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Apple Butter Babka

Equipment

Ingredients

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Instructions

  • In a microwave safe dish, heat milk until warm, but not scalded or boiling, about 45 seconds. In same bowl, stir in yeast and maple syrup and let sit for 5 minutes, until foaming.
  • *Warm liquid helps activate the yeast quickly. If liquid is too hot, it can kill the yeast, therefore you let it foam to ensure it is alive before adding remaining ingredients.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook attachment, add bread flour, salt, sugar, cinnamon and cardamom. With the mixer running, add in one tablespoon of butter at a time, until combined. Next, add in one egg at a time, followed by milk mixture. Continue to mix on medium for 7-8 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. If dough continues to stick to the side of the bowl, add a tablespoon of flour at a time, until it fully releases.
  • Butter a clean bowl, form the dough into a ball and roll it around in the bowl so all sides are buttered. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place (inside of a turned-off oven with the oven light on is good) until it puffs and rises, about 1 to 2 hours. It may not double in bulk but it should rise.
  • Press the dough down with your hands, re-cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.
  • Prepare the streusel: In a bowl, stir together flour, sugars and salt. Stir in melted butter until it is evenly distributed and forms large, moist crumbs. Streusel can be prepared up to 3 days ahead and stored, covered, in the fridge.
  • Remove dough from refrigerator and divide in half. On a floured surface, roll one piece into a 9-by-17-inch rectangle. Spread with half the filling and apples (there's no need to leave a border). Starting with a long side, roll into a tight coil. Transfer the coil onto a dish towel or piece of plastic wrap and stick it in the freezer for 10 minutes. Repeat with the other piece of dough.
  • Slice one of the dough coils in half lengthwise to expose the filling. Twist the halves together as if you were braiding them, then fold the braid in half so it’s about 9 inches long. Place into a prepared pan, letting it curl around itself if it’s a little too long for the pan. Cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 1½ hours, until puffy (it won’t quite double). Alternatively, you can cover the pans with plastic wrap and let them rise in the refrigerator overnight; bring them back to room temperature for an hour before baking.
  • When you're ready to bake, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Use your fingers to clump streusel together and scatter all over the tops of the cakes. Transfer to oven and bake until a tester goes into the cakes without any rubbery resistance and comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. The cakes will also sound hollow if you unmold them and tap on the bottom. An instant-read thermometer will read between 185 and 210 degrees.

Apple Butter Babka

Prep Time
45
mins
Cook Time
50
mins
Servings
2
Average Rating:
Skip to Recipe

Apple Butter Babka

Prep Time
45
mins
Cook Time
50
mins
Servings
2
Average Rating:
August 25, 2024
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Equipment

Ingredients

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Dough

  • 1/2 cup whole milk warmed
  • 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 4 1/2 cup bread flour
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp cardamom
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3 TBSP sugar
  • 4 large eggs (room temperature)
  • 8 tablespoons 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

Filling:

  • 1 1/2 cups apple butter
  • 2 apples peeled and cubed (about 1 cup)

Streusel:

  • 1/3 cup
  • flour
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter melted

Dough

  • 1 cup whole milk warmed
  • 4.14 tsp active dry yeast
  • 4 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 9 cup bread flour
  • 2 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp cardamom
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 6 TBSP sugar
  • 8 large eggs (room temperature)
  • 16 tablespoons 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

Filling:

  • 3 cups apple butter
  • 4 apples peeled and cubed (about 1 cup)

Streusel:

  • 0.67 cup
  • flour
  • 6 tbsp sugar
  • 6 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 8 tbsp unsalted butter melted

Dough

  • 1.5 cup whole milk warmed
  • 6.21 tsp active dry yeast
  • 6 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 13.5 cup bread flour
  • 3 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.75 tsp cardamom
  • 1.5 tsp salt
  • 9 TBSP sugar
  • 12 large eggs (room temperature)
  • 24 tablespoons 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

Filling:

  • 4.5 cups apple butter
  • 6 apples peeled and cubed (about 1 cup)

Streusel:

  • 1 cup
  • flour
  • 9 tbsp sugar
  • 9 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1.5 tsp salt
  • 12 tbsp unsalted butter melted

Intstructions

  • In a microwave safe dish, heat milk until warm, but not scalded or boiling, about 45 seconds. In same bowl, stir in yeast and maple syrup and let sit for 5 minutes, until foaming.
  • *Warm liquid helps activate the yeast quickly. If liquid is too hot, it can kill the yeast, therefore you let it foam to ensure it is alive before adding remaining ingredients.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook attachment, add bread flour, salt, sugar, cinnamon and cardamom. With the mixer running, add in one tablespoon of butter at a time, until combined. Next, add in one egg at a time, followed by milk mixture. Continue to mix on medium for 7-8 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. If dough continues to stick to the side of the bowl, add a tablespoon of flour at a time, until it fully releases.
  • Butter a clean bowl, form the dough into a ball and roll it around in the bowl so all sides are buttered. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place (inside of a turned-off oven with the oven light on is good) until it puffs and rises, about 1 to 2 hours. It may not double in bulk but it should rise.
  • Press the dough down with your hands, re-cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.
  • Prepare the streusel: In a bowl, stir together flour, sugars and salt. Stir in melted butter until it is evenly distributed and forms large, moist crumbs. Streusel can be prepared up to 3 days ahead and stored, covered, in the fridge.
  • Remove dough from refrigerator and divide in half. On a floured surface, roll one piece into a 9-by-17-inch rectangle. Spread with half the filling and apples (there's no need to leave a border). Starting with a long side, roll into a tight coil. Transfer the coil onto a dish towel or piece of plastic wrap and stick it in the freezer for 10 minutes. Repeat with the other piece of dough.
  • Slice one of the dough coils in half lengthwise to expose the filling. Twist the halves together as if you were braiding them, then fold the braid in half so it’s about 9 inches long. Place into a prepared pan, letting it curl around itself if it’s a little too long for the pan. Cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 1½ hours, until puffy (it won’t quite double). Alternatively, you can cover the pans with plastic wrap and let them rise in the refrigerator overnight; bring them back to room temperature for an hour before baking.
  • When you're ready to bake, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Use your fingers to clump streusel together and scatter all over the tops of the cakes. Transfer to oven and bake until a tester goes into the cakes without any rubbery resistance and comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. The cakes will also sound hollow if you unmold them and tap on the bottom. An instant-read thermometer will read between 185 and 210 degrees.

Meet Jessica!

I believe that a meal is always about so much more than a plate of food. It is about honoring food producers, perfecting technique, finding harmony between ingredients. Most importantly, it is about sharing it with those you love.

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Kitchen Must Haves

Assembly:

  • Mix coffee and Kahlua in a shallow dish.
  • Dust an 8x8 glass dish with2 tbsp of cocoa powder. Dipping ladyfingers in coffee mixture first, line bottom of glass dish. Spread half of saffron mixture in an even layer and repeat with another lady of ladyfingers, followed by remaining half of saffron mixture. Smooth top and dust with 2 tbsp of cocoa powder. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours. Enjoy!

Apple Butter Babka

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Apple Butter Babka
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Michael
6 days ago

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Michael
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6 days ago

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