Monday, December 08, 2008

Cinnamon Pineapple Babka

Babka
A Jewish Classic

Dough
3/4 cup lukewarm milk
2 Tbsp yeast
1 cup all purpose flour
4 eggs
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup white sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon mace (Megan's note: I didn't have any mace, so I left it out)
4 cups all purpose flour

In mixer bowl, mix milk, yeast and 1 cup flour; cover with plastic wrap and let stand 30 minutes, until spongy. Slowly beat in remaining ingredients. Beat on low speed for 2 minutes. Dough will be soft. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest 45 minutes before making up.

Babka:
1/2 recipe Babka dough
Cinnamon sugar, see Index
Streusel, see Index
Vegetable oil
Simple syrup, see Index

Roll out dough on floured surfaces to 8x16 inch rectangle. Brush with oil. Sprinkle all over with cinnamon sugar; press sugar into dough. Roll up and seal edges. Stretch out to about 20 inches, fold in half and twist twice. Place in a greased 9 1/4x5 1/4 inch bread pan and press down. Brush top with vegetable oil, sprinkle with streusel, cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped. Cool on wire rack.

Megan's note: I skipped the streusel, syrup and cinnamon sugar. Instead, I used the topping from the Pecan Vienna Dream Coffee Cake and added 2 1/2 cups frozen pineapple I'd shredded in a blender:

Pecan Vienna Dream Coffee Cake

Topping:
1 cup flour, shifted
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
4 teaspoons cinnamon, ground
1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 cups pecans chopped (Megan's note: I used 2 cups Blue Diamond cinnamon brown sugar almonds)
Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, and butter or margarine; blend until mixture is crumbly. Add pecans, mix well.


Credit for babka: Gottlieb's Bakery: 100 Years of Recipes,Compiled and Tested by Sarah Gaede with Irving and Isser Gottlieb, page 106, Copyright 1983

Credit for topping: The Best of Mayberry Cookbook,copyright 1996, by Betty Conley Lyerly, page 60

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