What is Babka?
Babka is a traditional Eastern European Jewish sweet bread, typically filled with chocolate or cinnamon. In Romania we call it “cozonac” and it is practically the country’s basic dessert for all holidays. Romanian cozonac is slightly different from Jewish babka. The texture of cozonac is much softer, and the brioche is made of two folds (rather than one cut into two halves).
My family has passed down the traditional cozonac recipe for generations. This recipe is a hybrid between the soft Romanian cozonac and the pleated type of babka.
How to make delicious Christmas milk bread
Sweet bread is made up of two parts, both equally important: the milk dough and the filling. Leavened dough is essential, as it is the basis of our brioches. The dough must be fragrant and incredibly soft to get the full Cozonac experience.
Making babka is quite simple, but requires a little patience. To make this recipe we will need:
- Prepare the dough
- Fill the dough with strawberries and cream
- Roll the dough
- Cut the dough into 2 halves
- Fold the dough and place it in the mold
- Cook and decorate
The dough is very similar to the one I used for the sweet chocolate and milk brioche.
Summary of ingredients
Flour – this is a very important choice, as it can make or break your Cozonac. In Romania you can buy flour made specifically for Cozonac, but you can find it everywhere White cake flour type 000. This means that the flour will be very fine and the result will be an elastic and soft dough.
Yeast – fresh yeast is the best choice for this recipe, as it tends to be more reliable. I store mine in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for 2 months. Be sure to leave the yeast at room temperature for a few hours before starting this recipe for optimal activation.
Instant or fast-acting dry yeast can also be used and the ratio is usually around 1:3 – you need 15g of dry yeast to 50g of fresh yeast.
Filling – Traditionally, babka is filled with chocolate or cinnamon. For this reinvented recipe, I’m using a strawberry and cream filling. The filling doesn’t require any advance preparation, it just requires cream cheese and strawberry jam.
Decorate the Christmas wreath
After baking the sweet bread, let it cool in the mold for about 20 minutes. Then remove it and let it cool on a wire rack, covered with a thin cloth. Since we will decorate the bread with cream cheese, it is essential that it is completely cold beforehand.
If you’ve already read my blog, you know how much I love decorating my desserts! For this Christmas brioche I chose to make it look like a festive wreath. To make this, I used cream cheese frosting, gingerbread cookies, sugared cranberries and rosemary, as well as chocolate balls. For the balls I used Lindt chocolates covered in gold dust for an extra touch of sparkle.
Serve and store
The best way to serve your babka is fresh, once it has had enough time to cool. It’s best to decorate it before serving, because the sweet bread will become tough if left uncovered in the refrigerator.
You can also prepare the brioche in advance and store it in the refrigerator before decorating it. To do this, simply let it cool completely after cooking, then cover completely with cling film. Store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, then decorate before serving.
Once decorated, I recommend you try to eat most of it, or store individual slices in airtight containers. This will prevent the bread from drying out in the refrigerator.
Lastly, don’t forget to enjoy your babka with a healthy dose of Baileys Strawberries and Cream.
Recipe
Strawberry Babka Wreath
Festive Strawberry Babka Wreath featuring strawberries and cream and made with Baileys Irish Cream. A fun twist on the classic Christmas babka.
ingredients
Grandma’s dough
- 500 G Cake flour (4 cups)
- 7 G instant dry yeast* (1 folder)
- 40 G warm milk (8 teaspoons)
- 40 G Baileys Strawberries and Cream* (8 teaspoons)
- 100 G sugar (½ cup)
- 2 eggs, medium
- 30 G softened butter (2 tablespoons)
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 Lemon peel
- 1 Orange peel
- 7 G salt (1 Teaspoon)
- 1 table spoon sour cream
Filling
- 220 G cheese cream (1 cup)
- 220 G Strawberry jam (1 cup)
Sugar syrup
- 100 G sugar (½ cup)
- 100 G waterfall (½ cup)
Instructions
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First we need to prepare the leavened doughappetizers‘. In a small bowl add the yeast and 2 teaspoons of sugar. Mix with a fork. Add the warm milk and mix well.
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Add 2 teaspoons of flour and mix well until you get a sticky dough. Set aside and let rest for 10-15 minutes.
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In a large bowl add the eggs, salt and the rest of the sugar. Mix well until the eggs become light and airy.
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After your leavened doughappetizers‘ will have risen and doubled in volume, add it to the egg mixture. Mix well with a wooden spoon or spatula.
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Add the lemon and orange zest. This will give a wonderful fragrance to your babka. Mix well to incorporate.
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Add the sour cream, Baileys and the rest of the flour, stirring to incorporate well. We need it to be a little sticky, but don’t over mix.
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Once the flour has been incorporated correctly, start kneading it on the work surface. When the dough is less sticky, add half the softened butter. Knead well, folding the dough over itself to incorporate the fat. Add the remaining butter only after the first piece has been completely incorporated.
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To roll out the dough, gently insert your hand under the dough and bring it together, folding it on itself. Be careful not to tear the dough and make slow, steady movements.
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Once the fats have been incorporated, cover with cling film and a cloth and leave to rise in a warm place. Let the dough rise for 30-45 minutes or until it doubles in volume.
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When the dough has risen well, deflate it with the palms of your hands. Next, roll out the dough to a rectangle approximately 60 x 40 cm (24 x 15 inches). Spread a thin layer of cream cheese on the dough, followed by a thin layer of strawberry jam.
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Start rolling out the dough from the longest side, making sure the filling is hidden inside. Then, with a sharp knife, cut the roll in half lengthwise. Place one half on top of the other forming a cross sign, then begin twisting each half around each other. Once you reach the end, pinch the dough to seal it together.
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Gather your hands under each side to lift it up, then place the braided babka in a donut mold. This will ensure you get a perfectly round shape.
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Cover the babka with cling film and leave to rise for 30 minutes until it doubles in volume. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
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Using a fork, quickly whisk the egg yolks with a drop of milk. Using a pastry brush, coat the babka with the beaten egg. This will give it a nice shine.
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Bake for 20 minutes, then cover with aluminum foil to prevent the top from burning. Cook for a further 25 minutes until cooked through. Depending on your oven, you may need more or less time – check with a skewer to see if they are cooked.
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Make a quick sugar syrup by heating equal parts water and sugar in a saucepan. Cook until the liquid becomes a little thicker. Once the babka is cooked, prick it with a tall skewer, then pour over some strawberries and Baileys cream. Brush the top with a little sugar syrup to give it a good shine.
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Leave to cool in the pan for 30 minutes before removing. Once cooled, decorate with a little cream, sugared cranberries and rosemary or other edible treats.
Notes
- I recommend using a kitchen scale in grams for greater precision. The cups used for the conversion are standard American cups (1 cup of flour = 136 g). There are many different types of mugs around the world, which is why I highly recommend using them grams Instead.
- Instant dry yeast – it can also be replaced with fresh yeast in approximately 3x quantities (7 g of dry yeast = 25 g of fresh yeast).
- Baileys Strawberry and Cream – can be replaced with any other type of Irish Cream or strawberry liqueur.
- Memorization – wrap in cling film and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Decorate with cream cheese before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 265kcal
