I love babkas—sweet-salty brioche bread filled with something delicious, like chocolate or, in this case, cooked apples with cinnamon. The first time I made this apple babka, I was stingy with apples, and I immediately regretted that. When it comes to babkas, more is still less. You want to get that warm apple and cinnamon filling in every bite. When you pull the babka apart, you should get those buttery layers in your hand. It’s like apple pie but in babka form. This is the coziest recipe I have on my site. I make this when it’s cold outside, and I want to sit around with my family, reading and sipping my coffee. The pecan, cinnamon, and brown sugar topping is delicious and crunchy. You can leave it out if you can’t be bothered, but it adds another contrasting texture to the babka. The recipe is tweaked from my original viral recipe of chocolate babka. I also make a similar babka with nutella.
Ingredients Apple Cinnamon Babka
You will need the usual suspects - flour, eggs, sugar, and yeast. In this babka, we have a filling plus a crispy streusel topping. Here are some notes and substitutions on the ingredients. Apple - Granny Smith apples are perfect for this. They have a little tartness that cuts through the sweetness when used in desserts. Any other apples will also work. In fact, you can use other fruits like figs and blueberries. My chopped dark chocolate babka has been a staple in my Christmas menu every year! Pecans- You need to chop these up finely. You can use almonds or walnuts also. Butter—We use a fair amount of butter, both for the dough and filling. The dough should be cold and cubed, just like pie crust. You will melt butter for the filling and topping. Both salted and unsalted work. Yeast -Use fresh dry active yeast. I have used fast-acting active yeast and the regular active dry yeast with equal success. Just remember to check expiry before using. Cinnamon - We need powdered ground cinnamon. You can also use pumpkin spice instead.
How to make Apple Cinnamon Pecan Babka
Let me take you through the steps to make a Nutella Babka Prepare your loaf pan by lining it with parchment or baking paper.
Step 1 Make the Dough
You can do this the easy way—in a stand mixer or by hand. Both ways will yield the same result. Stand mixer - Add the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar to the bowl of the stand mixer. Using the hook attachment, Give it a whizz to mix it up. Add cold butter and mix it for another 30 seconds. Add the Eggs, one at a time. Add ¾ cup of milk. Let the hook attachment work for 5-6 minutes. This will develop gluten and make your bread soft. If the dough is too hard, add more milk, one tablespoon at a time. By hand -In a large bowl, add flour, yeast, salt and sugar. Mix it up with your hand. Add cold butter cubes, pinch, and rub the flour and butter to get a clumpy consistency. This should take 1-2 minutes. Add the eggs and half of the milk and mix well to form the dough. If the dough is dry, add more milk little by little. If the dough is too sticky, add flour, and if it’s too tough, add more milk. The dough might feel sticky at first. It will become smoother the more you knead it. Knead the dough for about 10-15 minutes, stretching and folding it repeatedly to develop Gluten. When kneading by hand, you need to do it for longer because kneading by hand is a slower process.
Step 2:First rise
Cover the dough with a damp cloth or cling film and keep it on the counter for 1-2 hours. Let the yeast do its business till it rises and doubles in size. Make sure the dough is well covered, otherwise you will end up with some not to nice bits of dry dough.
Step 3:Cooking the apples
Add the chopped apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon to a pan.Cover and cook till the apples are soft. If there is a lot of liquid left, cook the apples uncovered.
Step 4: Shaping the Babka
Divide the dough into two equal portions. You can make two babka breads with this amount. Roll the dough on a floured surface into a large rectangle(or something resembling a rectangle). Mix together the butter, cinnamon and sugar. Add any liquid from the cooked apples if any. Spread it on the rolled dough. Top it with the cooked apples. You should leave about an inch of space on the outside so that the seams can be closed. Pick the short side and gently Roll the dough into a log. Press the seam and put the seam side down. Using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, slice the log along the length. Pinch the ends together and braid it. Just go one side over the other alternatively. Place it in the loaf or cake pan you plan to use. Tuck the ends under. Repeat for loaf 2. Cover with cling film. Even if it doesn’t look great right now, it will look great in one hour after your second rise. I promise! And it will look even more amazing once you bake it. Trust me..this is a very forgiving recipe! As long as your yeast is good, you are good to go!
Step 4: Second Rise
After shaping, let the babka rise for the second time. This time it will fill up the loaf pan you have used. Again, the time it takes depends on how hot your kitchen is. At 25 degrees Celsius, it takes about 1-2 hours. Mix the ingredients listed under the crumb topping.Add it to the top of the babka. Preheat the oven at the end of one hour to 350 F or 180 Degree C.
Step 5:Bake
Place it on the middle rack and bake for 35-40 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Check around the 20-minute mark. If you see the babka browning too much, cover it with aluminum foil and continue baking. Remove from the oven and let it cool on a cooling rack for 10-15 minutes before you take it out from the baking tin.
Serving & Storing
Cut the babka like you would a loaf cake and serve it warm. You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Make sure it’s covered. If you make this delicious apple cinnamon babka recipe, do leave me a comment. I would love to hear from you!
