cups (17.5 ounces/496 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (3.5 ounces/99 grams) sugar
1 envelope (2 1/4 teaspoons) instant (RapidRise) yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup (8 fluid ounces/237 ml) milk (I use 2%)
1 stick (4 ounces/113 grams) unsalted butter
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

The Filling

1 stick (4 ounces/113 grams) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 cup raisins, chopped
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup (3.5 ounces/99 grams) sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

The Glaze

1 packed cup (4 ounces/113 grams) unsifted confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons very hot water
1 tablespoon real maple syrup
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 In 2-quart bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt and yeast.

2 In heavy-bottomed 1-quart saucepan, scald milk, which simply means to heat the milk just until bubbles appear at the edge; do not boil. Remove from heat and stir in the butter until it is all melted.

3 In large bowl, beat egg and stir in vanilla and milk-butter mixture. With dough whisk or wooden spoon, stir in half the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in remaining flour about a half cup at a time. As the dough forms into a ball, work it against the sides of the bowl to get off all the dry flour. Rub a tiny bit of softened butter in a 2-quart bowl and place the ball of dough in it, rolling it around to coat it lightly with butter. Cover bowl tightly and refrigerate for anywhere from 24 hours to 3 days.

4 On the day you want to make the babka, set aside the butter to soften. Remove the dough from the refrigerator about 3 1/2 hours before you want it to go into the oven. In 1-quart bowl, combine chopped walnuts and chopped raisins with flour, making sure all the raisin pieces are separated. You might need to use 1 tablespoon of the flour while chopping the raisins. Stir in sugar and cinnamon.

5 On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough in half. Turn the bowl upside down and cover the two pieces of dough (or cover them with plastic wrap); let stand for 20 minutes. Butter well a 10-cup, 4-inch high, 8.5-inch diameter kugelhopf pan or a 3.75-inch high, 10-inch diameter Bundt or other fluted tube pan.

6 Roll one piece of dough into a 12x16-inch rectangle, with long edge toward you. Spread on half the softened butter and half the filling mixture. Starting with long edge, roll rather tightly and pinch the edge closed. Repeat with other half of dough. With the two rolls side by side, twist like a braid. Form a circle and pinch the ends together. Place in prepared pan, pressing it firmly into place. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 2 to 3 hours, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.

7 Preheat oven to 350F/180C/Gas4. Bake for about 55 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes. Turn babka out onto wire rack and continue cooling for about 1 hour before slicing. In small bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar and hot water until smooth, then stir in other ingredients for glaze and drizzle over the babka while it is still warm. 

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean

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37 comments:

Unknown said...

I laugh so hard at both of those Seinfeld episodes!! lol
Your cinnamon babka looks fantastic! I wish I had a nice slice of it right now...it would go so perfectly with my coffee!! YUM!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Jenn! Don't you just love the look of those swirls? It would definitely go perfectly with coffee, if I had any in this almost strictly tea house!

LANA said...

Years ago, some of the German deli's by me always had cheese babkas on top of the counters for sale. I always had to buy one, but I can't find them anymore (deli's are gone). I may try making yours.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Lana, thanks. I hope you will try it soon. I wish there were more old-fashioned delis around!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Just had to share this tweet from Lila Byock:

@delightfulrepas Yours looks so much lovelier than anything that ever came out of my household! So glad Sy's recipe is enjoying a new life.

Anonymous said...

So, you're expecting me to recycle the fact that I live by the dictum, "Man does not live by bread alone," right? Or in my case, almost never eats bread. Hah! I shall tell you that – though I never eat the following anymore – I've always loved coffee cake, which is what Babka looks like to me, and cinnamon rolls. The doughier the better (almost raw), and of course with a mother lode of sweet nuggets like raisins and sweet almond slivers and crusted with caramel and icing, not to mention heavily veined with cinnamon. Last but not least, this must be ladled with creamery butter, mouthful by mouthful, seconds before consuming. Now you see why I don't eat bread? It would be suicide… :-)

Cheers and best,

Sully
http://twitter.com/thomassullivan
http://www.thomassullivanauthor.com/

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Sully, that I can understand! Yes, babka is indeed a coffeecake. And, since I wasn't feeling self-destructive this week, I was able to restrain myself from slathering more butter on what already had plenty of butter. I've decided not to make it more than once a month, or it could be a problem for me.

Charles said...

Wow, it looks like a giant cinnamon swirl, like the ones I make from time to time. Never tried a babka as far as I know - looks wonderful though. You mentioning streusel made me remember that my mother made a cake recently which she gave me the recipe for which I need to make soon - really good!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Charles! Yes, what's not to love about a cinnamon swirl of any size! I chose glaze for this one, but streusel is really good as well.

Sippity Sup said...

This could work at one of your fabulous tea parties you so thoughtfully described on my podcast comments. Thanks for the recipe "bubka"! GREG

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Greg, thank you! It tastes really good with coffee, too. (I have to drink decaf, though. The caffeine in tea doesn't bother me a bit, but the caffeine in coffee just wrecks me!)

Ashley@Bakerbynature said...

We are major chocolate babka addicts since seeing that episode! I'll have to try my hand at this cinnamon variety very soon!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Ashley! I just can't imagine a chocolate one -- I mean, bread dough and chocolate just doesn't sound like a good combination to me, but I might have to give it a try!

mjskit said...

This babka is beautiful! I agree that it looks like a giant cinnamon roll - something I love! I don't know if I've ever had babka, but I hope that changes soon. I love cinnamon, raison, chocolate and nuts - so I know would love this!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you! I hope you'll enjoy it as much as we do!

Christine knapkins_com said...

Hi Jean, Your Cinnamon Babka recipe has been selected to be featured in a Recipe Guessing Game. Please share the following link with your friends and fans. To play, go here: http://knapkins.com/guess_games/57?source=blog Congrats again!! :)

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Christine!

Yenta Mary said...

Babka is VERY high on my "to do" list, right up there with knishes. I have no defense for it, but I've never made either - oy! This is gorgeous beyond my usually verbose ability to convey my admiration ... :)

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

When you do, Mary, and you WILL, think of me! Me and my Shiksa Babka!

Eileen @ Just Measuring Up said...

Looks delicious!! Love the Seinfeld jokes :))

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Eileen. And now I must plan a Seinfeld party!

Ellen Hawley said...

Moving to Cornwall meant that if I want babka, I bake babka. It's not something I do often, but it's wonderful stuff. Having said that, yours is better looking than mind.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Ellen. Yeah, I wouldn't expect to find babka on every corner in Cornwall! Of course, I have to make things pretty, but it IS the taste that really counts.

kitty@ Kitty's Kozy Kitchen said...

I have made Cinnamon Babka, using America's Test Kitchen's recipe (and have the recipe on my blog), but yours looks so pretty, Jean. I love that you put the dough in a bundt pan. Wish I could have a slice right now with my morning tea.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you, Kitty. I'm going to go look for your post now!

Bernideen said...

Dear Jean:
Thanks for sharing your Babka which I had never heard of before so you are educating me. My family seems to love my Chocolate Cake best. Your cake looks delicious!

Sandi@ Rose Chintz Cottage said...

Jean, I have never made nor eaten an actual Babka but it sure looks like coffee cake to me. Perhaps I ate it and didn't realize it was a babka, who knows? I am also a "breadaholic" and is my downfall when I'm trying to watch the waistline. Cinnamon would definitely be a favourite in this household! Not only is it pretty with the glaze and baked in a bundt pan but it would be quite a treat with coffee or tea.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you, Bernideen! I'd much rather have chocolate cake than chocolate babka! To me, chocolate just doesn't go with yeast dough.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Sandi, thank you. Cinnamon goes so well with tea (just don't put it IN my tea!), whether it's coffeecake, cinnamon bread or babka.

Louca por porcelana said...

Oh my,Jean!!!It is mouthwatering!!!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you, Maristella. It's one of my favorites! Perfect with a cup of tea.

Deanna Rabe - Creekside Cottage Blog said...

Jean, I’ve never eaten babka. I’m certain I’m missing out on deliciousness! It looks amazing, and I’m certain it’s perfect with tea!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Deanna. I hope you'll try it sometime. Such bready deliciousness!

Dee | GrammysGrid.com said...

How pretty, tasty too I bet :) Thanks so much for linking up at the Unlimited Link Party 69. Pinned.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Dee! Much appreciated.

Melynda@Scratch Made Food! said...

Jean, what a beautiful Babka! If there was only one food for the rest of my life, it would be homemade bread...

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you, Melynda! And that is exactly how I feel about homemade bread! :-)