I love baking babka for friends and family almost as much as I love eating it. This elegant, jammy twist on a classic Jewish bread makes a perfect gift any time of year – but especially in the summer, when warm weather calls for a lighter babka filling than the typical chocolate and cinnamon.
I’ve made this babka with peach jam and four-berry jam (blueberry, blackberry, strawberry and raspberry – I’m talking about you!) But any jam goes, whether store-bought or homemade. For added crunch, sprinkle the jam with sliced, toasted almonds or chopped pecans. Made with my favorite challah dough, this babka comes together easily, and disappears even faster!
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour, divided
- 4 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup warm water
- 1/2 cup olive oil (see note below)
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup fruit jam, divided
- Sliced, toasted almonds or chopped pecans, for sprinkling
Directions
- Prepare the dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups flour, salt, sugar, and yeast. Add warm water, oil, and eggs, stirring until smooth. Add remaining flour a half-cup at a time, until a soft, shaggy dough forms. (You may not need all four cups.) Knead until smooth and elastic. If you are preparing your challah in advance, i.e. planning to let it rise overnight or for many hours during the day, less kneading is necessary; just knead a few times until the dough is smooth, and gluten will form during the long rise.
- Rise: Place challah in a large oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a reusable cover and let rise in a warm spot for at least 45 minutes. For optimal flavor, let rise overnight: place the bowl in the fridge, then remove and let warm to room temperature before shaping.
- Shape: Line two loaf pans with parchment paper, or grease and coat with a thin layer of flour. Divide dough in half with a knife or bench scraper. Roll each half into an approximately 10 x 15 inch rectangle. Spread around 1/2 cup jam evenly on each rectangle, then sprinkle with a thin layer of nuts, if adding. Roll up lengthwise, as with cinnamon or jelly rolls. Cut each roll in half lengthwise, and twist one section over the other, forming a two-strand braid. Pinch ends together and tuck.
- Proof and Bake: Place babkas in prepared loaf pans. Cover with plastic wrap or reusable covers, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size (the babka will grow to reach the top of the pan.) When babkas are almost done rising, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for around 45 minutes, until babkas are a deep golden color all around. The bottom and sides of the babka will sound hollow when tapped.
- Cool and store: Remove from pans and let babkas cool on their sides on a wire cooling rack. This prevents the babkas from collapsing. When fully cool, serve immediately or wrap in plastic and store at room temperature.
Notes
–Olive oil adds a nice fruity flavor to the dough, which complements the jam. But feel free to use a neutral oil if you prefer.
-I find that bread flour yields the best texture, but all-purpose flour works too.
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