After a recent trip to Paris (not for the 2024 Olympics, but for a fun, romantic summer holiday), I can’t stop thinking about this delicious babka bread I had at the legendary bakery Babka Zana. So much so, that I had to find out the recipe for its famous babka bread and share it here on House & Garden.
When it opened its doors, the Babka Zana bakery was the first to import babka to Paris. This braided brioche with its melt-in-the-mouth center can be reproduced at home, thanks to the confidential recipe of the company's chefs.
What is Babka?
Babka is a sweet braided bread (although some debate it is a cake) originating in Poland. Typically served at Jewish bakeries, you can find different babka variations including our favourite chocolate babka, cinnamon babka, apple babka, sweet cheese babka, or cinnamon raisin babka.
Ingredients for a 20cm babka (Serves six people)
The dough :
250g T45 flour
12g baker's yeast
50g sugar
100g whole milk
80g softened butter
1 whole egg
3g salt
Topping :
180g spread of your choice
40g chopped hazelnuts
How to Make a Chocolate Babka
Dilute the yeast in the warm milk and leave to stand for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix the salt, sugar and flour in the bowl of a food processor. Alternatively, mix by hand.
Add the egg, then the milk and yeast.
Knead at medium speed for 10 minutes.
Add the cubed butter until the dough pulls away from the sides (about 15 minutes).
Roll the dough into a ball, place in a bowl and cover with a tea towel. Leave to rest for a good 2 hours.
You can prepare the dough the day before for the next day and leave it to rest in a cool place.
Roll out the dough into a rectangle the length of your mold and 3 times its width.
Cover with spread. You can warm the spread in a bain-marie to make it easier to spread.
Scatter over the crushed hazelnuts, keeping a few for the final garnish.
Roll out the dough widthwise.
Cut the sausage in half lengthwise.
Braid the two pieces together, cut side up.
Line a baking tin with greaseproof paper and grease with oil or butter. Place the braided dough in the tin and leave to rest for at least an hour, covered with a tea towel.
Preheat oven to 180° and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
Wait five minutes before unmolding.
Brush the babka with a sugar syrup: 40g water, 40g sugar to boil in a saucepan while the babka is baking.
Watch a video of the recipe on Babka Zana's Instagram account.
This recipe originally appeared on Architectural Digest France.
