Wowza! Alice in Wondoughland (the sourdough starter with a quirky name) was definitely on steroids this morning when I made the dough for this Sourdough Cinnamon Babka. The rise was fantastic, the proof was solid and then when I went to bake it up, it almost overflowed the pan yet again. Overall another successful attempt at turning a yeasted recipe into a sourdough. Very pleased.
Ingredients
for the dough
Ingredients
for the dough
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (120 grams) active sourdough starter
1 cup milk, warmed to between 100-110F
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
for the filling
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
4 teaspoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons water
For baking
1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon milk, for egg wash
Directions
Combine flour, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl. In another bowl (or large measuring cup), combine warm milk, starter, melted butter, almond extract and the egg. Combine wet and dry ingredients until well mixed, before adding the raisins and mixing until fully incorporated. Turn out onto a well-floured counter and knead until you have cohesive dough. It should be fairly soft and supple. Set aside in a warm, draft free place for a couple of hours in a greased bowl until it has doubled in size.
To make your topping, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt until evenly incorporated. Work in the butter until coarse crumbs form. Shape the dough into a 9″ x 18″, 1/4″-thick rectangle. If the dough “fights back,” cover the dough and let it rest for 10 minutes to relax the gluten, then stretch it some more. Smear the dough with the filling, coming to within an inch of the edges. Starting with a short end, roll the dough gently into a log, sealing the seam and ends. Using a pair of scissors or a sharp knife, cut the log in half lengthwise (not crosswise) to make two pieces of dough each about 10″ long; cut carefully, to prevent too much filling from spilling out. With the exposed filling side up, twist the two pieces into a braid, tucking the ends underneath. Place the twisted loaf into a lightly greased 9” x 5” loaf pan. Brush the loaf with the egg glaze. Cover the loaf, and let it rise until it’s very puffy and crowned a good inch over the rim of the pan, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours.
Towards the end of the rising time, preheat your oven to 350F. Bake the bread for 40 to 50 minutes, tenting with aluminum foil during the final 15 to 20 minutes of baking; the loaf should be a deep-golden brown and a digital thermometer into the center of it should register about 195F. Remove the babka from the oven, and immediately loosen the edges with a heatproof spatula or sharp knife. Let the babka cool for 10 minutes, then turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool completely. Slice the babka and serve it at room temperature; or rewarm individual slices briefly in a toaster, if desired. Store any leftovers, well wrapped, at room temperature for several days.
