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Apple Cinnamon Babka Recipe

Name: Apple Cinnamon Babka Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Polish
Ingredients: 2 cups (240g) of all-purpose flour; ½ cup of warm milk; 1 tbsp of instant yeast; 2 tbsps of butter; 1 egg yolk + egg white to brush the dough; a pinch of salt; 3 tbsps of sugar; 3 apples; 1 tbsp of cinnamon; 1 tbs of sugar; 3 tbsps of all-purpose flour; 1 ½ tbsp of butter; 1 ½ tbsp of sugar

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Babka is a popular sweetened bread that can be found all across Poland. There are many variants to babka. One really easy recipe to make is the apple cinnamon babka. This recipe involves the use of yeast leavened dough which is remarkably similar to other bread dough. It is then combined with apple and cinnamon to give it the characteristic taste.

Why Apples?

The reason why apple cinnamon babka is so popular is because apples make up 80 percent of the Polish fruit production every year! That translates into roughly 2.5 million tons of apples. Yes! That is a lot of apples. Since there are so many apples during the fruit season, you will find apples in every store. They are fresh, cheap and easily accessible.

Plus, apples are really delicious and versatile fruits to work with. When you use them in cooking or baking, apples tend to retain their consistency and shape. This makes them really popular.

An apple is also considered a super fruit. In fact, you’ve probably heard that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. This is because of the myriad of benefits that fruit has to offer. Apples are rich in antioxidants and Vitamin C. Plus they also contain high fiber. That is why people advocate eating apples with their skin. In fact, eating the skin of an apple increases your antioxidant intake by as much as six times!

Apple Cinnamon Babka Recipe

Part I – Knead The Dough

Add 2 cups of all purpose flour, ½ cup of warm milk, 1 tbsp. of instant yeast, 2 tbsps. of butter, 1 egg yolk, a pinch of salt and 3 tbsps. of sugar into a large bowl. Combine the ingredients together either by using your hand or with a dough hook. Knead the dough well. You should have a smooth consistency when you are done.

Part II – Place The Dough Aside

Once you are done kneading the dough, place it in a clean bowl and cover it with a clean kitchen cloth. This is done so that the dough will not dry when exposed to air.

Part III – Let The Dough Rest

Keeping the dough to rest is an important part in any bread recipe. It allows the yeast to do their work and the dough begins to rise due to it. Usually the dough is kept aside for an hour. Make sure to keep it in a warm location as yeast needs warmth. The dough is ready when it has doubled in size, which usually occurs after an hour.

Part IV – Peel And Grate The Apples

Part V – Mix The Apples With Cinnamon And Sugar

Take the grated apples and mix them with 1 tbsp. of cinnamon and 1 tbsp. of sugar. This will help add flavor and sweetness to the apple cinnamon babka.

Part VI – Make The Crumble

Combine 3 tbsps of all-purpose flour, 1 ½ tbsp of butter and 1 ½ tbsp of sugar. Mix them all together thoroughly.

Part VII – Preheat The Oven To 356 F

Part VIII – Line A Bread Pan

For the apple cinnamon babka recipe, you will need a big bread pan. Line the pan with parchment paper. You can also oil it and sprinkle breadcrumbs. The choice is entirely up to you. The idea is to make it easy to remove the apple cinnamon babka when it is done.

Part IX- Roll Out The Dough

Use a floured surface to roll out the dough. Ensure that the size of your dough matches the length of your bread pan.

Part X – Squeeze The Apple Filling

The apple filling will be moist after the addition of sugar and cinnamon. Squeeze it before adding it. This serves to remove all the excess water as water will change the consistency of the apple cinnamon babka.

Part XI – Spread The Apple Filling Onto The Dough

Take the squeezed apple filling and generously layer it on top of the dough. Do not place it near the edges.

Part XII – Roll The Pastry

Now roll the pastry starting from one edge. This will form circular layers as you go. You can now see why you need to ensure that the length matches your bread pan. Tuck the ends of the roll under it. This will prevent the babka from leaking the filling out of it while it is baked.

Now carefully place this into the bread pan. Some people choose to twist it while doing so. This gives the apple cinnamon babka a rather knotty look.

Part XIII – Brush The Babka With Egg White And Sprinkle With Crumble

Use egg white to brush the top of the babka.

Part XIV – Bake For 25 Minutes

FAQs About Apple Cinnamon Babka

Is Babka A Dessert Or A Breakfast?

Babka is a form of sweetened bread. The dish looks beautiful when baked. It has a lot of swirls which add flavor to the bread. While the bread is sweet it isn’t as sweet as say a doughnut. In fact, due to this delicate balance of sweetness, you will find that babka is served as both a dessert and at breakfast.

If you want the apple cinnamon babka to taste even sweeter, you can increase the amount of sugar added to the apple filling. It isn’t necessary as the apples themselves carry their own sweetness.

What Do You Serve With Babka?

Babka pairs amazingly well with coffee. The sweetness of the bread contrasts starkly with the bitterness of the coffee and makes it a perfect match. People do choose to have it with tea too. Apple cinnamon babka is remarkably versatile and is great as a stand alone snack too.

Are There Any Other Popular Babka Recipes?

While apple cinnamon babka is one of the iconic recipes, there are loads of other babka recipes that you can try. Here are a few of them.

Yield: 12 slices

Apple Cinnamon Babka Recipe

Apple cinnamon babka is an easy recipe that is very popular in the apple season. It works well for breakfast or as a desert or snack.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Ingredients

Babka Dough

2 cups (240g) of all-purpose flour
½ cup of warm milk
1 tbsp of instant yeast
2 tbsps of butter
1 egg yolk + egg white to brush the dough
a pinch of salt
3 tbsps of sugar

Apple Filling

3 apples
1 tbsp of cinnamon
1 tbs of sugar

Crumble

3 tbsps of all-purpose flour
1 ½ tbsp of butter
1 ½ tbsp of sugar

Instructions

Knead the dough using your hand or food processor.
Place the dough in a big bowl and cover it with a clean kitchen cloth.
Let the dough rest in a warm place for an hour. After that time, it should double its size.
In the meantime, peel and grate the apples.
Mix them with cinnamon and sugar.
Make the crumble by mixing all the ingredients together.
Preheat the oven to 356°F (180°C).
Line the big bread pan with parchment paper or oil it then sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
Roll out the dough onto a floured surface. It should match the length of your bread pan.
Squeeze out the apple filling making sure it's dry.
Spread the apple filling onto the dough, avoiding the edges.
Roll up the pastry, starting at one of the long ends. Make sure to tuck the ends of the roll under it. (that will prevent the filling from leaking out).
Carefully move the apple babka onto the bread pan. You may twist it if you want.
Brush babka with egg white.
Sprinkle with crumble.
Bake for 25 minutes.