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The Best Cinnamon Babka Recipe

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★★★★★

5 from 84 reviews

This cinnamon babka recipe creates a beautifully soft, rich, and braided yeast bread filled with a luscious cinnamon-sugar butter mixture. Perfect for breakfast, dessert, or a sweet snack, this babka features a tender, buttery crumb and a fragrant cinnamon filling that caramelizes during baking. The process includes an optional overnight fridge proof for enhanced flavor and texture, resulting in a moist and flavorful loaf with a glossy, sweet finish.

Ingredients

Scale

Dough

  • 120 g whole milk (lukewarm)
  • 2 ½ teaspoons instant yeast (or active dried yeast)
  • 50 g granulated sugar
  • 500 g all-purpose flour
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla paste (or extract)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 170 g unsalted butter (at room temperature, cubed)

Filling

  • 113 g unsalted butter (softened)
  • 150 g soft brown sugar
  • 1 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • Pinch salt
  • 50 g granulated sugar

Syrup

  • 50 g granulated sugar
  • 60 g water

Instructions

  1. Activate Yeast: Add the lukewarm milk, yeast, and 50g granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. If using active dry yeast, let it sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy to activate the yeast.
  2. Mix Dough: Add the eggs, all-purpose flour, vanilla paste, and salt to the milk mixture. Mix until a thick dough forms.
  3. Incorporate Butter: Add the room temperature cubed butter in small portions while mixing. Continue mixing to incorporate fully into the dough.
  4. Knead Dough: Increase mixer speed to medium and knead for at least 15 minutes until the dough strengthens, passes the windowpane test, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. The dough should be soft but strong and slightly sticky.
  5. First Proof: Shape the dough into a ball on a lightly floured surface, transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1–2 hours.
  6. Optional Overnight Refrigeration: After an initial 1-hour rise at room temperature, cover tightly and refrigerate for 8–16 hours to enhance flavor and texture. The dough will be stiff but will loosen when ready to shape.
  7. Prepare Filling: Beat the softened butter, soft brown sugar, ground cinnamon, pinch of salt, and 50g granulated sugar together in a large bowl until creamy and smooth. Set aside.
  8. Divide and Roll Dough: Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Weigh and divide into two equal portions. Roll each portion into an 11×14 inch (27×35 cm) rectangle.
  9. Spread Filling: Dollop half the cinnamon-sugar butter mixture onto each rectangle, leaving a ½ inch (1 cm) border around the edges. Use an offset spatula to spread evenly.
  10. Roll into Log: Roll the dough tightly from the long side to form a log (jelly roll style). Place logs in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to firm up.
  11. Braid the Dough: Slice each log lengthwise in half. Cross the left half over the right repeatedly to create a braid. Tuck ends under to compact the loaf, then place into greased and parchment-lined 9×5 inch loaf pans.
  12. Second Proof: Let the shaped babkas rise again until nearly doubled, approximately 1-2 hours, depending on room temperature.
  13. Preheat Oven: Set the oven to 350°F (180°C) and position a rack in the center.
  14. Bake Babkas: Bake the babkas for 35-40 minutes until deep golden brown. If tops brown too quickly, loosely cover with foil.
  15. Make Syrup: While baking, combine sugar and water in a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat until sugar dissolves, then remove from heat.
  16. Glaze Babkas: Immediately after baking, brush the babkas liberally with the prepared syrup to add shine and sweetness.
  17. Cool and Serve: Allow the babkas to cool in their pans for 20 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve at room temperature or slightly warm.

Notes

  • You can use active dry yeast but it requires proofing in warm milk until foamy before mixing.
  • The optional overnight fridge proof deepens flavor and improves dough texture.
  • Keep the butter for the dough at room temperature to ensure it incorporates evenly.
  • Be patient with the kneading step; well-developed gluten is key for soft, structured babka.
  • Ensure filling is spread evenly but leave borders to prevent filling from leaking out during rolling.
  • Chilling the logs before slicing helps achieve clean, even cuts for braiding.
  • If babka tops brown too much during baking, tent with foil to prevent burning.
  • Brush with the sugar syrup warm to ensure the babka remains moist and shiny.
  • Store babka wrapped at room temperature for up to 2 days or freeze for longer storage.

Keywords: Cinnamon babka, braided bread, yeast bread, cinnamon swirl bread, holiday bread, sweet bread

Find it online: https://heutigemahlzeiten.com/the-best-cinnamon-babka-recipe/