Think of a it as giant cinnamon roll of sorts - this cinnamon babka loaf is light and airy, packed with cinnamon flavour and satisfies all of your cravings. It's perfect for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dessert, snacking and any other time of day, really.
The dough takes a long time to prove, so its best to start the day before you want it and leave the dough overnight. It's definitely worth the wait! The recipe calls for strong white bread flour, although I have substituted for half wholemeal bread flour and half plain flour before and it worked out just fine.
The loaf is best eaten fresh out of the oven but can be stored in an airtight container for a few days. If it starts to harden then put your slice in the microwave for 10 seconds and it should soften.
Recipe
Prep time: 12 hours (overnight)
Cook time: 45-55 minutes
Makes: 1 loaf
Ingredients:
For the dough:
180ml Milk
1 sachet Yeast (7g)
50g Granulated Sugar
1 Egg
56g Butter
390g Strong White Bread Flour
3/4 tsp Salt
For the filling:
150g Softened Butter
150g Granulated Sugar*
1 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
For the glaze:
50g Caster Sugar
50ml Warm Water
*Can use light or dark brown sugar too.
Method:
Place the butter and milk in a saucepan and heat until the butter has melted. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top. Leave to rest for a few minutes.
Add the sugar and egg and mix. Then sift in the flour and salt and combine either with a stand mixer or a spoon. Knead in the mixer for 5-6 minutes followed by 2 minutes by hand, or 8 minutes total by hand.
Place in an oiled bowl, cover with cling film and let prove in a warm place for two hours or until doubled in size.
Knock back the air with your knuckles then cover again with cling film and leave to prove in the fridge overnight.
Allow the dough to come back to room temperature before rolling out into a large rectangle, approximately 0.5cm thick.
Mix the softened butter, cinnamon and sugar in a bowl until it forms a paste, then spread evenly over dough.
Roll up the dough along the long edge then slice along the middle (lengthways so you are cutting it into two thinner pieces which are just as long) to expose the striped cinnamon filling.
Twist the strands around each other and tuck the ends in so it fits in a lined loaf tin. Let prove for another hour in a warm place and preheat the oven to 180°C.
Bake the babka for 45-55 minutes, covering with tin foil if the top starts to darken too much. Make the glaze by combining the warm water and the sugar and stirring until pretty much combined. Brush the glaze over the babka once it is out of the oven and let it cool in the tin.
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