Apple Cinnamon Babka

This a a dessert that has sweet apples and a thick cinnamon filling that is twisted inside of a sweet dough bread. The last part is optional, at the end after the dessert is finished backing you can either top with a sugar vanilla glaze.

Prep time: 5 hours

Cook time: 1 hour

Total time: 6-7 hours

This recipe will make one loaf.

To make the dough you will need:

• 2/3 cup of milk ( I use whole milk) warmed to 110 degrees F
• 2 &1/4 teaspoons of yeast ( I use active dry yeast)
• 1/3 cup of granulated sugar
• 5 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 2 large eggs (separate the white and yolks)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 &2/3 cups of all-purpose flour, plus more as needed for your works space and hands.

For the filling you will need:

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 large apples peeled and thinly sliced into bite-size pieces (I use cosmic apples because they are sweeter, but you can feel free to use which ever apple you prefer).
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour
• 2 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1 &1/2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
• 1 large egg white

OPTIONAL:

If you wanted to do a vanilla sugar glaze than these are the ingredients needed for it:

• 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup of water
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Equipment needed:

9x13 in baking dish

medium sauce pan

Large bowl to mix your dough ingredients in

medium sized bowl to mix the filling (microwave safe)

Whisk

Two large spoons

(mixer if you have access to one)

rolling pin

Nonstick spray, extra butter, or olive oil for greasing your bowl and baking dish.

cooling rack

To prepare the dough you will whisk the warmed milk, the yeast, and 1 table spoon of sugar together in your large bowl. Cover the bowl with a dish towel and let sit for five minutes.

Add the remaining sugar, the butter for the dough, egg yolks, salt and 1 cup of flour. If you do not have a handheld mixer or a stationary one, you'll want to use either a spatula or your spoon to mix the ingredients by hand. If you have a mixer you'll want to use the low speed for 30 seconds, scrape down the sides, then add 1 cup of flour. You'll turn the mixer up to the medium setting and mix until the ingredients are pretty well mixed. There may still be chunks not completely mixed in yet, and that's okay. Add 1/2 cup of flour and mix on medium until the dough starts to come together. If the dough still looks wet, you can add another 2-4 table spoons of flour. By the end you should have a soft dough. You can always add more flour if needed, so don't over add too much flour at the beginning.

I knead the dough I make by hand, you can find tutorials on how to knead dough using a mixer if you prefer. You'll want to sprinkle flour on a flat and clean surface. You'll start kneading the dough on the clean floured surface and continue to do so for a full 8 minutes. If the dough becomes sticky you can sprinkle some flour onto the dough or the work surface. The dough should feel tacky when kneading, be cautious not to add too much flour because the dough can become dry and crack. A dry dough won't hold together. To see if your dough is ready to rise you can do a light test. Take small piece of your dough, about the size of a golf ball, and gently stretch it until it is thin enough for light to pass through it. If the dough tears before it is thin enough for light to pass through it is not ready and you ned to continue kneading. If light does pass through it without tearing then it is ready to rise.

Lightly grease your large bowl with nonstick spray, butter, or I personally use a little bit of olive oil. Make sure to lightly coat all sides of your dough with your preferred greaser. Cover the bowl with your clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise for 3-4 hours in a warm environment. you're looking to see the dough rise enough to almost double in size.

Melt 1 table spoon of butter in your medium sauce pan on medium heat. Add the apples, stir and cook until the apples are slightly softened. Remove from the heat and stir in lemon juice. Set aside. Place 2 table spoons of butter in the medium sized bowl and melt in the microwave. Stir in the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla extract. Stir in the egg white and set aside. Go ahead and grease your baking dish with your preferred greaser.

After the dough is ready, you'll punch the dough down to release the air. Re-flour your work surface, your hands, and a rolling pin. Roll the dough out into a 12x16 in. rectangle. carefully spread the cinnamon filling mixture on top of the dough. Add the apples in a single layer. Roll the dough into a tight 16in long log. Place the log with the seam of the dough facing down, fold the dough in half and twist. This should look like a figure 8. Pinch the ends together. Place the dough into the baking dish.

Recover the dough with the kitchen towel again for the second rise. Allow it to rise until it is puffy or nearly reaches the top of your baking dish. this will take between 1 and 1.5 hours.

Near the end of the rise time preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. After your dough has risen you can use any of the remaining egg white to brush onto the surface of the babka.

You'll bake your babka for approximately 60 minutes or until golden brown on the top. If you notice the top is browning too quickly you can loosely place aluminum foil over the top of the baking dish and place back into the oven.

If you chose to make a sugar vanilla glaze for your babka, then when there is about 20 minutes left of baking I'd get started o the glaze. In your small sauce pan add your sugar, water and vanilla. You'll slowly turn the heat up until you reach a medium to high heat. You'll continue to mix and stir the mixture over heat until the sugar begins to thicken/ caramelize. Remove from heat and set aside.

After the babka is done baking, remove from the oven and carefully place baking dish on a flat surface. Using oven mitts, carefully move the babka from the baking dish and onto your cooling rack. You can also the the babka cool in the dish, but this may take longer. Go ahead an let the babka begin cooling for 15 minutes. If you made the glaze, go ahead and start brushing the glaze onto the babka, making sure to cover all accessible sides after the 15 minutes are done I noticed that if you brush the glaze on too early after removing the babka from the oven, it will not stick to it, but if you wait too long the glaze won't cover it the way you want it to. Wait at least 30 minutes or until completely cooled before cutting and serving.