So, I want to make babka for a holiday dessert or brunch. I found a recipe that is complex enough to satisfy my need to spend a day in the kitchen and getting my hands “dirty,” but the recipe is a little vague. It calls for “biga,” made the night before and left to stand. The biga has a cup of flour, and then the dough recipe calls for 3 cups of flour, but “as needed,” and the author’s recipe doesn’t include any description of the finished dough, or to add flour a tablespoon at a time to an initial two cups until the undisclosed consistency is achieved. If you’d like to see the recipe, you can find it at Chocolate Babka Bread Machine) Recipe - Genius Kitchen Maybe you can help figure this out, because it sounds delish!
Babka recipe for bread machine. What?
- Thread starter JustJoel
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letscook
Head Chef
If you don't want to use your bread machine, here one that I have made a couple of times that is good from King Arthur Flour.
https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/chocolate-babka-recipe
https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/chocolate-babka-recipe
Thanks for the recipe. I’ll try it out, but right now I’m obsessed with my bread maker!
Kayelle
Chef Extraordinaire
Joel, I think you're going to have to wait for a response from Rita, the author of the recipe on that website. Don't they have a messaging system there for members, like we do here?
Not really. You can post comments, which I did, and then pray for the blogger to answer them. I went ahead and made the recipe anyway, and it came out okay, see my post below. Thanks for responding!
I made it!
Well, I ended up plunging into the deep end and making the recipe, even though it was a bit vague about shaping and ingredient amounts. I’m calling it a qualified success. The volume of dough was too much for one loaf, but not enough for two loaves, IMHO. The dough looked too sticky and moist after the first rise, so I added several teaspoons of flour, one at a time, until I thought the dough was workable, but the end result was a bit dry, perhaps too much flour? And I’ve never worked with a biga before (I’d never heard of a biga before, and I’ve never made sourdough bread either). But it’s sweet, well marbled, and imminently edible! I’m having a slice for breakfast this morning! When I figure out how, I’ll post a pic. Stay tuned! Thanks to those of you who responded!
Well, I ended up plunging into the deep end and making the recipe, even though it was a bit vague about shaping and ingredient amounts. I’m calling it a qualified success. The volume of dough was too much for one loaf, but not enough for two loaves, IMHO. The dough looked too sticky and moist after the first rise, so I added several teaspoons of flour, one at a time, until I thought the dough was workable, but the end result was a bit dry, perhaps too much flour? And I’ve never worked with a biga before (I’d never heard of a biga before, and I’ve never made sourdough bread either). But it’s sweet, well marbled, and imminently edible! I’m having a slice for breakfast this morning! When I figure out how, I’ll post a pic. Stay tuned! Thanks to those of you who responded!
Babka filling
The dough, BTW, was so sticky, even with the added flour, that spreading the filling onto the dough was difficult. Maybe next time I’ll try some jam and nuts. And I’ll definitely be making a cheese babka!
The dough, BTW, was so sticky, even with the added flour, that spreading the filling onto the dough was difficult. Maybe next time I’ll try some jam and nuts. And I’ll definitely be making a cheese babka!
Cooking Goddess
Chef Extraordinaire
For all of your hesitancy, Joel, it looks wonderful!
I have a recipe for Sally Lunn bread that uses a 14(?) cup bundt pan. Lovely presentation, but tough to get the right shape/size slices for sandwiches. I'm going to make two loaves in 9x5 bread pans even though I'll be a cup or two short in batter to fill the pans. I had thought of buying two 8x4 loaf pans, then figured I'd rather have flatter loaves of bread rather than ones that overflow the pans or form muffin-tops.
I have a recipe for Sally Lunn bread that uses a 14(?) cup bundt pan. Lovely presentation, but tough to get the right shape/size slices for sandwiches. I'm going to make two loaves in 9x5 bread pans even though I'll be a cup or two short in batter to fill the pans. I had thought of buying two 8x4 loaf pans, then figured I'd rather have flatter loaves of bread rather than ones that overflow the pans or form muffin-tops.
Thank you! It was a little dry, possibly because I added in too much flour. And I’m not gonna use a pan next time I make it; I think I’ll make a braided loaf. It’s more attractive if you’re serving it as a coffee-go-with after dinner.For all of your hesitancy, Joel, it looks wonderful!
I have a recipe for Sally Lunn bread that uses a 14(?) cup bundt pan. Lovely presentation, but tough to get the right shape/size slices for sandwiches. I'm going to make two loaves in 9x5 bread pans even though I'll be a cup or two short in batter to fill the pans. I had thought of buying two 8x4 loaf pans, then figured I'd rather have flatter loaves of bread rather than ones that overflow the pans or form muffin-tops.
