When I was a kid, my family would occasionally start Saturday mornings off with a treat that every little girl with a sweet tooth dreams of: Pillsbury Grands cinnamon rolls. They were ooey and gooey and messy topped with a cream cheese icing that rivaled Cinnabon any day of the week. I could’ve eaten a dozen if left to my own devices.
As I’ve gotten older, the magic of a can of cinnamon rolls has faded a little. These days, I prefer to make my own, tweaking the traditional recipe to combine this childhood treat with one of my favorite Jewish bakes. Enter: Babka Cinnamon Rolls.
This recipe takes a traditional brown sugar-cinnamon babka and turns it into pure decadence by condensing the standard loaf into single-serving brioche rolls and topping them with a cream cheese icing. Different from the cinnamon rolls you may be used to, this dough isn’t as sweet and includes ribbons of buttery brown sugar and cinnamon layered throughout.
You can use bread flour or all-purpose flour to make the babka dough, though I prefer bread flour because it has a higher protein content and leaves the rolls fluffier and chewier.
These rolls are not complicated to make, but need to proof/rest three times, for a total of three hours. The first, and longest, proof is two hours, so plan your day accordingly!
This recipe yields four big, generous cinnamon rolls that perhaps should technically feed more than one person each, but that you’ll probably eat all by yourself (and enjoy every bite). They are the perfect breakfast pastry – after all, how bad can a day be when it starts with one of these?
If, for whatever reason, you’re not able to finish them all at once, you can store the baked rolls in the fridge for up to three days. Just pop them in the microwave for 20-30 seconds to warm them back up before digging in.
This recipe takes a traditional brown sugar-cinnamon babka and turns it into pure decadence by condensing the standard loaf into single-serving brioche rolls and topping them with a cream cheese icing. Different from the cinnamon rolls you may be used to, this dough isn’t as sweet and includes ribbons of buttery brown sugar and cinnamon layered throughout.
As I’ve gotten older, the magic of a can of cinnamon rolls has faded a little. These days, I prefer to make my own, tweaking the traditional recipe to combine this childhood treat with one of my favorite Jewish bakes. Enter: Babka Cinnamon Rolls.
You can use bread flour or all-purpose flour to make the babka dough, though I prefer bread flour because it has a higher protein content and leaves the rolls fluffier and chewier.
This recipe yields four big, generous cinnamon rolls that perhaps should technically feed more than one person each, but that you’ll probably eat all by yourself (and enjoy every bite). They are the perfect breakfast pastry – after all, how bad can a day be when it starts with one of these?
If, for whatever reason, you’re not able to finish them all at once, you can store the baked rolls in the fridge for up to three days. Just pop them in the microwave for 20-30 seconds to warm them back up before digging in.
In some circles, I’m acknowledged as a “Jewish baking goddess,” so it was a shock to discover that when it came to babka, I knew what I knew — but apparently there was more.
Lately, babka has been getting its due online at various sites and blogs, perhaps prompted by the glorious cover shot on Food & Wine in January. Once that magazine put babka front and center, it seemed like a trend youd want in on.Advertisement
The bakery notes paid off, and I am delighted to share the results. The accompanying babka recipe is the outcome of attempts that took more than 10 pounds of unsalted butter to produce. I’m sure it could still be even more exact, but it’s pretty darned close to Cheskie’s. (If you want yours to be pareve, by the way, you’ll have to use oil or shortening.)
Goldman, a cookbook author, blogs at BetterBaking.com. Shell join Wednesdays Free Range chat at noon: live.washingtonpost.com.
Happily, all Jewish baking seems to be getting a new glance. Clearly, the style of babka that inspired swoons was the chewy, sticky, dense, impossibly sweet one you can get only at some bakeries. Where I live, the best babka, bar none, is made at Montreal’s kosher Boulangerie Cheskie. And that is where this particular babka adventure took off.
How to Make Delicious Coffee & Cinnamon Brioche Babka Buns | No Kneading!
FAQ
What makes a babka a babka?
Why do Jews eat babka?
What is the difference between a cinnamon roll and a Cinnabon?
Is babka served warm or cold?
What is the difference between chocolate babka and cinnamon Babka?
While Chocolate Babka might be more familiar to most people, Cinnamon Babka is an equally tasty treat. To create this Cinnamon Babka, I stuck with the same dough as my Chocolate Babka (why mess with success?) and added a cinnamon brown sugar filling with a streusel topping.
What is the difference between Ceylon cinnamon and other types of cinnamon?
Ceylon cinnamon has a softer and smoother aroma and taste compared to another cinnamon type, cassia cinnamon. In addition, Ceylon cinnamon contains less coumarin. Coumarin is an organic substance contained in cinnamon.
What is a cinnamon Babka?
This cinnamon babka has a rich, tender dough, swirled with a sweet cinnamon filling. It uses a beautiful brioche dough that’s buttery and tender and a dream to eat. This recipe makes two cinnamon babka loaves. Babka is a sweet bread that originated from Eastern European Jewish tradition. It uses a brioche dough.
Can you make two cinnamon Babka loaves?
This recipe makes two cinnamon babka loaves. Babka is a sweet bread that originated from Eastern European Jewish tradition. It uses a brioche dough. A chocolate babka recipe is a popular one, but a cinnamon version is even better in my opinion.