This cinnamon babka is pillowy soft, perfectly cinnamon-y, and topped with a delicious maple glaze. Babka is one of my favorite desserts of all time - cinnamon babka, chocolate babka, fruit babka, they are all phenomenal.
1standardinstant yeast packetmust be instant! 1 standard package of yeast is 2 ¼ teaspoons.
1teaspoonsalt
¼teaspoonnutmeg
2eggsroom temperature
½cup(120mL)whole milkroom temperature
5tablespoons(71grams)unsalted butter, dividedroom temperature
1egglightly beaten, for brushing
Cinnamon Filling
⅔cup(133grams)brown sugar
1tablespoonground cinnamon
¼cup(57grams)unsalted buttermelted
Maple Glaze (Optional)
½cup(60grams)powdered sugar
2tablespoonsmaple syrup
½tablespoonwhole milk
Instructions
Dough
In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, sugar, yeast, salt and nutmeg. Add the eggs and milk. Using the dough hook attachment, mix on low-medium speed until a dough forms, 1-2 minutes. You may need to scrap down the sides of the bowl occasionally as needed.
On medium speed, add the butter, tablespoon by tablespoon, waiting until each tablespoon is incorporated before adding another one. Once all the butter is added and combined, bump up the speed to medium-high and knead for 10 minutes. The dough will be sticky but smooth and stretchy. It should be slightly sticking to the bottom of the bowl, but not the sides.
Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for about 3 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.
Filling
Once the dough has about 10-15 minutes left to rise, make the filling. In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Add the melted butter and whisk to combine.
Rolling out the dough
Prepare a 9x5 inch loaf pan by lining it with parchment paper.
Once the dough has doubled in size, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12x16 inch rectangle.
Spread the filling on the entirety of the rolled out dough.
Starting on the short side, tightly roll up the dough so you have a 12 inch log.
Then, cut the dough in half length wise.
With the cut sides facing up, begin to weave the two pieces together over and under each other.
Place the dough into the prepared loaf pan. Cover and let rise for an additional 30-40 minutes until it is puffy.
Baking
When the dough has 10 minutes left to rise in the pan, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius).
Lightly beat an egg and brush the dough with the egg wash using a pastry brush or your finger. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the edges are golden brown and a tooth pick inserted into the center comes out with no resistance. If you notice the bread browning too quickly, loosely cover the pan with a piece of tin foil and continue baking. Let cool in the pan.
Maple Glaze (Optional)
While the babka is baking, prepare the maple glaze. In a bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, maple syrup and milk until combined and smooth. Once the babka is cool enough, pour the glaze on and enjoy!