Babka has to be in the top five when it comes to desserts. Basically, any filling you put in the pillowy dough is pretty delicious, especially chocolate and cinnamon. However, they may have some new competition with this new jelly donut babka recipe
Jelly Donut Babka
Babka is one of my favorite desserts to make. Chocolate and cinnamon are still my go-to flavors, but I’ve started to experiment with a few fun flavors this year and they have been a huge hit. My favorite so far has been s’mores, but this jelly donut isn’t far behind. This babka isn’t super traditional when it comes to filling. The idea is a riff off a jelly donut and sounds like it could be a good Hanukkah dessert alongside those jelly donuts.
If for some reason you’re unfamiliar with babka, it’s a yeasted dough filled with something sweet or sometimes savory. You might have heard it called a chocolate meltaway or chocolate bread, which is something similar but not truly babka.
Babka Tips
A few tips when making any babka, no matter the filling
- Be patient and let the dough rise. The rise on this dough takes about 2-4 hours. If you are short on time, the 2 hours is fine. However, the dough always comes out better when I let it sit for 4 full hours.
- Stick to using vegan butter or margarine in this recipe. Butter doesn’t make it as flakey for some reason. The original recipe this is adapted from was meant to keep the babka parve, so no butter.
- Don’t skimp on the filling. It might look like you have way too much, but always go with more. The dough sucks it up when you roll it, so just be gentle so it doesn’t spread out all over the place. The last thing you want is a dry pocket.
- Keep the twist simple. At least on these fillings. If you’re a pro when it comes to braids and rolls, give it a shot. But on the first try or first few, just go with a simple twist.
Check out the full recipe for the jelly donut babka below and give it a shot! What flavor combo should I go for next?
Jelly Donut Babka
Course: DessertCuisine: DessertDifficulty: Medium12
servings5
hours55
minutesThis jelly donut babka is a twist on a classic favorite.
Ingredients
- Babka Yeasted Dough
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 oz (2 envelopes active dry yeast
2 1/2 cups, plus 1 tsp sugar, divided
5 cups flour, plus extra for sprinkling
1/2 cups (3 sticks) margarine, softened, divided
2 large eggs plus 1 white (reserve yolk for glazing)
- Filling
2 12 oz jar of strawberry jelly (or any flavor choice)
2-4 tbsp powdered sugar
- Crumb Topping
1/2 cup, plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
Directions
- In a large bowl, gently combine 1/2 cup of warm water with 1 tsp of sugar and the yeast. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes, until the mixture starts to form small bubbles. Add 1/2 cup sugar, the flour, 2 sticks of the margarine, and the eggs in the bowl. Mix with a dough hook or a wooden spoon until the ingredients are combined.
- Cover the bowl with plastic and let rise for 2-4 hours. The dough should double in size.
- Once the dough is complete with the rise, preheat the oven to 375. Grease 2 12-inch loaf pans and preheat the oven to 375.
- Make crumb topping. In a bowl combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter in a small bowl. Stir together until pieces start to look like crumbs. Set aside.
- Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Take 1 piece and set the rest aside. On a well-floured surface, roll the dough into a 10×7 inch rectangle. Completely cover the dough with jam, about 1/2 jar for each section. Use 2 tbsp of the extra stick of butter and place a small cut-up piece randomly around the jelly. Dust filling with powdered sugar then roll up the dough beginning with the horizontal side of the rectangle. Repeat the steps with the remaining dough.
- When you have 2 rolls with the filling, twist them around each other, trying to keep the seam on the bottom. Tuck the ends of the loaf underneath and place it into the prepared pans. Repeat for the remaining loaf.
- Once in the pan, generously sprinkle the babka with the crumb topping. Then, brush the loaves with the reserved egg yolk and a bit of water.
- Bake the babka for 45-55 minutes, until the top has a golden brown crust. Allow to cool in the pan for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, run a knife around the babka and remove from the pan to fully cool.
Notes
- This dough yields 2 loaves of babka. If you don’t want to make both jelly, substitute with chocolate, cinnamon, apples, or s’mores.
- The babka freezes very well. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for 2-3 months.
