Go Back Email Link
–+ servings
an overhead shot of a round babka on a wooden board drizzled with honey icing

Apples and Honey Round Babka

Rebecca Eisenberg
Just in time for Rosh Hashanah, this round, braided apples and honey babka is packed full of apple butter and drizzled with a honey icing. Warning: You will get messy making it. But I believe in you. Embrace the mess, because it will taste and look great in the end.
(Estimated resting time assumes 3 hours for the first rise, but you can let it go overnight in the fridge!)
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Resting Time 6 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 7 hours 55 minutes
Servings 1 babka

Ingredients
  

babka dough

  • 420 grams all-purpose flour (3½ cups, loosely packed)
  • 6 grams instant yeast (2 tsp)
  • 5 grams diamond crystal kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoons nutmeg (freshly grated)
  • ½ teaspoons cinnamon
  • 168 grams whole milk (½ cup + 2 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon)
  • 2 large eggs (room temperature)
  • 50 grams honey
  • 113 grams unsalted butter (8 tablespoons, room temp)

apple butter filling

  • ¾ cup apple butter (unsweetened preferred)
  • 3 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoons cinnamon
  • ½ cup finely diced apple
  • lemon juice (tossed with the apples)
  • ¼ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

honey icing drizzle

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (room temp)
  • 3 tablespoon honey
  • ⅓ cup powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons milk

Instructions
 

The babka dough

  • Mix the dough. Combine flour, salt, yeast, cinnamon, and nutmeg in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Whisk milk, eggs, and honey together in a separate bowl or liquid measuring cup, then pour into the center of the dry ingredients.
    Mix on medium-low until the dough comes together on the dough hook, about 2-3 minutes.
  • Knead the dough. Increase speed to medium and knead until the dough passes the windowpane test, about 3-4 minutes.
  • Add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time. With the mixer running on medium to medium-high, begin adding butter slowly. Let each piece of butter fully incorporate before adding the next. This can take 7-10 minutes. Be patient.
  • Knead the dough again. Once all of the butter has been added, increase speed to medium-high and knead until the dough is smooth, shiny, and passes the windowpane test.
  • Cover and rise. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl or container. Cover and let rise 1 hour at room temperature (72-75°F) then 2 hours or overnight in the fridge.
    The dough should double in size during the first hour, but may triple or quadruple in size in the fridge.

The apple butter filling

  • Make the filling. Mix apple butter, honey, and cinnamon together in a small bowl.
    Mince your apples and set them aside in another small bowl, tossed with a bit of lemon juice to prevent browning. If you’re planning on adding walnuts, chop them and set them aside in another bowl.

Assembly and shaping

  • Deflate the dough. Remove the dough from the fridge and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Use your hands or a rolling pin to deflate the dough, pushing all the air out of it.
  • Roll the dough into a long rectangle. Gently stretch the dough into a rectangle shape and use a rolling pin to roll it out to a 20" long rectangle about ¼″ thick. The long side of the dough should face you. If the dough resists rolling at any point, let it rest for 30 seconds and then resume.
  • Add the filling. Spread the apple butter filling across the surface of the dough in a thin layer, leaving a ½″ border along the top 20" long edge.
    Evenly sprinkle your minced apples (and walnuts) across the apple butter.
  • Roll it up. Roll the dough up into a 20" long log. This is easiest if you start on one side folding the bottom edge up at one corner, then working your way across to the other.
    Repeat until the whole dough rectangle is rolled up like a log. Try to get the roll as tight as possible.
  • Chill the rolled log. Transfer the dough log to a sheet pan, cover, and chill for 1-2 hours. You can skip this step, but the rest of the process will be a lot easier if you don't.
  • Make the twist. Use a metal bench scraper or a sharp knife to split the log of dough lengthwise into two 20" long strips.
    Turn the two halves outward so the gooey inner layers face up. Cross one strand over the other to form an X shape. Work from the center out down one side, crossing the two ropes over each other, then repeat with the other half of the X, to form a long twist of dough.
  • Coil the twist. Line sheet pan with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Pick up the twisted dough and quickly place one end in the center of the sheet tray.
    Coil the rest of the dough around it, keeping the open side of the twist facing up. Tuck the end of the twist under the dough to hold it in place. It will look lopsided, that's okay.
  • Rise one last time. Cover the babka with plastic wrap and rest for another 1-1½ hours. The dough layers should double in size, and the babka will be slightly puffy.
  • Bake the babka. Near the end of the rising time, pre-heat the oven to 375°F. Bake the babka for 30 minutes, uncovered, then loosely drape a sheet of aluminum foil over the top of it and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes.
    When it's done, a thermometer inserted into the dough will read 190°F. But if you don’t have a thermometer, err on the side of the longer bake.
  • Cool completely. Let the finished babka cool on the sheet pan before transferring it to a cooling rack OR directly to the serving tray you plan to use.

The honey icing drizzle

  • Whisk butter and honey in a slightly larger mixing bowl than you think you’ll need, beating vigorously until light in color.
  • Add powdered sugar, and whisk vigorously until incorporated, then whisk in milk until well combined and no lumps remain.
  • When the babka is completely cool, use the whisk or a fork to drizzle the icing in a large zig-zag.

RECIPE NOTES

  • If your kitchen is quite cool, you may want to move the dough into a warmer spot in your house (laundry room, near a warm oven, etc.). This will give the yeast a nice, warm environment to get to work.
  • You can make the apple butter filling a few days in advance and store it in the fridge until you're ready to use it.
  • Wrap well in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for 4-5 days. 
  • To freeze: Wrap well in plastic wrap, place inside a larger bag with as much air pressed out as possible. Defrost on the counter. Warm in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes if desired. The icing drizzle doesn't store super well, you may want to do the icing drizzle just before serving.