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Babka is a delicious, soft, braided brioche with a generous filling. Traditionally sweet, this savoury version with pesto, cheddar and mozzarella is perfect for an appetizer or picnic. This classic Polish dish is more than addictive!
If you like sharing appetizers, you'll love these crispy onion rings, these little breaded Camemberts, this cheese and garlic crack bread, these potato cheese balls or these savory cannelés.
Table des matières
💙 Why you'll love it
- Ideal for an aperitif to share with friends or family.
- It's really mega gourmet, topped with delicious basil pesto and melting cheeses.
- It's ridiculously simple, you just need a little patience.
- It's vegetarian.
🧈 Ingredients
These are the main ingredients, and the quantities can be found in the recipe card below.
- Flour : all-purpose flour. It's perfect for an ultra-soft Babka.
- Instant dry yeast
- Milk : use whole milk, lukewarm (not hot).
- Eggs - ideally pasture-raised organic. You can refer to the Eco Tips I've written on eggs to help you choose the right ones.
- Butter : mild, to be used soft (especially not melted). This is what makes the brioche soft, so don't neglect its quality. I recommend a butter with a minimum fat content of 82%.
- A little white sugar.
- Salt: fine, to help the gluten develop.
- Basil pesto: vary the pleasures with a wild garlic pesto or a divine nettle pesto or even a Pesto Rosso.
- Cheeses: I use cheddar and mozzarella blocks, which I grate even less. It's so much better! You can use other cheeses as well: Comté, Beaufort, goat cheese...adjust according to your tastes and use what you like!
🥰 Chef's tips
- As European, I'm used to working in grams and milliliters. For this recipe, I really recommend using a digital scale, which is much more precise. That way, you'll be sure to succeed with your recipes.
- Be sure to use the recommended ingredients: all-purpose flour, warm whole milk, softened soft butter and a room-temperature egg.
- Knead the dough for the recommended 10 minutes in your food processor: this is what will give the Babka a stringy crumb. It will also be easier to work with when kneading by hand.
- How to know if the dough has been kneaded enough (after kneading by hand): press lightly with your finger. If the dough more or less returns to its original shape (not completely), it's done!
- Don't neglect the resting times: the Babka will grow once for 1.5 hours, then a second time for 45 minutes. This is what will give it a soft crumb.
- Tip for successful sprouts: I usually put my dough in a bowl and stick some cling film over it. I turn on my oven at 86°F/30°C and once it's hot, I turn it off and open the door for about ten minutes. Then I put the bowl down and leave it to grow (I do this for both sprouts).
- If you find the braids too hard, put them in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm them up.
- Generously flour the work surface to prevent the dough from sticking and make it easier to work.
- To bake: use natural convection mode (especially not convection heat), place your Babka in the middle of the oven and don't overcook it.
- Don't hesitate to cover the Babka with aluminum foil while it's cooking: if you see that it's getting too dark and there's still some cooking time left, cover it with aluminum foil.
💡 Frequently Asked Questions
I've never tried it, but as the dough is very sticky, I'd recommend using a food processor. I use this food processor from Kenwood, which is the best value for money I've found (and it's multi-functional). If you don't have one, try making the dough with well-floured hands, but I can't guarantee the result.
Just add a little flour!
I recommend making two Babka instead. If you double the recipe, the cooking time may vary too.
Yes, but the cooking time will be shorter.
It means grandma, granny in Polish.
❄️Storage / freezing
To store this salted Babka, wait until it has cooled completely and place in an airtight container. You can also wrap it in a clean tea towel. After 2 days, it will start to dry out, but you'll have eaten it long before that!
I prefer to freeze straight away what I'm not going to eat, to keep all the softness when I defrost. The principle remains the same: wait for the Babka to cool, cut it into portions and place them in a freezer bag, on which you'll write the date. Then place in the freezer.
To defrost the Babka, I put it in the oven for a few minutes and, once defrosted, put it in the microwave for a few seconds to restore its softness.
😋 Other gourmet brioches
If you make this Babka, it would be so nice to leave me a comment and rate the recipe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. You can also tag me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook or Tik Tok, or even send me a photo, I love seeing my little dishes in your homes!
📖 Recette
Savory Babka (Pesto, cheddar and mozza)
Ingredients
For the Babka
- 2 ⅞ cups all-purpose flour (350g)
- 1 ¾ teaspoons instant dry yeast (5g)
- ¾ cup whole milk warm (195g)
- 3 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter softened (50g)
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup basil pesto (120g)
- 1 cup cheddar cheese grated (110g)
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese grated (60g)
For the Egg Wash
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
- Set aside 6 tablespoons of flour from the total amount of flour. Mix the yeast and remaining flour in the bowl of your food processor. Add the warmed milk, beaten egg, sugar and a pinch of salt.
- Continue mixing, then gradually add the soft butter pieces. Let the processor run for 5 minutes at low speed, then 5 minutes at slightly higher speed.
- It's sticky, but that's normal. Place the dough on a generously floured work surface, gradually add the remaining flour (a little more if necessary, until the dough forms a much less sticky ball) and knead with your hands.
- Tip to determine whether the dough has been kneaded enough: press lightly with your finger. If the dough more or less returns to its original shape (but not completely), it's ready! Cover and leave to rise at 82-86°F/28-30°C (see notes) for 1h30.
- Flour a large sheet of parchment paper and place the dough on top. Roll out with a well-floured rolling pin, then spread with Pesto. Grate the cheeses and add them.
- Roll up the dough, then cut the sausage in half from bottom to top. Braid the dough, placing one end on top of the other. If you find it too hard to braid, place the braids in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Beat an egg yolk and 2 tablespoons of milk in a bowl, and brush gently with the mixture. Set the mixture aside in the fridge and leave to rise again, covered, at 82-86°F/28-30°C for 45 minutes.
- At the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 340°F/170°C on natural convection/static heat high and low, and brush the braid lightly and very gently with the mixture.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes in the middle of the oven. Keep a close eye on the Babka as it cooks: if it darkens too much and there's still time to bake, cover it with aluminum foil.
Notes
- As European, I'm used to working in grams and milliliters. For this recipe, I really recommend using a digital scale, which is much more precise. That way, you'll be sure to succeed with your recipes.
- Tip for successful rises: I usually put my dough in a bowl and stick some cling film over it. I turn my oven on to 85°F/30°C and once it's hot, I turn it off and open the door for about ten minutes. Then I set the bowl down and leave it to rise (I do this for both rises).
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