Cheese Babka
Jul 21, 2023 1:55:31 GMT -5
Post by PrisonerOfHope on Jul 21, 2023 1:55:31 GMT -5
Cheese Babka
Babka is a cross between a bread and a cake, and - when properly made - it's absolutely wonderful!
The recipe proofs overnight in the fridge which adds to the flavor. If you’re pressed for time, you can forgo the extra flavor and follow the usual pattern for baking with yeast and let it rise until doubled in size in a warm spot before shaping into loaves.
The filling is a simple mix of farmer’s cheese, sugar, and egg yolks. If you have trouble finding a farmer’s cheese, it’s easy to make your own. Twaróg, the Polish word for farmer’s cheese is something you can whip up at home. Just be sure the milk you’re using is not ultra-pasteurized. I’ve had good luck with pasteurized.
I’m putting a crumb topping on the cheese babka, but you could skip the crumbs and just give your babka a dusting of powdered sugar or drizzle with a glaze of powdered sugar (1 cup), softened butter (1 tablespoon), vanilla extract (1/2 teaspoon), and milk (1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons).
INGREDIENTS
for the dough:
1 cup whole milk, warmed (110 F)
1 packet dry active yeast
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons sea salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temp
for the filling:
16 ounces farmer’s cheese
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
for the crumb topping:
1 egg white
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup softened butter
INSTRUCTIONS
for dough:
Add warm milk to a mixing bowl with yeast, and 1 tablespoon of sugar, stir and let sit for 5 minutes, it should become foamy
Add remaining sugar, egg, egg yolk, flour and salt, mix until well combined using mixer dough hook for 5 minutes, add butter and mix until fully incorporated about 3 minutes, the dough will be tacky.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temp for an hour, divide dough in half, wrap each piece in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight
for filling:
Add the cheese, sugar, and egg yolk to the bowl of a food processsor and process until smooth.
Chill.
to assemble:
Grease 2 9-inch loaf pans (You can also use a Bundt pan.)
Roll each piece of dough out to a 16 inch square, spread with 1/2 of the filling, avoiding 1/2 inch around the edge of the dough, roll up as snugly as possible
Fold the dough in the middle, imagine a hairpin. Hold one end and twist. , place the spiraled dough in prepared pans.
Cover and let rise at room temp for 1-2 hours, during this time preheat the oven to 375 F.
Brush the loaves with egg white. Combine ingredients for the crumb topping and sprinkle over the babkas.
Bake 45-50 minutes, internal temp should be 195 F, cool 10 minutes, run a knife around the edge of the pans to remove.
NOTES
Let me just warm you that assembling this is a messy process. The dough is very soft. The filling wants to run. Just carry on and know that it will all be covered with the crumb topping.
link
Babka is a cross between a bread and a cake, and - when properly made - it's absolutely wonderful!
The recipe proofs overnight in the fridge which adds to the flavor. If you’re pressed for time, you can forgo the extra flavor and follow the usual pattern for baking with yeast and let it rise until doubled in size in a warm spot before shaping into loaves.
The filling is a simple mix of farmer’s cheese, sugar, and egg yolks. If you have trouble finding a farmer’s cheese, it’s easy to make your own. Twaróg, the Polish word for farmer’s cheese is something you can whip up at home. Just be sure the milk you’re using is not ultra-pasteurized. I’ve had good luck with pasteurized.
I’m putting a crumb topping on the cheese babka, but you could skip the crumbs and just give your babka a dusting of powdered sugar or drizzle with a glaze of powdered sugar (1 cup), softened butter (1 tablespoon), vanilla extract (1/2 teaspoon), and milk (1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons).
INGREDIENTS
for the dough:
1 cup whole milk, warmed (110 F)
1 packet dry active yeast
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons sea salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temp
for the filling:
16 ounces farmer’s cheese
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
for the crumb topping:
1 egg white
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup softened butter
INSTRUCTIONS
for dough:
Add warm milk to a mixing bowl with yeast, and 1 tablespoon of sugar, stir and let sit for 5 minutes, it should become foamy
Add remaining sugar, egg, egg yolk, flour and salt, mix until well combined using mixer dough hook for 5 minutes, add butter and mix until fully incorporated about 3 minutes, the dough will be tacky.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temp for an hour, divide dough in half, wrap each piece in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight
for filling:
Add the cheese, sugar, and egg yolk to the bowl of a food processsor and process until smooth.
Chill.
to assemble:
Grease 2 9-inch loaf pans (You can also use a Bundt pan.)
Roll each piece of dough out to a 16 inch square, spread with 1/2 of the filling, avoiding 1/2 inch around the edge of the dough, roll up as snugly as possible
Fold the dough in the middle, imagine a hairpin. Hold one end and twist. , place the spiraled dough in prepared pans.
Cover and let rise at room temp for 1-2 hours, during this time preheat the oven to 375 F.
Brush the loaves with egg white. Combine ingredients for the crumb topping and sprinkle over the babkas.
Bake 45-50 minutes, internal temp should be 195 F, cool 10 minutes, run a knife around the edge of the pans to remove.
NOTES
Let me just warm you that assembling this is a messy process. The dough is very soft. The filling wants to run. Just carry on and know that it will all be covered with the crumb topping.
link
