Get the Recipe: White Chocolate Pistachio Babka Recipe
This babka recipe will teach you how to make white chocolate pistachio babka, with a detailed guide full of tips, tricks, and FAQs on making babka.
Ingredients
For the Babka Dough
- 2 cups (9 ounces or 255 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons (8.5 ounces or 241 grams) cake flour
- ⅓ cup (2.35 ounces or 67 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup (4 ounces or 113 grams) whole milk, warmed to between 120°F to 130°F
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- ½ cup (1 stick or 4 ounces or 113 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the White Chocolate and Pistachio Filling
- 1 cup (9.5 ounces or 269 grams) pistachio cream
- 1 cup (6 ounces or 170 grams) mini white chocolate chips
For the Syrup
- ¾ cup (5.25 ounces or 149 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (4 ounces or 113 grams) water
Instructions
Day 1: Make the Dough
- Mix the dry ingredients. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flours, sugar, yeast, and salt. Knead on low to combine, about 30 seconds. Press a tall glass into the center of the dry ingredients to make a well.
- Add the wet ingredients. Pour the milk, eggs, butter, and vanilla into the dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula until a rough, shaggy dough forms.
- Knead the dough. Use the mixer to knead on medium-low for 10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic, using a rubber spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Proof the dough. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. Dust your hands with flour and knead the dough once or twice into a rough ball. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl to remove any excess dough.Spray the bowl with cooking spray and place the dough back in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour at room temprature before refrigerating overnight.
Day 2: Assemble And Bake The Babka
- Prep the dough and pans. Uncover the dough and discard the plastic wrap. Tip it onto a lightly floured counter. Spray two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans with cooking spray and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the long sides. Spray the parchment, too.
- Roll out the dough. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a large rectangle about 10 inches wide and 24 inches long. Press a bench scraper against the sides of the dough to create straight edges.
- Fill and roll the dough. Use an offset spatula to spread the pistachio cream evenly across the dough. Sprinkle the white chocolate chips evenly on top.Starting from one of the long ends, roll the dough into an even log, like you would a burrito or when making cinnamon rolls.
- Slice the dough. Use a serrated knife to cut the log lengthwise into 2 strands, each about 12 inches long.Use the knife to slice the 2 strands in half crosswise so that you have 4 pieces with the filling exposed.
- Braid the babkas. Position the 4 pieces so that the exposed layers are facing upwards and are parallel next to each other. Take 2 of the pieces and gently press together the end of each half. Then, lift the right half over the left half. Repeat this process, but this time, lift the left half over the right to create a simple, two-pronged plait. Repeat this process until there is no longer any dough left to braid — I think I was only able to cross the dough around 3 times or so. Squeeze together the ends. Congratulations! You just braided one of the babkas.Repeat with the remaining 2 pieces to create the second babka.
- Proof the babkas. Place the braids in the prepared pans and cover the top of the pans with plastic wrap. Set the loaf pans aside in a warm, draft-free spot until the dough is very soft and jiggly to the touch, 2 to 3 hours.
- Prep the oven. About 30 minutes before baking, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.
- Bake the babkas. Bake the buns for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of a babka reads 190°F.
- While the babkas bake, make the simple syrup. Combine the sugar and water for the simple syrup in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high-heat, whisking to dissolve the sugar. Set the syrup on a wire rack to cool slightly as the babkas finish baking.
- Soak the babkas. Once the babkas are done, place on a wire rack. Immediately use a pastry brush to brush the top of the babkas with the syrup, waiting until the babka(s) absorb the syrup before using more syrup—it will seem like there's too much syrup, but it will work out, I promise!
- Serve and store. Cool the soaked babkas in their pans on the wire rack for 1 hour. Serve warm, or at room temperature. The babkas will keep at room temperature, covered loosely in plastic wrap, for up to 3 days.
Notes
Freezing the babkas:
You can freeze this white chocolate pistachio babka recipe in two ways:
- Freeze the assembled, unbaked babkas before baking.
To freeze the shaped dough, tightly wrap it in two layers of plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. To bake these babkas, unwrap them and let sit out at room temperature. Place them in parchment-lined and greased loaf pans and proof until the babkas have doubled in size. It will take several hours to do so since the babkas need to defrost, then rise—expect a Rise Time of about 5 to 6 hours, or maybe even overnight. Once the babkas have risen accordingly, follow the recipe instructions to bake and soak the babkas in simple syrup. - Freeze the baked babkas for serving later.
If freezing the extra loaf of babka, cool completely to room temperature after soaking with simple syrup. Then, remove the babka from its loaf pan. Tightly wrap it in two layers of plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, transfer the babka to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Remove the plastic wrap and rewrap in the aluminum foil. Bake at 325°F for 8 to 10 minutes, or until warm. Then, unwrap the babka and bake uncovered for another 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
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