Apple Babka

5 from 7 votes

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!

Prep Time6

Cook Time40

Total Time6 40

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: European

Servings: servings (2 loaves)

Calories: 416kcal

Author: Heather Perine

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 9x5” 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.

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