October 25, 2008 - 10:41pm
Babke from "A Blessing of Bread" by Maggie Glezer
Babke from "A Blessing of Bread" by Maggie Glezer
Babke, cut
Babke, slice
This is for Janedo, who seems to check in with TFL before she eats breakfast. ;-)
I've wanted to find a recipe for a yeasted coffee cake that I really liked. I've had a babke in mind, but have not found a lot of recipes. I found this one in Maggie Glezer's "A Blessing of Bread," and it sounded good.
My verdict is that the bread is excellent, but the filling is waaaaaay too sweet. It has sugar (a cup), cocoa, a bit of cinnamon, raisins and chocolate bits. Oh, yeah. And 1/4 lb. of butter. I cut down on the raisins and chocolate, and still waaaay too sweet.
If anyone has a favorite recipe for babke that is wonderful and not too sweet, I'd love to try it.
David
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David you do have a sweet tooth! My blood sugar jumped just looking at the picture. I'm trying to figure out how you shaped that. I doesn't look like a jelly roll up.
Eric
Hi, Eric.
I don't have that sweet a tooth! That's the problem.
While you are checking your blood sugar, you might as well check your cholesterol too. This recipe uses over 1/2 lb of butter and 3 egg yolks, not counting the egg glaze.
The loaves are rolled up ("like a jelly roll") and all the seams pinched shut. Just before baking, you brush on the glaze and make one very deep, long cut through at least 3 layers of the dough. The cut opens up during baking.
David
David,
That looks great and I making me hungry!!! I found this one from Marcy Goldman a year or so ago. I have been trying to find time to make it again and I just haven't. It isn't that sweet to me and it is more bready which I like.
Bubka
from Marcy Goldman
Baker's Bubka With Crumb Topping
Dough
1 1/2 cups warm water (100 to 110 F)
2 tablespoons rapid-rise yeast
3 large eggs
2 yolks
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup milk powder
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups bread flour
Filling
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped almond paste
2 tablespoons corn syrup
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 cup chopped almonds, optional
Egg Wash
1 egg, pinch sugar
Crumb Topping
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup scant confectioner’s sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Generously spray two 9 by 5 inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line a double-up baking sheet with parchment paper. For an extra large bubka, use a 10-inch angel food cake pan, also sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Place the pans on the baking sheet.
In a mixer bowl, hand whisk the water and yeast together and let stand 2-3 minutes to dissolve the yeast. Briskly whisk in the eggs, egg yolks, vanilla, almond extract, lemon juice, sugar, salt, milk powder and all-purpose flour. Then stir in the butter and most of the bread flour. Mix dough, then knead as it becomes a mass, with a dough hook or by hand for about eight to ten minutes, until smooth and elastic, adding in more bread flour as required.
Remove dough hook and cover entire mixer and bowl with a large, clear plastic bag. Allow to rise, about 45-90 minutes until puffy or almost doubled in size.
This is also an ideal dough to refrigerate overnight and resume next day, allowing dough to warm up a bit before proceeding.
Whisk an egg in a small bowl for the egg wash.
For the Filling, in a food processor, process the butter, sugar, almond paste, corn syrup, cinnamon, and almonds to make a soft paste or filling.
For the Crumb Topping, in a small bowl, cut the butter, confectioner’s sugar and flour together to make a crumbly topping.
Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently deflate the dough. Divide dough in two portions. On a well-floured work surface, roll dough into a 16 inch square. Spread on the filling over dough surface. Roll up dough into a large jellyroll. Cut in half. Place both halves in prepared pan, beside each other - it doesn't matter if they are a little squished. Brush well egg wash and sprinkle with some sugar. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Spray the tops of both loaves with nonstick cooking spray. Place the pans on the prepared baking sheet and cover with the large, clear plastic bag. Let rise until the bubka is flush or a touch over the sides of the pan, 45-75 minutes. Brush with egg wash. Sprinkle with Crumb Topping.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake 40-50 minutes (55-70 minutes for one large bubka) until bubka is medium brown. Cool in pan fifteen minutes before removing to a rack or serving plate.
Makes one large or two medium bubkas.
P.S. I wanted to get around to adding grams but I haven't had time for that either.
Enjoy!
That's exactly what I am looking for!
As I said, the problem I had with the babke I made was the filling. I love filling made with almond paste in other pastries.
I want to do a side-by-side comparison of the dough recipes.
David
then possibly the butter, and just use the cocoa not the chips. The raisins would make it that much sweeter.
Hi, PaddyL.
I'm considering using Maggie's recipe for the dough, which is (believe it or not) leaner than Marcy Goldman's, but using the almond paste filling from Marcy's recipe. I will probably also use her method for forming the babka.
I agree. Too many sugery things together. Maybe there was a misprint in the book. It's so outta whack.
David
how you like it. The almond paste to me is much more delicate and european. It seems a little lighter and you enjoy the taste and texture.
Anyway, good luck and I want photos! Oh, and I didn't pack the brown sugar.
Eli
Hi, Eli.
If/when I make it, I will surely post photos.
I would make it right away, but the first two babka's used my butter quota for about 3 months! LOL
David
Ah geez! I'm LATE! The children's holidays have screwed up my routine and so my breakfast peeks are limited.
Too sweet? I'll be able to try something like this while school is out, the family would love it, I think. It looks pretty darn heavenly to me and I have all that wonderful chocolate I bought in Paris last month.
How about Eli's recipe with some chocolate chips added? Mmmmmmmm!
Jane
Hi, Jane.
You side-stepped my teasing!
I'm going to re-read Glezer's recipe. It is so outrageously too sweet, either there is a typo in the book, the filling ingredients are not clearly specified, or something.
I think it would be better with the filling in Goldman's recipe with just a little chocolate. I need to think on it.
David
My cousin makes Goldman's babka frequently, and swears by it. She made it when we were visiting there a few years ago, and it was "to die for." I don't remember it being all that sweet. She's written about it a few times on Rose Levy Beranbaum's site, and some time ago Rose also posted a version of Marcy's, I believe.
Beth
Well! All I can say is that, if Marcy, Rose, your cousin and you all endorse it, it must be wonderful!
Thanks, Beth.
David
Hi there:
Hope I'm not too late to add a babka recipe to your collection. I use the one at the following epicurious link, and it's fantastic.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/CHOCOLATE-BABKA-236707
Good luck,
KP
Not too late at all.
David
Hi David:
I forgot to mention one babka thing - if you want to cut the sweetness level, maybe using 1/2 light brown sugar and 1/2 regular sugar in the filling might do the trick. I may try that the next time I make it.
And I used Valrhona dark chocolate, I think it was 60%. But using a higher percentage chocolate might lower the sweetness factor as well. I happen to like really bitter chocolate (and beer!).
ciao,
KP
For anyone wanting to make the Goldman babka, I would recommend going to Rose's site (realbakingwithrose.com). There my cousin has written in a number of times with very helpful hints (such as covering the crumbs with foil once they get brown, as that happens before the bread is done.) You should be looking for comments by Louise.
By the way, the challah I make is Glezer's Chernowitzer. We like it so much that it's hard for me to try a different recipe, and actually I haven't tried a different one since I started making it. It's a real winner.
Beth
I will check for Louise's hints. I can use all the help I can get. :-)
David
David,
You've got great crust and crumb there. Don't know about this recipe (Glezer) but it looks similar to a brioche dough. The "upside" is, with a beautiful loaf like you have there, the filling is a minor detail and can always be adjusted.
Howard
Yes, it is brioche-like in being a dough highly enriched with butter and eggs. The dough part tasted great. I agree about the filling.
The recipe called for raisins, chocolate and/or nuts. I think Glezer meant the raisins and chocolate to be alternatives, but that's not how the recipe read.
David