Apple Babka
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A sweet, enriched babka bread, with an cinnamon apple filling swirled throughout– make this apple babka bread recipe with step by step photos for complete success!
Ok it might be sad that summer is basically over. But let’s rejoice with apple season. I mean I don’t think you can be sad if you make some homemade apple babka. Even if you are it’s a great way to drown your sorrows am I right?
Because this was a recipe that I found myself having a hard time not taking bite after bite of. Like, a really hard time. I know that’s when I’ve stumbled up on a great recipe. This apple babka bread starts with a rich brioche dough, cinnamon brown sugar swirl, and apples cooked in a little bit of butter, and then topped with a crumble topping before baking.
Yup, this bread makes it ALL OK that summer is coming to a close. Apples + Bread = One Happy Girl. It took me a few attempts to get this bread right. The “bad versions” were also gobbled up! Yes even the “not so perfect” apple babkas were still crazy good. But I think I nailed down a perfect version for you!
Table of contents
What Kind Of Bread Is Babka?
If you are unfamiliar with babka, it is brioche like bread (meaning a rich buttery and eggy dough).
This version is the more traditional Jewish version where the dough is rolled into a thin rectangle covered in chocolate and and rolled. The dough is then cut in half and twisted, and placed in a loaf pan.
This bread is a bit addicting, so beware. It would be great for brunch, and leftovers? I’m sure a babka French toast wouldn’t be so bad either. (making mental note as I enjoy a slice of babka)
Ingredients Needed
For the brioche dough:
For the apple filling:
For the cinnamon and crumb topping filling:
Ingredient Notes
- Yeast – I used instant yeast, but you can also use active dry yeast but your dough will take longer to rise. I love and recommend Red Star platinum yeast, which has dough enhancers and produces amazing results every single time.
- Apples – I love using Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Cortland apples for baking but you can use other varieties as well. I do recommend that you peel and then thinly dice so they can easily fit inside the dough.
How Do You Make Apple Babka?
Make The Dough
Yes this can be a time consuming lovely sourdough bread recipe. But let’s break this down step by step.
- Make The Dough. In a mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, stir together flour, sugar, and salt together in the bowl. Add starter, eggs, yolk, milk, and vanilla using the dough hook. Mix on low speed until mixture comes together, scraping down the bowl and hook as needed. On low speed, add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until incorporated. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
- Knead dough. Increase speed to medium and knead with the dough hook for about 10 minutes. The dough should have pulled away from the sides of the bowl.
- Bulk Rise. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, turning the dough, so it is evenly coated. Cover with a damp towel and let rise for 6-8 hours. You don’t have to oil the bowl, if you use a dough scraper in the end it’s not necessary.
Make Your Filling
- Cook apples and butter. Stir together the butter and sliced apples in a saucepan and heat over low heat until the butter is melted, and the apples are softened, about 3 minutes.
- Add lemon juice. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
Shaping The Babka Part 1
- Roll Out Dough. Divide dough in half. On a floured surface, roll one dough half into a rectangle about 12 x 12 inches. If you roll the dough too long it won’t fit in your loaf pan in the end.
- Add cinnamon mixture. Spread half of the cinnamon filling over the rolled dough. Remember you’re making two loaves so save some for the second loaf!
- Add apples. Sprinkle with half of the cooked apples on top into a single layer, making sure they lay flat.
- Roll up dough. Starting on the 10-inch short side, roll up the dough tightly. Fold the ends underneath to seal.
Shaping The Babka Part 2
- Shape the dough into a “U”. Just bring one dough up to the other end to form the letter, U.
- Twist the dough into a figure 8. Place one end over the other end, and then twist one more time to form an 8. If your dough is too small to twist into an “8” gently stretch the dough lengthwise to get it twist, just don’t tear the dough. Don’t worry this doesn’t have to be perfect!
- Place into your prepared loaf pan. Tuck the ends underneath and place into your loaf pan. Prepare second loaf. Cover the pans with greased plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until puffy. During the last 20 minutes of rising, preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Top with crumb topping and bake. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over the babka loaves at the end of the second rise. Bake the breads in the oven for 40–50 minutes, or until 190ºF.
Recipe Tips
- Measure your flour using a kitchen scale . You can use measuring cups but for best accuracy it’s better use a kitchen scale and weigh out your flour. This ensures you don’t over-measure, which can result in dense rolls. You can read my post on How To Measure Flour here.
- Grease the bowl for rising. You don’t want the dough to dry out so grease your mixing bowl and make sure to turn the dough over once to coat.
- Do not use cold milk. This will help with how long it takes to rise. Colder milk will slow down the process (the dough will still rise just a bit slower). Room temperature is fine I don’t heat it, but you don’t want it straight from the fridge.
- Don’t Roll Out Your Dough Too Long. I aim for about 12×12 but if it’s rolled out too much, then it won’t fit in your pan.
Recipe FAQ’s
You can place the dough in the refrigerator overnight, before baking. Then take out and let rise at room temperature for 30-45 minutes before proceeding.
You can freeze the dough, unbaked, shaped before it goes through its final rise. Cover well and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then let rise at room temperature for 1-2 hours until puffy. Bake as normal. You can freeze the dough or the baked loaves. If you freeze the dough you can have fresh hot out of the oven Babka whenever you want. You can also freeze baked Babka. This recipe makes two loaves, so freezing one is a fantastic idea. Just allow it to cool completely, then wrap in plastic wrap and then tin-foil and freeze for up to 3 months. You can thaw at room temperature.
This bread is great at room temperature for up to 3 days. Wrap in plastic wrap after it’s cooled.
More Recipes To Try
Also check out: 15+ Apple Recipes To Make This Fall
Apple Babka
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 510 g (4 ¼ cups) all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- 100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 120 ml (½ cup) milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 141 g (10 Tablespoons) unsalted butter softened
For the apple filling:
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 large apples peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
For the cinnamon filling:
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup (213 g) light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup (60 g) all-purpose Flour
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
For the crumb topping:
- ½ cup (107 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ cup (60 g) all-purpose flour
- 6 Tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter cold
Instructions
- Make The Dough. In a mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, stir together flour, yeast, sugar, and salt together in the bowl. Add eggs, milk, and vanilla using the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until mixture comes together, scraping down the bowl and hook as needed. On low Speed, add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until incorporated. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
- Knead dough. Increase speed to medium and knead with the dough hook for about 10 minutes. The dough should have pulled away from the sides of the bowl.
- Bulk Rise. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, turning the dough, so it is evenly coated. Cover with a damp towel and let rise for 1 ½- 2 hours.
- Make apple filling. Stir together the butter and sliced apples in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until the butter is melted and the apples are softened, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
- Make cinnamon filling. In a small bowl, put the melted butter into a medium bowl and add the remaining ingredients, stirring until the mixture is the texture of damp sand. Set aside.
- Prepare Pans. Grease, or butter two 9×5” loaf pans. Line pans with parchment paper. Grease again one more time. I just simply spray with non-stick spray.
- Shape Babka. Divide dough in half. On a floured surface, roll one dough half into a rectangle about 12 x 12 inches. Spread half of the cinnamon filling over the rolled dough. Sprinkle on half of the apples. Starting with the end closest to you, roll up the dough fairly tightly into a log. Fold the ends underneath. Twist into a figure 8. I first make a "u", then twist the dough over on itself twice. Tuck the ends underneath. Place in one of the prepared pans. Repeat with the second dough.
- Proof. Cover the pans with greased plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 1- 1 1/2 hours until puffy. During the last 20 minutes of rising, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Make the crumb topping. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over the babka loaves at the end of the second rise.
- Bake. Place loaf pans onto a baking sheet (in case the breads drip). Bake the breads in the oven for 40–50 minutes, or until 190ºF.
Notes
- Make Ahead: You can place the dough in the refrigerator overnight to rise. Just cover with plastic wrap. Remove from the fridge and let rise at room temperature for about 30-45 minutes.
- Freezing: You can freeze the dough, unbaked, shaped before it goes through its final rise. Cover well and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then let rise at room temperature for 1-2 hours until puffy. Bake as normal. You can also freeze baked Babka. Just allow it to cool completely, then wrap in plastic wrap and then tin-foil and freeze for up to 3 months. You can thaw at room temperature.
- Storage: Bread can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days, just wrap well in plastic wrap once it is fully cooled.
- Apples: I like to use Granny Smith, Cortland, or Honeycrisp but any variety will work.
- Yeast: I used Red Star platinum instant yeast, but an variety of instant yeast will work. You can also use active dry yeast but your dough will take longer to rise.
I’ve never had apple babka before, but this looks amazing and very yummy! We love apple anything here at the house. Such a perfect and delicious bread for fall!
Doesn’t adding apple always make things better?! So hope you give this a try and can’t wait to hear what you think!
Oh my, I am excited to try this apple Babka! I’ve never had this flavor before and it sounds marvelous!
It’s seriously a winner! I hope you enjoy and can’t wait to hear what you think of the apple!
This is going to become a new favorite recipe to make this fall. I love the steip0by-step directions for making everything from start to finish.
That makes me so happy to hear, Sharon! Thanks for your sweet comment 🙂
Such a gorgeous loaf for the fall season! I can’t wait for the temps to cool down a bit here so I can start my fall baking. Dreaming of a slice of this beauty!
It is SO yummy to enjoy while curled up in a sweater! I hope you enjoy this tasty babka, Catherine!
What perfect instructions! I’m looking forward to baking this once the weather cools down a bit! And I cannot wait. It looks delicious!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the post, Patty! Let me know how you like the babka 🙂