Ingredients
Dough
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon instant dry yeast
2 large eggs
1 egg yolk
2/3 cup whole warmed milk
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup (10 tablespoons) butter (room temp, cubed)
canola oil (for oiling bowl)
Filling
10.5 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
Vanilla Glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- In the bowl of your stand mixer sift together the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt.
- Add the dough hook to the stand mixer, and mix on low until the dry ingredients are combined.
- Add the eggs, yolk, milk, and vanilla into the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until the dough starts to come together. Scrape the sides of the bowl when/if needed.
- Turn the stand mixer to medium-low and add the softened butter one cube at a time. Allow each cube of butter to fully incorporate before adding the next cube. After the butter has been added, turn to medium-high speed and mix for 10 minutes. Scrape bowl if/when needed.
- Oil a large bowl. Dust your hands with flour so the dough doesn’t stick to you and move the dough from the mixing bowl to the oiled bowl.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or tea towel and let rise for 1.5 – 2 hours at a warm room temp, a warm place, or a low oven temp. For rising in a warm oven: turn your oven to its lowest temperature, mine is 170. Let it preheat, then turn it off. By the time your dough is ready to let rise, the oven should have come down in temperature perfect for the first rise.
- After this dough rise, place the dough into the fridge overnight. IF you need to make this wonderful recipe today, rest the dough in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
- Whether you’ve chilled overnight or just a couple of hours, let the dough rest and come to room temp for 30 – 60 minutes before working with it.
- While waiting for your dough to come to room temp, grease two 8 x 4 x 2-inch loaf pans with oil, sides included. Line them both with a piece of parchment paper. Make the parchment paper large enough for at least 2 inches to fold over the edge. This will help you pull the loaf out of the pan after baking, icing, and cooling.
- To prepare our thick cinnamon filling, in a small bowl combine room temperature butter, dark brown sugar, and cinnamon. Combine with either a wooden spoon, rubber spatula, or your hands until it combines fully and is easily spreadable. I tend to use my hands as the warmth helps the butter mix more easily.
- Place your dough onto a floured work surface. Divide the dough in half, and set one aside.
- Roll dough into a rectangle. Roughly 10 x 12 or 10 x 14 inches. Spread half of the cinnamon and brown sugar filling all over the dough with an offset spatula. Starting with the shorter end, roll the dough tightly over itself creating a log. Place onto a parchment lined baking sheet seam side down, while you prepare your next loaf.
- Repeat step 12 for the next loaf.
- Cut the roll lengthwise down the center with a sharp knife. Twist each roll around each other like a braid with the cut sides exposed. Pinch both ends together and place it in your prepared loaf pans.
- Repeat step 14 for the next loaf.
- Cover both loaf pans with greased plastic wrap. Leave out to rise at room temperature for 1.5 hours.
- Preheat your oven to 350 F.
- Once the oven is preheated, Bake both of your loaves for 40-50 minutes or until the inside has reached an internal temperature of 190 F and the top is a beautiful golden brown. I use a meat thermometer for this.
- For the vanilla glaze, melt the butter in a small bowl and add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk. Whisk together until combined. Pour on top of your cooling babkas. Allow to cool in their pans for at least 10 minutes before removing.
- Best is served warm.
Notes
This brioche dough can be used for your morning Cinnamon Rolls too! Use a piece of plain floss to cut the rolls 1 – 1.5 inches and bake in a greased 9×13 casserole dish or cake pan.
Try a Nutella filling, replace the filling with 3/4 cup Nutella per loaf. Sprinkle 1/2 cup chopped nuts on top of your filling before rolling. Suggested nuts: Pistachios, walnuts, hazelnuts, or pecans.
This brioche dough can be sliced and used for one of our family favorites, French Toast! If you find your bread has become a bit stale, this is perfect.
Freezing: Wrap babka loaf tightly in plastic wrap, then again in foil. Freeze for up to 1 month. Allow to thaw still wrapped. Warm the loaf in the oven, unwrapped, at 325 for 10 minutes until warmed throughout.
- Prep Time: 14 hours
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Breads
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: European
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Slice
- Calories: 392
- Sugar: 28.3 g
- Sodium: 167.8 mg
- Fat: 18.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 52 g
- Protein: 4.7 g
- Cholesterol: 79.1 mg
Keywords: cinnamon babka recipe
