{"id":130286,"date":"2025-03-13T08:19:33","date_gmt":"2025-03-13T08:19:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/recipes\/category-a-b\/bread\/cinnamon-babka-breadtopia\/"},"modified":"2025-03-13T08:19:33","modified_gmt":"2025-03-13T08:19:33","slug":"cinnamon-babka-breadtopia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=130286","title":{"rendered":"Cinnamon Babka \u2013 Breadtopia"},"content":{"rendered":"


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In a famous \u201cSeinfeld\u201d episode<\/a>, Elaine refers to cinnamon babka as \u201clesser babka\u201d and I wholeheartedly disagree (as does Jerry: \u201cLesser babka? I think not.\u201d<\/em>). Cinnamon babka is not as popular as chocolate babka, but it deserves accolades for its more subtle sweetness and warm spice appeal. It is not as damp and sweet as chocolate babka because you don\u2019t bathe it in simple syrup the way you do the chocolate version. But the streusel topping of cinnamon babka melts down the sides of the loaf, making end pieces that are almost caramel-candied. Also cinnamon babka can be eaten warm from the oven without making a mess and paired with a hot cup of tea or coffee, it\u2019s really awesome. Moreover, it lends itself to amazing French toast!<\/p>\n

[<\/span>Jump to recipe<\/a><\/span>]<\/span><\/p>\n

This recipe works with all purpose flour, whole wheat flour and any sifted flour in between, because the liquid amount is given as a range. In an early test batch, I used all purpose flour, a larger dough and less filling. The larger dough was harder to tent and keep from burning and there wasn\u2019t enough filling in my opinion, so for the final version of the recipe, the dough is 10% smaller and there is about 20% more filling. You can see these ingredient shifts in the photos below but note that an all purpose or bread flour version of the new ingredient amounts will look a little fluffier than the whole wheat flour version in those same amounts that is depicted below. For more process photos, see the galleries after the recipe.<\/em><\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n
\n\t\t\t\tTest batch with too much dough (all purpose)\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n
\n\t\t\t\tNot enough filling\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n


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\n\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n
\n\t\t\t\tLess dough, whole wheat\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n
\n\t\t\t\tMore filling\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n


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Notes on Cinnamon<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I used ceylon cinnamon in this recipe. It\u2019s a little milder and fruitier than the more common cassia cinnamon. If your cinnamon doesn\u2019t specify that it is ceylon, it\u2019s likely cassia. You can still follow the recipe as it stands, or if you want a milder flavor, you might reduce the cinnamon in the filling by 1-2 tsp.<\/p>\n

Cinnamon was in the news this past year because some brands were found to have high levels of lead. This is not an issue of organic vs. conventional, or ceylon vs. cassia; the lead is primarily from ground contamination. (Before this makes you agree with Elaine that cinnamon is the lesser babka, note that lead and cadmium have been found in chocolate in concerning levels <\/a>as well.) Back to cinnamon, here\u2019s a Consumer Reports list<\/a> of lead levels in 36 different brands of cinnamon, divided into the categories of avoid altogether, safe in limited amounts, and safe in large quantities. This babka has a total of 15.6 grams cinnamon (6 tsp). If you slice the bread into 8 thick pieces, that is 3\/4 tsp per slice, which is well under the amount of cinnamon per day of the safe brands. For example, you would need to consume 16 tsp (the entire babka!) of the 365 Whole Foods Market brand cinnamon to arrive at the daily limit of acceptable lead consumption.<\/p>\n

More Babkas<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019d like to try different types of babka, check out these recipes for Chocolate Hazelnut Babka<\/a>, Apple Almond Raisin Babka<\/a> and Savory Sourdough Babka<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n
\n\t\t\t\tChocolate hazelnut\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n
\n\t\t\t\tApples, almonds, raisins\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n
\n\t\t\t\tSavory herbs, cheese\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n


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\u00a0<\/p>\n

To make the Cinnamon Babka recipe below with sourdough starter <\/strong>instead of yeast, see the Recipe Notes. <\/strong><\/p>\n