Cinnamon Babka
February 21, 2008 at 2:32 pm | In Dessert | 19 Comments
“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.”
I had never heard of a Babka until that Seinfeld aired- The Dinner Party. This is one of my all time favorite episodes…George in his Gore-Tex coat shopping for wine with Kramer, Elaine and Jerry in The Royal Bakery wanting a Chocolate Babka but someone else gets the last one so they get the Cinnamon Babka. Jerry eating the infamous Black and White cookie…so many memorable scenes.
I found a recipe on Epicurious and after a couple of tries, here’s my Cinnamon Babka. I think Jerry and Elaine would be happy.
Cinnamon Babka (makes 2 loaves)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 package dry yeast
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 t salt
- 1 cup non-fat milk
- 4 cups flour
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup chopped golden raisins
Filling:
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 egg
- 2 Tbsp milk
- 1 cup flour
- egg wash
- Cream the butter and 1/2 cup sugar until smooth
- In a seperate bowl, beat the egg yolks. Mix the yeast in warm water with 1/2 tsp of sugar. After this thickens, add it to the egg yolks along with the vanilla and salt.
- Combine the milk with the egg yolks and the creamed butter and sugar.
- Begin adding the flour until a soft dough is formed. Mix in nuts and raisins. Knead the dough until it is no longer sticky.
- Cover the dough and allow it to rise in a warm place, about 2-5 hours.
- Spray a bowl with non-stick spray, place the dough in it and allow to rise another 2-3 hours.
- For the filling, cream the cinnamon, sugar and butter, then mix in the egg, milk and flour.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 12×20 inch rectange. Spread the filling over the dough within 1 inch of the edges. Holding the long side, roll up, cut in half and put each bread in a buttered and floured loaf bread pan. Brush the top with an egg/water wash.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Allow to cool completely before slicing.
I am submitting this Cinnamon Babka to MasterBaker’s first event: Cinnamon
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I love how the cinnamon filling is oozing out in that first photo!
Comment by Deborah — February 22, 2008 #
Wow that looks delicious! The first picture makes me want to go home and start baking right now.
Comment by Karina — February 22, 2008 #
I don’t know if I have ever had a babka…this looks delicious. What to bake? What to make?
Comment by Gretchen Noelle — February 22, 2008 #
Love the cinnamon sticks!! Your love for baking is turning you into quite the photographer.
Comment by emgray — February 22, 2008 #
I love babka, …but I must admit chocolate babka really is out of this world. I have been wanting to make cinnamon babka for awhile. Especially after seeing your first photo with cinnamon mixture oozing out. …mmm…babka
Comment by Gigi — February 22, 2008 #
That oozy cinnamon goodness looks amazing!
Thanks for the entry.
Comment by nikki57 — February 22, 2008 #
i love seinfeld, i love cinnamon, and i love those pictures. nicely done!
Comment by a. grace — February 22, 2008 #
Cinnamon Babka! Mmmm! I could almost smell it. I LOVE bread, and even more so with sugar in it. That looks beautiful and delicious! Send me some if I give you my address?
Seinfeld is awesome! I don’t think I’ve seen that episode though…
Comment by Colette — February 22, 2008 #
That looks amazing! Another recipe dog-eared!
Comment by megan — February 23, 2008 #
Oh, yum…I LOVE cinnamon.
Comment by Angela — February 23, 2008 #
I love that episode!! Next you should make a marble rye…
Comment by arimcg — February 25, 2008 #
arimcg- “a marble rye”, that one made me laugh! I’ve always wanted to do a black and white cookie!
Comment by Karen — February 25, 2008 #
[...] Cinnamon Babka – Do Better – Karen [...]
Pingback by February - Master Baker Entries « Masterbaker’s Weblog — March 7, 2008 #
Holy cow, that looks amazing! I have a chocolate babka recipe that’s been sitting in my “to make” list for a while now. I think you’ve given me motivation to whip it up pronto!
Comment by Dawn — March 7, 2008 #
This look absolutely delicious. Is it bad to want to make french toast out of them? I consult for a restaurant where they serve apple cider syrup with their cornmeal waffles, and that’s just topping that I’d want to slather all over these babka frenchies.
Comment by Kirstin — March 10, 2008 #
[...] and White Cookies March 13, 2008 at 9:42 pm | In Dessert | Tags: cookies After making the Cinnamon Babka, Couch Cubicle suggested I try a marble rye. Maybe someday. But for now here’s the Black [...]
Pingback by Black and White Cookies « Do Better — March 14, 2008 #
I came here after doing a search on cinnamon babka because I just watched the Seinfeld episode and was curious what a babka was. It looks great. I am a bit leary of making one myself as I am not much of a baker. But I do hope to try this soon. In the mean time I found a jewish bakery that is quite a distance away. Thought I’d try their’s first. It’s nice to meet a fellow believer in Christ who has the same desires I have. (losing weight, cooking ideas etc.
Thank you for your blog.
Comment by Mary B. — August 16, 2008 #
Thia is the best cinnamon babka i ever had!The dough is light ,fluffy and really excellant!Very easy to do and the best babka danish you will every make!Thank you so much for putting the recipe on line!!!!!
Kathie
Comment by kathie p. — August 24, 2008 #
Okay, I must be a dunce. But, I had to add an extra two cups of flour to get the dough to come together. It looked like a muffin batter not a bread batter. I kneaded in my kitchen aid for 10+ minutes. When it did come together I tasted it – and it tasted awesome. Will see what it does from there…my thought was perhaps you meant milk powder and not liquid milk.
Comment by Robin — April 11, 2009 #