Best 20 Babka Recipes

BASIC BABKA

Steps:

• Stir white sugar, 1/4 cup butter, and salt into hot milk in a small bowl until butter is melted and mixture is lukewarm. In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, sprinkle yeast over warm water; stir to dissolve.
• Stir milk mixture into yeast mixture. Add 2 eggs and 2 1/2 cups of the flour; beat on high until combined. With mixer on low, add remaining 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup at a time.
• Switch to the dough hook; mix until dough leaves sides of bowl, about 5 minutes. Set dough in a large, lightly greased bowl, turning dough to coat top. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Prepare walnut filling while dough rises. Lightly beat 3 eggs in a large bowl. Stir in brown sugar, 1/3 cup melted butter, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Fold in walnuts.
• Punch dough down. Turn dough out onto a large, lightly floured surface, cover with the bowl, and let rest 10 minutes. Line three 9x5-inch loaf pans with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on long sides.
• Divide dough into thirds; roll each third out to a 12-inch square on a lightly floured surface. Spoon 1/3 of the walnut filling onto each dough square and spread to within 1/2 inch of the edges. Roll up each square tightly as for a jelly roll. Pinch ends and seams closed to seal. With your palms, roll logs back and forth until uniformly round.
• With a sharp knife or dough scraper, cut 1 log in half lengthwise to form 2 striped strands. Working quickly, twist strands loosely together with cut sides facing out, making 2 or 3 wide, horizontal twists. Fit into one of the prepared pans, patting back any loose filling and tucking ends under, if needed. It might look like a mess now, but it comes out beautifully!
• Repeat with remaining logs and pans. Cover pans with a towel and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Loaves should not rise above top edges of pans.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Brush loaf tops with remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter.
• Bake loaves until puffed, well browned, and a thermometer inserted in centers registers 200 degrees F (93 degrees C), 35 to 45 minutes. Tent with foil if tops brown before loaves are done. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then use parchment to lift from pans and transfer to a wire rack.
• Cool completely, about 1 hour. Glaze if desired, then slice crosswise to serve.

BABKA

Steps:

• Heat the milk; stir in the butter until melted; cool to lukewarm. Proof the yeast in the warm water.
• Beat the eggs, egg yolks, and sugar until thick. Add the salt, grated rinds, vanilla, and Grand Marnier. Add the milk-butter mixture to the egg mixture. Stir in the yeast.
• Add the flour, a cupful at a time, mixing with a wooden spoon. The dough should not be dry, but it should not be sticky. Too much flour will make a dry, crumbly cake. Add the almonds and raisins.
• Turn the dough onto a floured board and knead for about 5 minutes, until dough comes away from your hand. Butter a very large bowl and put dough in bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk. Punch down and let rise a second time until almost doubled.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the pans generously. (You can sprinkle pans with a tablespoon of sugar if you wish.) Divide the dough into 3 portions. Arrange evenly on the pans and cover loosely. Let rise to top of pans.
• Bake cakes in oven for 30 to 45 minutes, until golden brown. There should be a hollow sound when you tap the top with your knuckles. Cool for 5 minutes in the pans, then turn out onto racks to cool.

CHOCOLATE BABKA

Steps:

• Warm the milk and melt 1/4 cup butter in a glass or ceramic bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds, or on the stovetop in a saucepan. Combine the bread flour, 2 cups all-purpose flour, yeast, and 1/4 cup sugar. Add the water, the milk-butter mixture, the egg, and the salt to the dry ingredients and mix well.
• Use the dough hook in a stand mixer on low speed or knead the dough by hand until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 15 minutes. If the dough is too wet, add more bread flour, about 2 tablespoonfuls at a time (up to 8 tablespoons) to make a workable dough; too much flour can make the dough dry. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let rise until double in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Make the chocolate filling and the streusel while the dough is rising. For the filling, stir together the finely chopped chocolate, the cinnamon, and 1/4 cup sugar. Cut in 1/4 cup chilled butter with a fork. To make the streusel, combine the confectioners' sugar and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour; cut in 1/4 cup chilled butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• When the dough has doubled, punch the dough down and cut it into two equal pieces. Loosely shape each piece into a ball. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for 10 minutes.
• Roll out one portion on a lightly floured surface to form a 15x4-inch rectangle. Sprinkle with half the chocolate filling, roll up to form a long log, and seal the seam. Attach the ends to form a circle and place the ring, seam-side down, on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the second piece of dough. Use a serrated knife or kitchen shears to cut slits at 1-inch intervals around the rings. Cover the rings with damp kitchen towels and let rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Brush the loaves with the egg wash, if desired. Sprinkle streusel on top. Bake the loaves for about 25 minutes, rotating the baking sheets to promote even browning, until the bread is a deep golden brown.

CHOCOLATE BABKA

Steps:

• Prepare the dough: In a small saucepan or a bowl in the microwave, warm the milk until it's lukewarm but not hot (about 110 degrees). Add yeast and a pinch of sugar and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, until slightly foamy.
• In an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, or in a food processor, mix together flour, 1/3 cup sugar, the salt, the vanilla, the lemon zest (if using) and the nutmeg. (If you don't have a mixer or processor, use a large bowl and a wooden spoon.) Beat or process in the yeast mixture and eggs until the dough comes together in a soft mass, about 2 minutes. If the dough sticks to the side of the bowl and doesn't come together, add a tablespoon more flour at a time until it does, beating very well in between additions.
• Add half the butter and beat or pulse until the dough is smooth and elastic, 3 to 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed. Beat in the rest of the butter and continue to beat or pulse until the dough is smooth and stretchy, another 5 to 7 minutes. Again, if the dough sticks to the sides of the bowl, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Butter a clean bowl, form the dough into a ball and roll it around in the bowl so all sides are buttered. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place (inside of a turned-off oven with the oven light on is good) until it puffs and rises, about 1 to 2 hours. It may not double in bulk but it should rise.
• Press the dough down with your hands, re-cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight (or, in a pinch, for at least 4 hours, but the flavor won't be as developed).
• Prepare the filling: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, cream and salt. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sugar completely dissolves, about 5 minutes. Scrape mixture into a bowl. Stir in chocolate, butter and vanilla until smooth. Let cool to room temperature. Filling can be made up to a week ahead and stored, covered, in the fridge. Let come to room temperature before using.
• Prepare the streusel: In a bowl, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Stir in melted butter until it is evenly distributed and forms large, moist crumbs. Stir in the chocolate chips. Streusel can be prepared up to 3 days ahead and stored, covered, in the fridge.
• Prepare the syrup: In a small saucepan, combine sugar and 2/3 cup/158 milliliters water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then simmer for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves.
• Butter two 9-inch loaf pans, then line with parchment paper, leaving 2 inches of paper hanging over on the sides to use as handles later.
• Remove dough from refrigerator and divide in half. On a floured surface, roll one piece into a 9-by-17-inch rectangle. Spread with half the filling (there's no need to leave a border). Starting with a long side, roll into a tight coil. Transfer the coil onto a dish towel or piece of plastic wrap and stick it in the freezer for 10 minutes. Repeat with the other piece of dough.
• Slice one of the dough coils in half lengthwise to expose the filling. Twist the halves together as if you were braiding them, then fold the braid in half so it's about 9 inches long. Place into a prepared pan, letting it curl around itself if it's a little too long for the pan. Cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until puffy (it won't quite double). Alternatively, you can cover the pans with plastic wrap and let them rise in the refrigerator overnight; bring them back to room temperature for an hour before baking.
• When you're ready to bake, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Use your fingers to clump streusel together and scatter all over the tops of the cakes. Transfer to oven and bake until a tester goes into the cakes without any rubbery resistance and comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. The cakes will also sound hollow if you unmold them and tap on the bottom. An instant-read thermometer will read between 185 and 210 degrees.
• As soon as the cakes come out of the oven, use a skewer or paring knife to pierce them all over going all the way to the bottom of the cakes, and then pour the syrup on top of the cakes, making sure to use half the syrup for each cake.
• Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.

CHOCOLATE BABKA

Steps:

• Make the dough: Sprinkle the yeast over the milk in a liquid measuring cup; add a pinch of sugar and set aside until bubbly, about 7 minutes. Combine the flour, the remaining 1/3 cup sugar, the eggs, yeast mixture, salt, vanilla, nutmeg and lemon zest in a large bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead until soft and smooth, about 5 minutes. Knead in the butter in three additions, dusting the dough with flour if it's too sticky. Transfer the dough to a large bowl; cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature, about 1 1/2 hours. Punch down the dough, re-cover with plastic wrap and let rise in the fridge overnight.
• Make the filling: Heat the sugar, heavy cream and salt in a saucepan until scalding. Pour over the bittersweet chocolate chips, butter and vanilla in a bowl. Whisk until smooth and shiny. Let cool to room temperature.
• Make the topping: Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder and salt in a separate bowl; work in the butter with your fingers until the mixture is sandy and chunky. Stir in the mini chocolate chips; set the topping aside.
• Form the loaves: Cut the dough in half with a bench scraper or chef's knife. Using a rolling pin, roll each half into a 12-by-16-inch rectangle. Using an offset spatula, spread the filling on both dough rectangles, all the way to the edges. Starting from a long side, tightly roll each rectangle into a log. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and refrigerate 15 minutes. Unwrap the logs; cut each in half lengthwise with a bench scraper or chef's knife. Twist the halves together a few times, starting from the middle. Coat two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans with cooking spray and line with parchment, then spray the parchment. Place a dough twist snugly in each pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 1 1/2 hours.
• Finish and bake the babka: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush each loaf with butter and sprinkle with the topping. Bake until browned, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, make some simple syrup: Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan; simmer, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Let cool. Pull the loaves out of the oven and immediately poke a bunch of holes in each with a wooden skewer. Pour 1 1/4 cups simple syrup evenly over the loaves.
• Let sit 10 minutes, then remove the babka from the pans, remove the parchment and let cool completely on a rack.

BABKA I

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, heat milk until just below boiling. Add butter and stir until melted. Remove from heat, and let cool until lukewarm.
• Place cake yeast in a small bowl; pour 1/2 cup lukewarm water over the yeast. Stir with a spoon to break up the yeast slightly; set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, beat 4 eggs and egg yolks with an electric mixer with a paddle attachment. Add 1 cup sugar and salt, and continue to beat until mixture is thick and pale. Stir in vanilla, orange liqueur, zests, and yeast mixture. Beat in 2 cups flour on low speed; when incorporated, add 2 more cups of flour and mix until combined. Add cooled milk mixture alternately with an additional 4 cups flour, beating on medium-low speed.
• If the dough is very sticky, add up to 1 cup of flour. Mix in currants, raisins, golden raisins, and almonds.
• Transfer dough to a well-floured work surface and knead about 8 to 10 minutes, adding reserved flour if needed. Shape dough into a ball. Transfer dough to a large greased bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with greased plastic wrap.
• Place in a warm place and allow it to rise until dough has doubled, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Punch the dough down, re-cover the bowl, and allow to rise again for an additional 1 1/2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter 3 tube pans.
• In a small bowl, combine 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in 4 tablespoons butter to form crumb topping. Sprinkle evenly among the 3 pans.
• Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 1 minute. Cut dough into thirds. Flatten each piece of dough into a rectangle and roll it up into a log, pinching the seam to seal. Lay each log seam-side up in the prepared pans, pinching ends together to form rings. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Allow to rise for 30 minutes.
• Beat an egg with 1 tablespoon water to make an egg wash. Before baking, gently brush egg wash over each loaf.
• Bake babkas in preheated oven until until golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped, about 30 to 45 minutes. Immediately turn out onto a cooling rack so bread does not stick to the pan. Cool completely before slicing.

CHOCOLATE BABKA

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Cut in butter until crumbly. In a small saucepan, heat water to 120°-130°; stir into dry ingredients. Stir in eggs and yolk, orange zest and enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky)., Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight., Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Roll each half into a 12x10-in. rectangle. For filling, in a microwave, melt butter and chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Stir in confectioners' sugar, cocoa and salt. Spread filling to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seam and ends to seal., Using a sharp knife, cut each roll lengthwise in half; carefully turn each half cut side up. Loosely twist strips around each other, keeping cut surfaces facing up; pinch ends together to seal. Place in 2 greased 9x5-in. loaf pans, cut side up. Cover with kitchen towels; let rise in a warm place until almost doubled, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 375°., Bake until golden brown, 35-45 minutes, tenting with foil halfway through baking. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine sugar and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. Brush over warm babka. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

POLISH BABKA, ROBERT STRYBEL, NO-KNEAD, EASY

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mash the yeast cake with the sugar (note: the compressed yeast cake can be substituted with a package of active dry yeast; to activate, follow the directions on the package).
• Beat the 3 eggs and add to the yeast mixture.
• Heat the milk to very warm and dissolve the butter in it. Let cool slightly. Add to the yeast/egg mixture and add the flour, salt, grated lemon rind, vanilla extract and the dried fruit (I like cranberries, raisins, walnuts.) Mix well to blend all ingredients, but do not knead.
• Grease (here's where Kittencal's pan coating comes in handy, #78579) a 9-1/2 inch Babka pan, brioche mold, Bundt pan, or other tube pan and fill with the dough to about 1/3 full. (I use two 8" fluted babka pans.) Cover with cloth and let stand in warm place for about 2 hours (until the Babka dough has doubled in size.).
• Towards the end of the rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. When risen, place the Babka inside and bake it for about 40-45 minutes. (Note, if you use bakeware that is dark or colored on the outside, set the oven at 325 deg Fahrenheit.) It is fully baked when a wooden pick comes out clean. Should be a medium brown. If too light it will be underdone and damp.
• After baking, remove the Babka from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes. Carefully remove from pan and dust it with confectioner's sugar or glaze with icing.
• For the icing, combine the confectioner's sugar, lemon juice, and boiling water in a small bowl and mix together.
• If you glaze the Babka with the icing, sprinkle it with chopped walnuts, slivered almonds, raisins or finely chopped candied orange rind, before the icing sets.
• Let it cool completely before serving. Wrap leftovers tightly with plastic wrap for storage at room temperature. For longer storage, you can freeze the Babka, tightly sealed in a plastic bag.
• Cooking Tips: Soak dried fruits in brandy or Grand Marnier before using.

CHOCOLATE BRAIDED SWIRL BREAD (BABKA) RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Combine the yeast and warm milk and let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• In large mixing bowl, add the egg, egg yolks, vanilla, sugar, and honey and whisk to combine.
• Add in the milk and yeast mixture and whisk until fully incorporated.
• Gradually add in the flour and mix until fully incorporated.
• Gradually add in the butter and mix until fully incorporated.
• Cover with a towel and let rest for 30 minutes.
• Bring out the dough onto floured work surface and knead until smooth.
• Divide the dough into two equal parts and place in bowls and cover each with plastic wrap. Let the dough sit at room temperature for at least two hours, or when it has doubled in size.
• Preheat oven to 375˚F (190˚C).
• For the chocolate sauce, combine bittersweet chocolate, butter, sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, espresso powder, and turbinado sugar in a medium sized mixing bowl and microwave for 1-2 minutes. Stir to combine and set aside.
• Once the dough has doubled in size, transfer to a floured work surface and roll both pieces of dough into a rectangle roughly 10x15-inches.
• Cover the dough with half of the chocolate sauce leaving an ½ inch - 1 inch of room on all sides.
• Gently roll the dough up and repeat with second piece of dough and remaining chocolate sauce.
• Using a bench scraper or a knife, carefully cut each log vertically in half making sure the seam is side down.
• Lay one piece of dough horizontally and lay another piece over it vertically so you have a rough 'plus sign'.
• Lay another piece horizontally over the vertical piece and above the other horizontal piece.
• Lay the final piece vertically on the right of the other vertical piece having it go over the top horizontal piece but weaving it under the lower horizontal piece.
• Starting with the bottom vertical piece on the right side, bring it to the left layering it over the other vertical lower piece.
• Follow this method around the dough clockwise.
• Once returned to the bottom lower vertical pieces. Take the original piece you crossed over (the lower left vertical piece) and cross that over to the right layering it over the last piece you used. Continue this counterclockwise until back at the bottom or you are unable to layer the dough anymore.
• Tuck in the excess pieces of dough under the bread.
• Transfer the bread into a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and brush with egg wash.
• Bake for 35-45 minutes, until lightly browned and cooked through.
• Enjoy!

UKRAINIAN COUNTRY BABKA

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine 2 teaspoons sugar, 1/2 cup water, yeast, milk and 1 cup flour. Mix until well blended, then cover and allow to rise in a warm place until light and bubbly, about 30 minutes.
• In a large bowl, beat the eggs, salt and 1 cup white sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the melted butter and lemon zest. Stir in the sponge, then gradually mix in the flour. Knead in the bowl for about 10 minutes, then knead in the raisins. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume.
• Punch down dough and knead for a couple of turns then let it rise again. Grease 4 smaller coffee cans with soft butter. Fill the prepared pans about 1/3 full and let rise until the dough is even with the rim. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, then turn down the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue baking the bread for another 40 minutes. Avoid letting the top get too brown, if it begins to brown too quickly, cover the top with aluminum foil. Remove baked loaves from the pans and cool on a wire rack.

EASTER BABKA

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, scald milk. Add butter and stir until melted. Remove pan from heat and let mixture cool to lukewarm.
• In a small bowl, stir yeast into warm water; let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, or until foamy.
• In a large bowl, beat eggs, yolks, and sugar until thick. Add salt, zests, vanilla, and liqueur. Stir to combine. Stir in milk mixture, then yeast.
• Add flour, a cupful at a time, until dough is moist but not sticky, mixing with a wooden spoon or your hands. Stir in almonds and raisins.
• Knead dough on a floured board, adding more flour if dough is too sticky, until dough comes away from your hands, about 6 minutes. Place dough in a very large buttered bowl.
• Cover dough with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down and let rise again until doubled, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 9- or 10-inch kugelhopf or angel-food cake pans. Sprinkle pans with a tablespoon of confectioners' sugar, if desired. Divide dough into 3 portions; arrange in pans and cover loosely. Let dough rise to tops of pans, about 30 minutes.
• Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until cakes are golden brown and tops make a hollow sound when tapped with knuckles. Cool for 5 minutes in pans; turn out onto racks and cool for 20 minutes more.
• Spoon glaze onto babka, allowing it to drip over sides.

CHEESE BABKA

Steps:

• Sprinkle the yeast and the pinch of sugar over the warm water; stir to dissolve. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
• Combine the 1/2 cup butter, 1/4 cup sugar, salt, 2 teaspoons of vanilla, milk, and 3 eggs in a bowl with 1 cup of flour and mix well. Add the yeast mixture and beat for 1 minute. Gradually add the remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, adding small amounts of flour as necessary to prevent sticking. Shape the dough into a round, and place it in a greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Beat together the farmers' cheese, 1/3 cup sugar, sour cream, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and dried lemon peel in a bowl until smooth. Set the filling aside. Lightly oil a 10-inch fluted tube pan (such as a Bundt®).
• Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a 10-inch by 12-inch rectangle. Brush the dough with the 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Spread the cheese filling evenly over the dough. Roll the dough up like a jelly roll, starting from the long end; twist the dough 6 to 8 times to form a rope. Pinch the seams and ends closed and arrange the rope of dough in the greased pan. Cover loosely and let rise 1 hour.
• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake the babka until deep golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes; invert the babka onto a wire rack and remove the pan. Allow the babka to cool for at least 2 hours before slicing.

EASTER BABKA

Steps:

• Scald 1 cup milk and slowly add 3/4 cup flour and beat thoroughly.
• Cool.
• Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm milk, mix in 1 tbsp sugar.
• Add to the cooled flour mixture and beat well.
• Let rise until double in bulk (30 minutes).
• Add salt to eggs yolks and beat until thick and lemon colored.
• Add sugar, vanilla and almond extract and continue to beat.
• Add to sponge (flour-yeast mixture), add remaining flower.
• Knead for ten minutes.
• Add butter and knead 10 minutes or until dough no longer sticks to your fingers.
• Add fruit and nuts mix into dough, cover and let rise until double in bulk (60 minutes).
• Punch down and let rise again (60 minutes).
• Punch down.
• Butter a fluted tube pan and sprinkle with bread crumbs.
• Fill with dough to cover 1/3 of the pan.
• Let rise 1 hour* and bake at 350°F for 50 minutes.
• Cool and decorate with lucre.
• Lucre: Mix ingredients and spread over top of cake, letting it drip down the sides.
• Note- rising times are approximate.
• Keep dough covered in a warm place free from drafts.

POLISH BABKA WITH OPTIONAL CHEESE FILLING

Steps:

• Add yeast to lukewarm (hot will kill the yeast)water and let stand until softened or dissolved, about 5 minutes.
• Cream butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
• In a separate bowl, add salt to egg yolks and beat until thick; then add to sugar and butter mixture.
• Add yeast and water, lemon rind, cinnamon and cardamom.
• Add flour alternately with milk and beat well to make a smooth batter.
• Add raisins and knead by hand until batter leaves the fingers.
• Let rise in a warm draft free place until double (about 1-1/2 hours). Punch down and let rise again until double.
• Generously butter a fluted tube pan. Sprinkle with fine bread crumbs and fill with dough. Brush with mixture of egg yolk beaten with 2 tablespoons water. Sprinkle with almonds and let rise again. Bake in preheated 350 degrees F oven for 45-60 minutes.
• Optional:.
• Mix cheese filling ingredients together.
• Place 1/2 the dough in the prepared pan place the filling mixture on the center of the dough, place the rest of the dough on the mixture. Try to pinch the dough together so filling is encased inside. Or roll out into a log about 20x 10. Then place cheese filling in the center down the long side of the roll, bringing the sides over to encase the filling. Then place into prepared pan and let rise 30 minutes. Brush with eggwash and sprinkle with almonds. Bake 350 for 45-60 minutes.

CHOCOLATE BABKA

Steps:

• Pour warm milk into a small bowl. Sprinkle yeast and pinch of sugar over milk; let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• In a bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup sugar, 2 eggs, and egg yolks. Add egg mixture to yeast mixture, and whisk to combine.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flour and salt. Add egg mixture, and beat on low speed until almost all the flour is incorporated, about 30 seconds. Change to the dough hook. Add 2 sticks butter, and beat until flour mixture and butter are completely incorporated, and a smooth, soft dough that's slightly sticky when squeezed is formed, about 10 minutes.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead a few turns until smooth. Butter a large bowl. Place dough in bowl, and turn to coat. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Place chocolate, remaining cup sugar, and cinnamon in a large bowl, and stir to combine. Using two knives or a pastry cutter, cut in remaining 1 1/2 sticks butter until well combined; set filling aside.
• Generously butter three 9-by-5-by-2 3/4-inch loaf pans; line them with parchment paper. Beat remaining egg with 1 tablespoon cream; set egg wash aside. Punch back the dough, and transfer to a clean surface. Let rest 5 minutes. Cut into 3 equal pieces. Keep 2 pieces covered with plastic wrap while working with the remaining piece. On a generously floured surface, roll dough out into a 16-inch square; it should be 1/8 inch thick.
• Brush edges with reserved egg wash. Crumble 1/3 of the reserved chocolate filling evenly over dough, leaving a 1/4-inch border. Refresh egg wash, if needed. Roll dough up tightly like a jelly roll. Pinch ends together to seal. Twist 5 or 6 turns. Brush top of roll with egg wash. Carefully crumble 2 tablespoons filling over the left half of the roll, being careful not to let mixture slide off. Fold right half of the roll over onto the coated left half. Fold ends under, and pinch to seal. Twist roll 2 turns, and fit into prepared pan. Repeat with the remaining 2 pieces of dough and remaining filling.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Brush the top of each loaf with egg wash. Crumble 1/3 of streusel topping over each loaf. Loosely cover each pan with plastic wrap, and let stand in a warm place 20 to 30 minutes.
• Bake loaves, rotating halfway through, until golden, about 55 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake until babkas are deep golden, 15 to 20 minutes more. Remove from oven, and transfer to wire racks until cool. Remove from pans; serve.

CINNAMON BABKA

Steps:

• Cream the butter and 1/2 cup sugar until smooth.
• In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks until they are creamy. Mix the yeast in warm water with 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. When this thickens, add it to the egg yolks with the vanilla and salt.
• Combine the milk with the egg yolks and the creamed butter and sugar. Begin adding the flour until a soft dough is formed. Stir in the raisins until they are evenly distributed. Knead the dough until it is no longer sticky.
• Cover the dough and allow it to rise in a warm place until it doubles.
• Butter a 3-quart pan and shape the dough into it. Allow the dough to rise again for about 2 hours.
• For the topping, cream the cinnamon, sugar and butter, then mix in the egg, milk, and the flour. Coat the top of the dough with this topping and place in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 30 minutes.

CHEESE BABKA MADE EASY IN THE BREAD MACHINE

Steps:

• Dough:.
• Add all wet ingredients to bread machine.
• Top with flour and place yeast, sugar and salt in separate corners.
• Or add the ingredients according to your bread machine.
• Set machine to large loaf, dough cycle and press start.
• At the beep add the zest, cinnamon, cardamom, raisins, and or cranberries.
• Cheese filling:.
• Mix cheese filling ingredients together.
• Prepare pan:.
• Generously butter a fluted tube pan. Sprinkle with fine bread crumbs.
• When cycle has finished remove dough to a floured surface.
• Punch down dough and shape and roll out into a log about 20x 10. Then place cheese filling in the center down the long side of the roll, bringing the sides over to encase the filling. Then place into prepared pan covering with plastic wrap and let rise 60 minutes or till risen to top of pan.
• Brush with eggwash and sprinkle with almonds.
• Bake 350 for 45-60 minutes.

POLISH CHEESE BABKA BREAD

Steps:

• 1. Dissolve the 2 yeast packets in the luke warm water. Do not use water over 100 degree's. Add a teaspoon of sugar to it. This helps the yeast to bind to something. It can activate in 10 minutes,or 30 minutes. Cover the bowl of yeast water with a towel. If it develops a foamy top. You know the yeast is good. If it doesn't. Discard and try again with 2 more packets.
• 2. Sift the 5 cups of flour in to a large bowl. Add the 3/4 cup of sugar,and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mix the ingredients together. In another bowl. Beat the egg yolks until light. Add sour cream, butter and yeast mixture. Combine well.
• 3. Add mixture to the flour mixture. Knead with hands for 10 minutes until you get a smooth dough. Put in a greased covered bowl in a warm place. Let it rise until doubled in size. Be patient! It could take a couple of hours.
• 4. Note: Shorten rising time by heating oven to 170. Shut oven off. Place covered bowl of dough in warm oven. Keep door shut.
• 5. Flour surface. Make sure to roll dough out 18- 20 inches around, or larger. More than double the width of the pan you are using . You must make sure you rolled it out enough to to fit in pan. With at least 5 inches of dough hanging over outside of pan all the way around.
• 6. make the cheese filling. Beat cream cheese. Add sugar, eggs and lemon zest. Beat until smooth.
• 7. pour the cheese filling on to the dough in pan. Lop the dough over the cheese. Bring all of the excess dough to the top. Pinch dough together over the cheese where it is exposed Do the the best you can. If Some of the cheese is not covered. No need to worry. It doesn't matter what it really looks like. Cover with towel. Let It rise again until doubled in size.
• 8. Bake for 50-60 minutes at 350 degree's . Make a tent of foil over top. This will cut down on over browning. Test with pick. cheese will be a little moist. That is fine.
• 9. Cool for 15 minutes in pan. Turn on to plate, or remove spring form. Make the icing and drizzle over the cheese ring. Add Pecans,walnuts etc. for garnishing. It is also good plain with out icing.

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE BABKA

Steps:

• For the Mexican chocolate babka dough: In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, whisk together the flour, sugar, yeast, salt and cinnamon. Add the milk and eggs and mix with the dough hook to combine. With the mixer running, add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time until it is incorporated into the dough. The butter should be soft and pliable but not melty. When all the butter is incorporated, knead/mix, stopping to scrape the hook, sides and bottom of the bowl every few minutes, until the dough is smooth and slightly sticky, another 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, flip over to coat and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest and rise until it's doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
• For the Mexican chocolate babka filling: In a medium bowl with a stiff rubber spatula, mix together the sugar, butter, cocoa powder, cinnamon, chili powder and salt until combined. Add the oil to smooth it out to a spreadable consistency. Taste and add more chili powder if you like more heat. Reserve at room temperature.
• Grease a pullman loaf pan or standard loaf pan with cooking spray and line with parchment so that it comes up 2 of the sides and overhangs by an inch. On a clean countertop, roll the dough out into a 10-by-22-inch rectangle. The dough should be slightly sticky, but if it's too sticky to work with, you can dust with a little flour. Spread a thin even layer of filling all over the dough, reserving about 2 tablespoons of it. Roll the dough the long way into a tight log and cut it in half so you have 2 shorter logs. Spread the top of one of the logs with the reserved filling and then twist the logs together. Transfer to the prepared loaf pan, cover with plastic, and let rise until puffy and risen by about half, another 30 to 40 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Gently brush the top of the babka with heavy cream. Bake until the top is deep golden brown, about 50 minutes.
• For the simple syrup: Meanwhile, combine the sugar and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan and warm until the sugar is completely dissolved.
• When the babka comes out of the oven, brush the simple syrup over the top. Cool for 15 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a rack to continue cooling. Of course, you should try it while it's still warm!! To store, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature. This is best within a day or two--after that, use it for French toast!

CHOCOLATE BABKA

Steps:

• Make dough:
• Stir together warm milk and 2 teaspoons sugar in bowl of mixer. Sprinkle yeast over mixture and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If yeast doesn't foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)
• Add 1/2 cup flour to yeast mixture and beat at medium speed until combined. Add whole eggs, yolk, vanilla, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low, then mix in remaining 2 3/4 cups flour, about 1/2 cup at a time. Increase speed to medium, then beat in butter, a few pieces at a time, and continue to beat until dough is shiny and forms strands from paddle to bowl, about 4 minutes. (Dough will be very soft and sticky.)
• Scrape dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Assemble babkas with filling:
• Line each loaf pan with 2 pieces of parchment paper (1 lengthwise and 1 crosswise).
• Punch down dough with a lightly oiled rubber spatula, then halve dough. Roll out 1 piece of dough on a well-floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into an 18- by 10-inch rectangle and arrange with a long side nearest you.
• Beat together yolk and cream. Spread 2 1/2 tablespoons softened butter on dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border all around. Brush some of egg wash on long border nearest you.
• Sprinkle half of chocolate evenly over buttered dough, then sprinkle with half of sugar (2 tablespoons). Starting with long side farthest from you, roll dough into a snug log, pinching firmly along egg-washed seam to seal. Bring ends of log together to form a ring, pinching to seal. Twist entire ring twice to form a double figure 8 and fit into one of lined loaf pans.
• Make another babka with remaining dough, some of egg wash, and remaining butter and chocolate in same manner. Chill remaining egg wash, covered, to use later. Loosely cover pans with buttered plastic wrap (buttered side down) and let babkas rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until dough reaches top of pans, 1 to 2 hours. (Alternatively, let dough rise in pans in refrigerator 8 to 12 hours; bring to room temperature, 3 to 4 hours, before baking.)
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Brush tops of dough with remaining egg wash. Bake until tops are deep golden brown and bottoms sound hollow when tapped (when loaves are removed from pans), about 40 minutes. Transfer loaves to a rack and cool to room temperature.