Cinnamon Babka – Crust & Crumb Academy

Crust & Crumb Academy

Cinnamon Babka

⏱

Prep

45 min

🔥

Bake

35-40 min

🕐

Total

~14 hrs

🍞

Yield

1 loaf

🌡

Temp

350°F / 175°C

💧

Hydration

52%

Ingredients

A rich enriched dough filled with cinnamon sugar and butter. Mix Friday night, shape Saturday morning, bake cold for perfect layers every time.

The Enriched Dough

Metric	Volume	Ingredient
350g	2¾ cups	Bread flour
120g	½ cup	Whole milk, warm (95-100°F / 35-38°C)
50g	¼ cup	Granulated sugar
7g	2¼ tsp	Instant yeast
100g	2 large	Large eggs, room temperature
6g	1 tsp	Fine sea salt
113g	½ cup	Unsalted butter, softened

Cinnamon Sugar Filling

Metric	Volume	Ingredient
85g	6 tbsp	Unsalted butter, softened
100g	½ cup	Brown sugar, packed
12g	2 tbsp	Ground cinnamon
1g	¼ tsp	Fine sea salt

Egg Wash

Metric	Volume	Ingredient
50g	1 large	Large egg
15g	1 tbsp	Whole milk

Simple Syrup Finish

Metric	Volume	Ingredient
75g	6 tbsp	Granulated sugar
75g	6 tbsp	Water

Instructions

🥣 Day 1 Evening — Mix the Dough

Activate the yeast 5 min

Combine warm milk, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of your stand mixer. Stir gently and let sit for 5 minutes until creamy and slightly foamy.

Add eggs and flour 8 min knead

Add eggs to yeast mixture. Add bread flour and salt. Mix on low with dough hook until shaggy, about 2 minutes. Increase to medium and knead 6-8 minutes until smooth and elastic.

Add butter — low and slow 5 min

With mixer on medium-low, add softened butter one tablespoon at a time. Wait until each piece is absorbed. Increase to medium-high and knead 4-5 minutes until smooth and glossy.

🧪 Why Butter Goes in Last

Fat coats gluten proteins and prevents them from linking. Develop the gluten network first, then introduce the fat. After all butter is in, do the windowpane test to confirm proper development.

🕐 Day 1 Evening — Bulk Fermentation

First rise 1-1.5 hrs

Shape into a ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover tightly. Rise at room temperature until 50-75% larger, about 1 to 1.5 hours. You're not waiting for it to double.

🌙 Day 1 Night — Cold Retard

Into the refrigerator 8-12 hrs

Punch down gently, reshape into a ball. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight, 8-12 hours. The cold fermentation builds flavor, relaxes gluten, and keeps butter firm for cleaner layers.

🌡️ What the Refrigerator Is Doing

Yeast slows but bacteria keep working, producing complex flavor compounds. Cold gluten is extensible and cooperative for rolling. Cold butter maintains structure for distinct layers.

🍯 Day 2 Morning — Make the Filling

Mix the filling

Combine softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt until smooth and paste-like. It should be the consistency of soft frosting, not pourable.

🥖 Day 2 Morning — Roll, Fill, and Shape

Roll out the dough

On a lightly floured surface, roll into a rectangle approximately 12×16 inches (30×40 cm). Work from the center outward.

Spread the filling

Spread cinnamon filling evenly across the dough, leaving a half-inch border on all edges.

Roll into a log

Starting from the long edge, roll tightly into a log with even tension. Pinch the seam firmly to seal.

Cut and twist

Cut the log lengthwise down the center. With cut sides facing up, twist the two strands around each other. Tuck ends under and transfer to parchment-lined loaf pan.

Henry's Tip

A sharp knife matters here. Use a serrated knife or bench scraper with a firm press-and-pull motion. Dragging a dull blade compresses the layers instead of cutting them clean.

⏳ Day 2 Morning — Final Proof

Proof in the pan 1.5-3 hrs

Cover loosely. From cold dough: 2-3 hours. From room temp: 1-1.5 hours. Ready when puffed noticeably, jiggles slightly, and springs back slowly when poked.

🔥 Day 2 — Bake

Preheat 30 min

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Give it a full 30 minutes.

Apply egg wash

Whisk egg and milk. Brush gently over the top, getting into the crevices of the swirl.

Bake 35-40 min

Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 35-40 minutes. Check internal temp at 30 minutes. Tent with foil if browning too fast. Done at 190-195°F (88-90°C) internal.

✨ After Baking — Simple Syrup and Cool

Make the simple syrup

Combine equal parts sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stir until dissolved. Remove from heat.

Brush and rest 15 min cool

Brush simple syrup generously over the hot loaf and into crevices. Cool in pan for at least 15 minutes before lifting out. Don't cut into a hot babka.

Henry's Tip

Line your pan with parchment that overhangs the sides. Any filling that migrates and hits bare metal will go from caramelized to scorched. Parchment is not optional with babka.

Baker's Percentages

Bread flour

100%

Whole milk

34%

Granulated sugar

14%

Eggs

29%

Unsalted butter

32%

Fine sea salt

1.7%

Instant yeast

📐 Learn How Baker's % Works →

Storage

Room Temp

2-3 days wrapped tightly. The simple syrup keeps it moist longer than most enriched breads.

Refrigerated

Up to 5 days. Wrap well. Warm slices before eating.

Frozen

Up to 2 months. Slice before freezing.

Refresh

Warm at 300°F (150°C) for 8-10 minutes, toast lightly, or microwave briefly.

Classroom Lessons

🎓 Crust & Crumb Academy

📖

Crust & Crumb GlossaryEvery underlined term links here

▶

Babka TutorialTutorials · Module 27

▶

Hand Kneading Enriched DoughTutorials · Module 27

📐

Learn How Baker's % WorksBaker's Percentage · Module 4

🔒 Non-members see a preview — join free to watch

Nutrition (per slice)

Per Slice (~90g)

320 cal · 38g carbs · 16g fat · 6g protein · 1g fiber · 180mg sodium