Pumpkin Babka

Pumpkin babka is a braided bread that's made with pumpkin puree, maple syrup, and pumpkin pie spices.

Makes one 8.5x4.5 loaf

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 45

Resting time 9

Total Time 10 5

Servings slices

Author Heather

Ingredients

¾ cup (180) water warm (about 110F)
1 ½ teaspoons (5) instant yeast
3 ⅓ cups (400 g) bread flour or high protein AP flour*
1 ½ teaspoons (4 g) kosher salt
¾ cup (170 g) pumpkin puree
3 tablespoons (58 g) maple syrup
2 tablespoons (30 g) olive oil

Filling

¼ cup (53 g) brown sugar
1 tablespoon (5 g) pumpkin pie spice blend
2 tablespoons (25 g) olive oil

Instructions

In a large bowl, add warm water and yeast and whisk until yeast is dissolved.
Add flour, salt, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, and olive oil. Stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy, sticky dough forms. This dough may look dry while mixing, but resist the urge to add water. Dough gets stickier in the kneading phase.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Using floured hands, knead the dough for 3 to 5 minutes. Dough will look smooth, slightly tacky, and slowly springs back when gently pressed.
Transfer dough to a lightly greased bowl, tossing dough to coat all sides, and cover with plastic wrap or an airtight lid. Allow to rise for about 1 hour at room temperature, or until doubled in size.
Punch dough down and turn out onto a lightly floured surface.
Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface into about a 12x18 rectangle.
In a small bowl add brown sugar, pumpkin spice blend, and olive oil. Stir to create a paste. Spread over dough, leaving a 1 inch border around the edges.
Starting at the long side, roll up to form a log. Place the log seam side down, then use a serrated knife or kitchen shears to slice it in half lengthwise to create two logs.
Pinch two of the ends together. With the cut sides facing up, twist the two logs around each other about 3 times. Pinch together the other two ends.
Transfer loaf, cut sides up, into a greased 8.5x4.5 loaf pan (or 9x4 pullman pan).
Same day: Cover with plastic wrap (allowing space for the dough to expand) and allow to rise for 1 hour at room temperature, or until puffy, jiggly, and almost doubled in size.
Overnight: Cover with plastic wrap (allowing space for the dough to expand) and transfer to the refrigerator overnight.
Preheat oven to 350℉. If your dough is refrigerated, set pan on the counter while the oven preheats.
Transfer loaf to the oven and bake, uncovered, for about 45 to 50 minutes, or until the center reaches 195℉. Tent your loaf with foil if the top is browning too quickly.
Rest bread for a few minutes before popping out of the pan and transferring to a cooling rack (this ensures the bread doesn't get soggy while cooling in the pan). Allow to cool completely before slicing and serving.

Notes

*Flour variations: This recipe works best with bread flour, but an AP flour with higher protein content (like King Arthur) can also produce great results. Low protein flours like cake flour or white lily flour are not recommended.
Yeast: This recipe can be prepared with instant or dry active yeast. If using dry active yeast, your rise times will take slightly (15 to 20 minutes) longer.
Variations - Pumpkin pie spice blend can be substituted with cinnamon.
Storage - Bread will keep for 2 to 3 days at room temperature or up to 3 months in the freezer.

Nutrition