Poppy seed Babka recipe with fluffy yeast dough - Klara`s Life (2024)

FAQs

Why is my babka dough dry? ›

Like I say in the video, try not to use any flour if you can. Too much flour can create a very DRY yeast bread.

To be extra sure that your babka loaf has finished baking, you can use an instant-read thermometer to check if the internal temperature has reached 190°F. This method is also great if you don't have a long enough toothpick to get to the middle of the loaf. Don't skip the sugar syrup at the end.

The babka dough will need to rest in your fridge for at least 6 hours, but overnight is best. Unlike most bread doughs, babka will not double in size, so don't panic if your dough doesn't rise a bunch in the fridge! Remember: you're making a dense, cake-like loaf of bread here.

Babka very well might just be the king of all Jewish desserts. The sweet braided bread – usually swirled with chocolate or cinnamon – is addictively delicious, perfect either hot or room temperature, and works just as well as a sweet breakfast dish and a luxurious dessert.

But almost as good as a proofing box is taking a Mason jar filled halfway up with water, microwaving it for two minutes, then putting your bowl of dough into the microwave with the jar to rise. The other thing you can do is place your lidded container or bowl of dough into a second, larger bowl of warm water.

“Shape the dough and pop it into a greased loaf pan. Use a cover that won't touch the dough itself but will keep the surface moist. A shower cap or bowl cover is perfect. In a pinch, you can lay greased plastic wrap over the dough's surface.”

The first way to check is to simply poke the dough with your finger. If the dough bounces back without sticking to your finger, it's been kneaded enough. If it doesn't, you need to keep kneading.

One theory says Babka is indigenous to the Ukraine, part of an ancient fertility symbol. The story of chocolate and the Jewish community is a bit different in the Mediterranean. There, Jews and chocolate went together like bagels and cream cheese. Don't miss what matters.

A babka is a sweet braided bread which originated in the Jewish communities of Poland and Ukraine. It is popular in Israel (often referred to as simply a yeast cake: עוגת שמרים) and in the Jewish diaspora.

Why is my dough so sticky? Your dough can become sticky when you add too much water or the flour isn't suitable for the type of dough you are making. Over proofing or fermenting the dough can also result in the gluten structure weakening causing sticky dough.

How long does homemade babka last? ›

Babka will always be best the same day, but they'll hold well at room temperature up to three days after baking. Store the cooled babkas in a sealed container or wrapped in plastic.

Babka Recipe Variations

Cinnamon, poppy seeds, almond paste and cheese are all traditional companions for the cake with the challah-like crumb. But it doesn't get more popular than chocolate babka nowadays, which adds an element of decadence to the dense loaf.

borrowed from Yiddish & Polish; Yiddish babke (in sense a), borrowed from Polish babka (in sense b), literally, "old woman, grandmother," diminutive of baba "grandmother, midwife, old woman"

Babka Cake

In Poland, Albania, Macedonia and Bulgaria, Babke Cake is usually baked to be eaten on Easter Sunday, although it's also enjoyed during other celebrations too.

Brush the warm, just-baked babka with simple syrup. This will help keep it moist. You want to get the sugar on the outer crust and let it drain through the cake, but take care not to drench it. "You should have a good idea of when the babka is absorbing the syrup, and when to stop.

Why does the dough dry out? If the storage container you proofed your dough balls in was not completely sealed, there's a good chance that air has been circulating the dough, causing it to dry out or form a skin. This is typical of long proofing times, either in the out of the fridge when the seal isn't secure.

Milk and water.

I use a mixture of milk and water - milk provides amazing moisture. You can use all milk if you like, but I like to use a little water so that I can add boiling water into the milk to quickly bring it to just under room temperature so I don't have to take the milk out before I start making the bread.