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Baklava Babka is a fusion of two iconic desserts: the rich, nutty flavors of the classic Honey Baklava and the soft, sweet layers of Jewish-style babka bread.

A baklava babka ring over a piece of parchment paper.

This recipe brings together the best of both worlds to create a show-stopping treat loaded with flavors and a mix of tender buttery dough and the crunchy texture of the nuts.

If you can’t get enough of authentic and comforting recipes check out this Babka Muffins recipe, this Cinnamon Rolls recipe and this Cheese Bourekas Recipe.

Ingredients

The complete Baklava Babka Recipe is a the bottom of this post on the recipe card.

For the Filling

  • Unsalted butter melted and cooled.
  • Walnuts, almonds, and pistachios. Or any combination of nuts.
  • Sugar
  • Cinnamon
  • ​Fresh orange zest.

For the Honey Syrup

  • Water
  • Honey
  • Peel of one orange
  • Cinnamon stick
  • Orange blossom water, or rose water.
  • Optional: mix in 1 cup of chopped dark chocolate for a unique version of Babka Chocolate Babka.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Make the Dough

  1. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt.
  2. Add Wet Ingredients: Add the warm milk, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
  3. Incorporate Butter: Using the dough hook, gradually add the softened butter, one piece at a time, kneading until fully incorporated. Knead for 8-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
  4. First Rise: Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size. 
a kitchen aid with a bowl filled with flour and a cup of milk poured into the bowl.
Mix all of the dough ingredients while adding the milk.
elastic dough over a dough hook attachment.
Add the butter one piece at a time and knead until you have an elastic and smooth dough.
Dough inside a bowl covered with plastic wrap.
place the dough in a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rest until double in size.

Make the Filling and Syrup

  1. Prepare the Filling: In a food processor, process the walnuts, pistachios, granulated sugar, and cinnamon, 
  2. Make the Syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the water, honey, orange peel and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Set aside to cool, and refrigerate until use.
a bowl of food processor filled with nuts, sugar and orange zest.
ground nut mixture in a bowl of food processor.
A sauce pan with water, honey, orange peel and a cinnamon stick.

Shaping the Babka and Baking

Before shaping take the extra step and chill the dough for about one hour. Chilled dough is easy to work with and it does not tend to shrink as much.

  1. Roll Out the Dough: Once risen, punch down the dough and roll it out over a lightly floured work surface into a rectangle approximately 24-18 inches.
  2. Add the Filling: Use a pastry brush to brush the melted butter over the dough. Spread the nut mixture in an even layer then gently press it down with your finger.
  3. Shape the Babka: Using a rolling pin, roll the dough tightly into a log, starting from the long side. Slice the log in half lengthwise and twist the two halves together, keeping the filling side up.
  4. Second Rise: Place the twisted dough into your prepared pan, brush with an egg yolk then cover and let it rise in a warm spot for another 90-120 minutes.
  5. Bake: Bake until the top is deep golden brown and internal temperature is 190F (about 30-40 minutes), then remove from the oven and  brush with the cooled syrup generously over the top.
a dough rolled into a rectangle.
Roll the dough into 24×18-inch rectangle.
a hand brushing a rectangle dough with butter.
Brush the dough with half of the melted butter.
A hand pressing nut mixture over a rectangle dough.
Top the dough with the nut mixture, sprinkle the rest of the butter and gently press it with your fingers.
hands rolling dough topped with nuts mixture.
Roll the dough into a spiral starting from the long side.
A log of rolled dough.
a log of dough sliced into two pieces.
Slice the log at the center vertically with the filling facing up.
A twisted dough with crumbs around it.
Unbaked baklava babka in a tube pan.
Baked Baklava babka in a pan.
Brushing honey syrup over baked baklava babka bread.

Pan Options and Yields

This recipe makes one large Babka ring baked in a tube pan yields 15-18 slices, or two 9×5 loaf pans, each yields 10-12 slices. Make sure to line the pans with parchment paper.

Storing and Freezing

  • Storing: Keep the babka at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days, avoid from refrigerating.
  • Freezing: Wrap the cooled babka tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, then freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and reheat slightly before serving.
sliced baklava babka.
baklava babka ring.
Print

Baklava Babka Recipe

Buttery yeasted dough swriled with nutty filling and soaked with honey syrup.

Course Dessert
Cuisine israeli, jewish
Keyword Baklava Babka
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Servings 24 Slices
Author Dikla

Ingredients

For The Dough

For The Filling

  • 1 Cup Walnuts (150g)
  • 1 Cup Almonds (120g)
  • 1 Cup Pistachios (150g)
  • 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 Cup Sugar (100g)
  • Zest of one orange
  • 4 Tablespoons Melted butter (55g)

For The Honey Syrup

  • 3/4 Cup water (180ml)
  • 1/3 Cup Honey (120g)
  • 1 Cinnamon stick
  • Peel of one orange
  • 2 teaspoons Orange blossom water (or 1/2 teaspoon rose water)

Instructions

  1. Recommended: Refrigerate the dough for about 60 minutes before shaping the babka.

Make The Filling

  1. Measure the walnuts, almonds, pistachios, cinnamon, sugar and orange zest into a bowl of a food processor.

  2. Process until you have a fine mixture. Set aside.

Make The Syrup

  1. Measure the water, and honey in a medium sauce pan, then add the cinnamon stick and orange peel.

  2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

  3. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5-7 minutes.

  4. Remove from heat and set aside to cool, refrigerating until use.

Shaping

  1. Grease one large tube pan with cooking spray, or grease two 9×5 loaf pans and line them with parchment paper

  2. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and punch it with your fist.

  3. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 24×18-inch rectangle.

  4. Brush the top of the dough with the half of the melted butter.

  5. "Layer the dough with the nut mixture, then sprinkle the rest of the batter over the nuts and gently press it with your fingers into an even layer.

  6. Roll the rectangle into a sprial log (like a jelly roll) starting from the long end.

  7. Use a knife to cut the log at the center.

  8. Gently twist the two pieces around each other. This step can get pretty messy, and that is ok.

  9. Gently lift the twisted log and place it in the prepared pan.

  10. Sprinkle back any filling that may have spilled out during the twisting step.

  11. Brush the raw dough with the egg yolk, cover it with plastic wrap (making sure it does not tough the dough) and set aside to rest for 90-120 minutes.

  12. Bake at 350F (180C) for 38-45 minutes, until the internal temperature reads 190F (88c). Top the pan with a piece of aluminum foil if you notice that the top is getting too dark before the bread is ready.

  13. Remove from the oven and immediately brush with the syrup (use a much or as little as you want, you don't have to use the whole syrup).

  14. Allow it to cool in the pan for 20-30 minutes than invert to a plate and serve.

Recipe Notes

  • Store at room temperature for up to three days, covered. I like to keep it in the pan and cover with a piece of aluminum foil.
  • To freeze: wrap the leftovers with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Place in a freeze bag (I use a shopping bag if the freeze bag is too small) and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and reheat slightly before serving.
  • Slicing the log and twisting it can get messy, if you are a novice baker, or never baked babka before, consider shaping it using the classic method. For more details and step by step instructions, check out my post on how to shape babka.

 

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