Poppy Seed Babka: A Classic Twist on a Delicious Treat

I am puzzled as to why Poppy Seed Babka is not more common. Babka, a Jewish pastry, is a match made in heaven for the dramatic black poppy seeds we seem to love so much. After all, it is the heart of Hamentashen cookies, Pletzel, Beigli, and so much more in the Jewish bakery (and the Israeli bakeries). But alas, I am correcting this very issue today with a tender, soft, buttery, and delicious Poppy Seed Babka.

If you are a fan of poppy seed pastries, this is the recipe for you. The dough is sweet, tender, and fluffy, and the poppy seeds are crunchy, flavorful, and perfectly proportionate to the dough in every slice. I will add that you can add other flavors like almond extract and ground cinnamon to the poppy seed filling for a more subtle poppy seed flavor.

For more Babka recipes and pastries, check out Nutella Babka, Israeli Chocolate Rugelach, Apple Babka, and Pistachio Cornetti.

Ingredients

For the Dough

• Bread flour. For all-purpose flour, please make sure it is not bleached.
• Instant yeast. See the recipe card’s notes below for Active dry yeast and fresh yeast options.
• Sugar and salt.
• Lukewarm milk. Or you can use warm water (no more than 110F)
• Dry milk powder.
• Large eggs at room temperature.
• Unsalted soft butter cut into 1-inch pieces.
• Optional: zest of one orange. (or lemon zest)
• Egg yolk for egg wash.

For non-dairy (parve) options: Replace the butter with vegan butter or margarine, the milk with lukewarm water, and skip the milk powder.

For the Poppy seed filling

For the filling, we are using cold ingredients, so the paste will be smooth, thick, and easy to work with. To do that, you will need a food processor, but if you don’t have one available, use room-temperature ingredients and a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. 

• Whole poppy seeds. Do not use ground poppy seeds; grounding the seeds brings out its bitterness.
• Powdered sugar.
• Flour.
• Large eggs. cold
• Unsalted butter, slightly cold, and cut into one-inch pieces. For a non-dairy option, use vegan butter or margarine.
• Optional: almond extract, ground cinnamon.

For the simple syrup

• Sugar
• water
• Orange ring of one orange. Optional.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Make the dough

For this recipe, I am using my favorite tender and fluffy Babka Dough.

Step One: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, milk powder, orange zest (if using) and egg. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the milk while mixing. Continue to mix for an additional 90 seconds using the dough hook attachment.

Step Two: Increase the speed to medium and begin adding the butter, one piece at a time, allowing each piece to fully incorporate before adding the next. Knead on high speed for 5-7 minutes until the dough becomes elastic and slightly sticky but does cling to the sides of the bowl.

Step Three: Transfer the dough to a large bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 90-120 minutes

Making the Poppy Seed Filling

1. Measure all ingredients and place them in a food processor or a mixing bowl.
2. Process until you have a smooth, thick mixture. Set it aside until ready to use.

Shaping and Baking

There are three ways to shape a Babka, and I have a blog post on how to shape a Babka. For this recipe, I decided to go with the Kranch twist using three simple steps:

Step one: divide the dough into equal pieces and roll each into a 12×14-inch rectangle over a floured work surface. Use an offset spatula to spread half of the poppy seed mixture over the top of the dough.

Step two: Roll the dough, starting with the long side, into a log, like a jelly roll.

Step three: Use a sharp knife to cut the log vertically into two parts.

Step four: Twist the two pieces around each other into a twisted loaf, then transfer it to a greased loaf pan with parchment paper. Brush it with egg yolk and set it aside in a warm place to rest for the second dough rise.

Bake until deep golden brown, and the internal temperature of each loaf reads 190-200F.

Make the Syrup

Make the syrup while the babkas are baking: measure the ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer for 5 minutes.  Set it aside to cool.

Brush the top of the babka as soon as it comes out of the oven.

Tips

• Always use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients; 90% of baking mistakes are related to incorrect measurements.  
• Chill the dough. It is a very soft dough, and things might get messy when you shape it (which is fine!). Chilling the dough for about 30 minutes before shaping will help a lot.
• Top the poppy seed filling with chopped white chocolate for extra flavor.

Yields

This recipe makes two 8—or 9-inch babka loaves, perfect for sharing or slicing for breakfast or dessert, or one large babka ring baked in a large tube pan.

Store, Freeze, and Make Ahead

• Storing: Poppy seed babka can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
• Freezing: Babka freezes wonderfully. Wrap the cooled babka tightly in plastic wrap, then in foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. When ready, unwrap and thaw at room temperature before serving.
• Make-ahead: You can prepare the dough and filling ahead of time. After shaping, freeze the unbaked babka. When ready to bake, thaw overnight in the fridge and let it rise before baking. The filling can be made up to one week ahead of time and refrigerated. To make the dough the night before, reduce the yeast amount to 1 1/2 teaspoon, and refrigerate after 1 hour at room temperature. The next morning, shape the babka with cold dough.