By Claire Saffitz
- Total Time
- 1 hour 30 minutes, plus proofing and cooling
- Rating
- 4(431)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This dairy-free babka, enriched with olive oil and flavored with a ribbon of almond flour, brown sugar and cinnamon, starts with a classic challah bread dough. In the oven, the oil and sugar mingle to create a chewy, caramelized coating. You can omit the almond flour to make this nut-free, but the cinnamon ribbon will not be as pronounced. Be sure to let the babkas proof fully before baking, which will ensure a light, supple texture. (Watch Claire make this recipe on YouTube.)
Featured in: The Only Challah Recipe You’ll Ever Need (and It Gets You a Babka, Too)
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Ingredients
Yield:2 babkas
- 1recipe Challah Bread dough, prepared as directed below
- 4tablespoons/56 grams olive oil, plus more for the pans
- 1cup/220 grams light brown sugar
- 1cup/96 grams almond flour
- 1tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½teaspoon finely grated orange zest
- ½teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or ¼ teaspoon Morton coarse kosher salt
- All-purpose flour, for rolling
- 1large egg
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)
1312 calories; 58 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 22 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 180 grams carbohydrates; 10 grams dietary fiber; 110 grams sugars; 25 grams protein; 773 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Prepare the dough: Prepare the Challah Bread through Step 5. Let it sit in a warm spot until it’s doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
Step
2
Meanwhile, prepare the pans and make the cinnamon mixture: Brush the bottoms and sides of 2 loaf pans with a thin layer of olive oil, then line the bottom and 2 longer sides with pieces of parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides. Brush the parchment with more oil, then set the pans aside. In a medium bowl, toss together the brown sugar, almond flour, cinnamon, orange zest and a generous pinch of salt until evenly combined, breaking up any lumps of brown sugar with your fingertips. Measure out ¼ cup of the mixture and set aside for sprinkling over the tops of the babkas, then set the remaining mixture aside.
Step
3
Roll out and fill the dough: Scrape the dough out of the bowl and onto a lightly floured surface. Flatten it with the heel of your hand to expel the gas, then cut the dough in half (each piece will weigh about 570 grams). Place one half on a small rimmed baking sheet, cover and refrigerate while you roll out the other. Press and tug the piece of dough on the work surface into a flat, narrow rectangular shape. Then, roll the dough into a long, thin rectangle measuring about 24 inches long and 8 inches wide, dusting the top and underneath with just a bit of flour as needed to keep the dough gliding across the surface (don’t use too much flour, as you want some friction between the surface and the dough). Brush off any excess flour, then drizzle the dough with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and brush the oil in an even layer all the way to the edges, leaving a clean ½-inch border on one of the longer sides. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon mixture, about 1 cup, (not including the ¼ cup you set aside for the top) evenly across the surface and pat it gently into the dough.
Step
4
Form and chill the babkas: Starting at the longer side opposite the clean border, roll the dough into a tight, spiraled log. Pinch the dough together at the seam so it closes, then squeeze the log to lengthen and thin it out until it measures about 28 inches long. Use a knife to trim off just the irregular ends, then cut the log in half crosswise. Place one half over the other, crossing them in the middle, then twist the halves together. Transfer the twist to one of the prepared pans and flatten it gently so it fills out the bottom of the pan. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and transfer it to the refrigerator, then remove the second piece of dough from the refrigerator and repeat the rolling and forming process, using the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the remaining cinnamon mixture. Cover the second pan and refrigerate. Chill the babkas for at least 4 and up to 12 hours.
Step
5
Proof the babkas: Remove the babkas from the refrigerator and let them sit at room temperature until they’re nearly triple their original size and they come up to about ¾ of the pan, 3 to 4 hours.
Step
6
Heat the oven: Arrange an oven rack in the center position and heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Step
7
Brush with egg and bake: Beat the egg in a small bowl until it’s streak-free. Uncover the pans and brush the egg across the surfaces of the dough. Sprinkle the babkas with the reserved ¼ cup of cinnamon mixture, dividing evenly. Bake the babkas side by side (but not touching) until they’re deep golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes. Let them cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then run a paring knife down along the shorter sides of the pans to loosen them. Use the parchment paper to lift the babkas out of the pans and place on a wire rack. Let them cool completely.
Tip
- The babka, stored covered at room temperature, will keep for up to 4 days in plastic wrap but is best served on the first or second day.
Ratings
4
out of 5
431
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Cooking Notes
Ahuva Greenblatt
THANK YOU THANK YOU for this most perfect babka. Very reminiscent of my own grandmother's (and she died in 1967). The current commercial ones have too many striations/layers and way too much cinnamon fill. This is what our ancestors baked. I know there's a school of thought about chocolate Babkas -- but chocolate was nonexistent in Russia, et al, when our families came here, so it's less than authentic. This one is BRILLIANT. Zei gezundt.
Savannah
I beg your pardon? Cinnamon takes a back seat to no Bobka. People love cinnamon. It should be on tables at restaurants along with salt and pepper. Anytime anyone says, "Oh This is so good. What's in it?" The answer invariably comes back, Cinnamon. Cinnamon. Again and again. Lesser Bobka - I think not
JJ
What size loaf pan? 9x5”? 8.5x4.5”? Recipe doesn’t specify. Loaf pan size can make a difference in the rise of the finished product.
Ahuva Greenblatt
every group in Eastern Europe had a version. We can't guarantee that Poland invented it, there was such cultural overlap. I agree about the chocolate -- it was never a go-to flavor in that part of the world. But to say that there's not a legitimate version in Jewish cuisine is just wrong.
Jackie
Great recipe! I noticed the written recipe calls to form then chill the babkas for at least 4 hours, whereas in the video, Claire goes straight from forming to proofing. Since I wasn’t going to have 4 hours the following morning to proof them after chilling, I went straight from forming to proofing like the video. Came out great! Thanks!
Ahuva Greenblatt
Maria
Babka is a Polish Easter bread in shape of an overturned flower pot with deep grooves (like grandmother's skirt). The name means "old woman" or "grandmother" in Polish. It is very rich and sweet, made with eggs, milk and butter, usually studded with raisins and candied orange peel, like Italian panettone. Yiddish appropriated the name for other yeast breads. Polish babka never had cinnamon or chocolate.
GC
Have not made this yet but Claire Saffitz's recipes very reliable, am looking forward to this one. Might add chocolate for a cinnamon chocolate babka. The accompanying video was helpful, recommend. Also, for anyone looking for a difficult but rewarding recipe, this one for Swedish Cardamom Buns was great! It was difficult and took time but was so very delicious. Here is link:https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020437-swedish-cardamom-buns?searchResultPosition=2Happy baking! Enjoy!
Maman Canadienne
This turned out wonderfully. The flavour and texture of this babka was excellent. I had to leave out the almond flour to make this school lunch friendly, and made a filling of cinnamon, brown and white sugar, cocoa and silan (date paste) and it was delicious. Orange zest would have been a great addition if I had any! I followed the instructions 4 baking time and found the babka a little overdone- but I think that was because of my dark pans. Next time I might pull them out at 30-35 minutes.
Tessa
I think it would be challenging for the home baker to make this, or any bread, gluten free since gluten is what works with yeast to make a risen loaf. Maybe use the topping with a gf cake recipe to make a coffee cake type treat?
L
Absolutely love! I brushed nutella under the cinnamon mixture instead of olive oil, and reduced the brown sugar, and it came out like a delicious caramelized churro. Will absolutely be making this again and again!
Laura Pimentel Barbosa
I thougnt I wasn't going to be able to make it, since I have never baked bread before. But it turned out fantastic. I will make this Babka again! Thank you.
Fred
Would it be ok to leave in the refrigerator in Step 4 for more that 12 hours? I'd like to make the babka closer to 24 hours later.
JGL
Is the almond flour essential? Looking for a replacement ingredient because of a nut allergy. Any suggestions?
JB
I added raisins to the babka and it was SO GOOD
Rob N.
What is the recommended size loaf pan? Is 8.5” x 4.5” x 2.75” ok?
L
Absolutely love! I brushed nutella under the cinnamon mixture instead of olive oil, and reduced the brown sugar, and it came out like a delicious caramelized churro. Will absolutely be making this again and again!
Phoebe
Any reason I wouldn't be able to use whole wheat bread flour for this?
Jen
Not my favorite Babka recipe ever. They were bready and not enough filling. Still looking for the perfect cinnamon Babka recipe.
Magda
I’ve made this recipe three times; the first time I didn’t realize that it should go in the fridge overnight (I watched the video before I read the recipe through) so I just proofed and baked the same day. It was really good albeit I didn’t finish until early evening. The second and third times, I did proof overnight and while both were good, my first attempt was better. any thoughts on this? I’m used to making sourdough and the overnight in the fridge is pretty much a must.
Liza
I refrigerated this overnight as written (vs skipping it as in the video), and was convinced I'd messed up when after proofing 4 hrs this AM there was a sugary oily puddle in the bottom of the pan. Drained it off (a tablespoon ) and baked it anyway, 45 min in an 8.5x4.5" pan. Happily turned out very good. Next time I think I'll skip the refrigeration as others noted. For what it's worth I split the dough into a half sized challah and one babka, nice to get both!
Jenna
Fantastic! I adjusted rising times — the pre-ferment went longer than recommended, and the final rise was shorter. I did not put the babka in the fridge for 4-12 hours prior to the final rise. That’s just the kind of day I was having. The results were still great with a wonderful crumb. I do recommend kneading for a full 8-10 minutes, watching the video, and paying attention to the bounce/spring of the dough to decide when it’s risen enough.
Benita Scheckel
I made this this weekend and it is to die for! The orange, honey, olive oil and cinnamon blend together to make a delectable babka. My dough did not rise well after being refrigerated. I let it sit out for 5 hours. Not sure why, but wow, this is absolutely delicious!!! I will definitely make this again.
Jiffy L.
Followed the recipe as per Claire Saffitz's terrific video and also referred to the printed recipe for further guidance. There is one confusion. In the written recipe, you are instructed to place the braided loaves in the refrigerator for multiple hours before proofing. However, in the video, she proofs them then places them directly in the oven. No 'fridge. I decided to follow her video, not the written recipe. What was the result? Notice I used past tense. This babka is beyond irresistible.
Amy
If you've got a nut allergy, can you just use additional regular flour instead?
Sandy
Holy. Wow. Made this for Rosh Hashanah and never had a babka recipe go so well and taste so good. The dough was easy to work with and the instructions were very clear about how to handle it. For once, no tearing while rolling!!! For the first time, I put it in the oven with OPTIMISM. My only regret: I didn't let it sit for at least 2 days before cutting into it. It just gets better after a day, and then EVEN better after two. I can't stop eating Loaf 2. Claire Saffitz, you're my babka hero.
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