Maple Pecan Babka Bread!

If you love bread, you need to learn how to make babka! Babka is a sweet braided brioche bread, which is usually stuffed with either a chocolate or cinnamon filling – and with it’s swirls inside and out, is visually stunning! 🍞🙌😍

⭐️ If you’d like more tips and tricks on how to make the perfect babka, or you’d like to see the dough at each stage of the process, watch my recipe video here: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miwzW-y2G1w](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miwzW-y2G1w)

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📍 **INGREDIENTS** 📍

**Babka Bread**

205g whole eggs (that’s about 4 large eggs!)

60g sugar

150g butter, very soft

145g whole milk

5g active dry yeast

500g bread flour

10g salt

butter or parchment paper, for lining the pans

**Filling**

200g pecans

120ml double cream (or heavy cream)

107ml maple syrup

50g brown sugar

170g salted butter

10ml vanilla extract

a 2-3 tbsp. maple syrup, drizzled on at the end

**⚡️ This recipe makes 2 babka loaves!**

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✅ **METHOD** ✅

1. To a mixing bowl, add 205g whole eggs (approximately 4 large eggs), 60g sugar, 150g soft butter, 145g whole milk and 5g active dry yeast. Mix this together until the butter disperses through the liquid and the egg yolks break. If your mixer fails to do this (like mine did!), feel free to use a fork to help the process!

2. To your wet mix add 500g bread flour. On top of the flour, add 10g salt. Mix this until your dough becomes shaggy in texture. Let the dough rest for 20-30 minutes.

3. Time to knead your dough! You can do this in your mixer, but I like to do this bit by hand! Liberally flour your work surface and tip out your dough onto your counter. Push the dough away from you and pull back on itself, rotating the dough a few degrees with each pull back. If you find the dough is sticking to your hand, or the dough needs more flour, add some flour to your hands. Once the dough becomes tight, give it a few slaps on your counter, just to make sure it’s fully kneaded! You’ll know your dough is ready when you press into it with a finger; it should bounce back to you.

4. Place your dough into a bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and let your dough prove for 1.5 – 2 hours.

5. Let’s make the caramel sauce filling! To a saucepan, add 120ml double cream, 107ml maple syrup, 50g brown sugar and 170g salted butter. Turn your stove to medium heat and stir frequently. Once your caramel sauce thickens and begins to bubble, let it cook for a further 1-2 minutes, take your saucepan off the heat and add in 10ml vanilla extract. I like to pour my caramel into another bowl, to help it cool quicker! Finely chop 200g pecans.

6. After 1.5 – 2 hours, your dough should be ready. You can check it’s proved correctly by poking it with your finger; the indentation should remain! Cut your dough in half (this makes 2 babka loaves!) and roll out each piece into a 9” x 16” rectangle. Next, pour a little less than half of your cooled caramel sauce. Spread the sauce across your dough, leaving a 2cm border around the entirety of your dough. Sprinkle on half of your chopped pecans.

7. From the 9” end, begin rolling up the length of the dough. Try to keep your roll as tight as possible. Once you get to the end, pull the end of the dough up and pinch it to the dough roll! Chill your dough rolls in the freezer for 15 minutes.

8. Generously butter 2 2lb. loaf pans. Once your dough rolls have chilled, take them out of the freezer and with a sharp knife, slice lengthwise down the centre of the dough, cutting it into 2 long pieces. Now for braiding! With the cut-sides facing upwards, start by overlapping one of the long strips over the centre of the other strip. Then lift the right half over the left half, followed by the left half over the right half. Repeat, twisting the dough to make a two-stranded plait.

9. Pop your twisted dough into your pre-prepared pan. Cover your tins with a clean tea towel and let your dough prove again for 1.5 – 2 hours.

10. About 30 minutes before they finish proving, pre-heat your oven to 190C | 375F. Bake for 35 – 45 minutes, or until they’re golden brown. As soon as the babka loaves come out of the oven, pour on a few tablespoons of pure maple syrup. Let your loaves cool in the pans for 10 minutes, and then out of their pans for a further 20 minutes before slicing. Enjoy! 🥰

This is one of our favourite breads to bake! It’s not a difficult bake; it just takes a lot of time due to the resting/proving times! This recipe makes 2 loaves, because one loaf won’t last very long! 😂

If you have any questions, feel free to comment below! If you’d rather a chocolate babka recipe, or a baklava inspired bakba bun recipe, let me know and I’ll share a link! 😸

Dani, Gordon & Kiki – Black Cat Kitchen

Already started the dough and send out for whipping cream. Thank for sharing the recipe.