Soft Cinnamon Babka

This cinnamon babka has a rich, tender dough, swirled with a sweet cinnamon filling.

Add warm milk, yeast, and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer, along with eggs, flour, vanilla, and salt to the milk mixture and mix until it forms a thick dough.

Next, add in the room temperature butter, a few cubes at a time, and keep mixing to incorporate the butter.

For the best gluten development and babka crumb, mix for at least 15 minutes. The dough should feel very soft but strong.

Shape the dough into a ball on a lightly floured work surface, then place it into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and let it proof in a warm place until doubled in size.

Beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon into a creamy paste in a large mixing bowl. Set aside. Grease and line two 9x5 loaf pans with parchment paper.

Divide the dough in two. Roll one piece into a rectangle measuring around 11x14 inches. Spread with cinnamon filling.

Roll into a log and repeat with the second piece.

Slice a log in half lengthwise with a sharp knife.

Take the top two ends and fold them over, lift the left half over the right half, then the right over the left, and repeat all the way down, exposing the cinnamon filling.

When you reach the end, tuck the dough underneath to compact the loaf. Place the braid into a prepared loaf pan.

Let it rise until nearly doubled in size.

Bake until deeply browned, then brush with sugar syrup.

Let it cool in the pan for 20 minutes then place on a wire rack.

See the link for the full recipe!