It doesn’t get much better than carbs on carbs with a load of chocolate in between the layers. Maybe that’s not the best way to sell this, so I’ll just give you these two words: Babka Pie. Chocolate & Pistachio Babka Pie to be more exact. With a flaky, buttery pie crust base that’s covered in chocolate filling before being topped with a chocolate swirled babka, there’s no going wrong here. Trust me, this may be one pie you just won’t want to share.
I was watching a video that featured babka not long ago and decided that I needed it in my life. Of course, in an effort to fit a babka in with my current theme of pies and tarts for 2020, I wondered if a babka pie was far too outrageous an idea. (Spoiler: it isn’t, it’s just outrageously delicious).
So naturally I decided to hit the Google search to see if this was something I’ve just been missing out on. What I found is that there are a lot of regular babka recipes out there, some babka with pie themed flavors (pecan pie, apple pie, key lime pie) but those were still loaf-shaped–pie inspired but not quite a pie.
There was one exception: Breads Bakery in New York who actually has a babka pie. Now, I’ve never had their babka pie nor did I look at a recipe, but I do need to credit them for the idea of having a layer of chocolate between the pie crust and the babka because it makes a world of difference in bringing this mash-up together.
Armed with proof that this was actually a not-wildly-out-of-the-box idea, I moved forward. An enriched, cardamom spiced babka dough is swirled with a dark chocolate spread, milk chocolate chips, and toasted pistachios. Each bite is chocolatey and nutty and absolutely delicious. Does this recipe take a bit of time? Of course, you’re making a pie dough and bread. But is it surprisingly simple and absolutely worth it? YES!
With folding the pie dough, you get extra layers of flakiness that doesn’t need to be baked before the rest of the pie. With the exception of some very therapeutic kneading and shaping, most of the time spent on the bread is just waiting for it to rise.
This is the perfect weekend baking adventure that means you’ll either have a slice of babka pie for dessert or for brunch the next morning. I made one earlier this week and am already considering making another because the only thing better than a piece of babka or a slice of pie is babka pie.
| Cook Time | 45-50 minutes |
| Passive Time | 2-3 hours |
| Servings |
slices
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- 165 mL whole milk
- 42 grams honey
- 8 grams active dry yeast
- 310 grams bread flour
- 30 grams granulated sugar
- 1 tsp cardamom
- 1 egg large
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 56 grams unsalted butter softened
- 300 grams all purpose flour
- 1/2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 170 grams unsalted butter cold and cubed
- 1 Tbsp vodka
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- ice water as needed
- 56 grams unsalted butter
- 100 grams dark chocolate
- 75 grams light brown sugar
- 16 grams dark cocoa powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 100 grams milk chocolate chips or chunks
- 125 grams shelled pistachios toasted and chopped
- 1 egg whisked with 1 Tbsp water
- 100 grams granulated sugar
- 100 mL water
Ingredients
Babka Dough
Single Pie Crust
Chocolate and Pistachio Babka Filling
Egg Wash and Syrup
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- In a small saucepan, whisk together the whole milk and honey. Warm over a low heat until the milk reaches a temperature between 105°F and 110°F. Transfer to a measuring cup and sprinkle the yeast over the top. Stir in the yeast and leave to rest for 10-15 minutes. The yeast should bubble up and the mixture will thicken on the surface.
- In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, stir together the yeast and milk, 300 grams bread flour, sugar, cardamom, and egg. If using a mixer, mix on low until the dough begins to come together. Mix in the salt. Add in the softened butter, a little at a time, waiting until the butter is fully mixed in to the dough before adding more to the bowl. Once the dough has come together (it will be very soft and sticky), sprinkle with the remaining 10 grams of flour and allow to rest for about two minutes.
- Tip the dough onto a generously floured surface and begin to knead. Knead for about 10-15 minutes until the dough is no longer wet and sticky and is instead smooth and holds its shape. Form into a ball and place into a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover with an oiled piece of plastic wrap and a clean towel and allow to rise for 1 1/2-2 hours, until the dough is doubled in size. While the dough is rising, make your pie crust.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the dry ingredients until you have mostly pea-sized chunks of butter covered in flour. Using the tip of a knife, or your fingertips, stir in the vodka and apple cider vinegar until large clumps begin to form. Add in the ice water 1/2 Tbsp at a time until you can form the dough into a ball. Use your fingertips to pinch together any dry bits into the dough, sprinkle with water if needed to bring all the dough together into a ball. Shape the dough into a flat disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Lightly flour your work surface and roll the dough out into a rectangle, about 12"x4". Fold the top 1/3 of the dough to the center. Fold up the bottom 1/3 of dough to overlap with the top half. Flip the dough 90 degrees and repeat the rolling and folding process. Flip 90 degrees and repeat one more time.
- Lightly grease a 9" pie dish. Roll the dough out until it is about an inch larger than the dish (it'll be about 1/4"-1/2" thick). Gently place the dough into the pie dish making sure there is no air between the crust and the dish. Using a sharp knife, cut any overhang so that the dough just comes to the top of the pie dish. Chill in the refrigerator while you shape the dough and prep the filling.
- When the babka dough is nearly done with its first rise, prepare the filling. In a medium microwave safe bowl, heat up the butter and dark or bittersweet chocolate for 30 seconds on high. Remove and stir with a rubber spatula until smooth and shiny. Continue to melt at 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until fully melted. Whisk the light brown sugar, cocoa powder, and salt into this melted chocolate and set aside to cool while you roll out the dough.
- Lightly oil or flour your countertop or work surface. Once the dough has doubled in size, knock it back to remove the air. Roll the dough out on the prepared work surface until you have rectangle about 20" by 14" in size. Spread half of the cooled filling over the dough and spread evenly, leaving about 1/2"-1" around the edges. Sprinkle with the milk chocolate and 100 grams of the pistachios.
- Gently roll the dough along the long side of the rectangle starting at the end closest to you. When you get to the end, lightly pinch the edges of the roll to seal it. Place this seam down on the counter and, using both of your hands, lightly roll the dough until you have a log about 24" long.
- Using a knife or a bench scraper, slice through the middle of the log, leaving about 1" of dough uncut at one of the ends. Starting at this anchor point, cross the strands of dough over one another keeping the cut side up for the entire length.
- Remove the prepared pie crust from the fridge. Pour the second half of the chocolate filling over the bottom of the crust and spread until evenly covered. Gently lift the twisted babka dough and place the uncut end into the pie dish first. Follow the shape of the pie dish with the dough. You should be able to circle the edge once and should be able to twist the dough into the center of the dish. Tuck the end into the middle of the pie dish.
- Cover with a lightly greased sheet of plastic wrap and a clean towel and allow to rise for about 30 minutes to 1 hour, until the dough grows 1.5 times in size.
- Near the end of the dough's rising time, preheat the oven to 375°F. Whisk together 1 egg with 1 Tbsp of water for an egg wash and chop the remaining 25 grams of pistachios. Brush the babka with the egg wash and sprinkle with the chopped pistachios.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Cover with a piece of foil and continue to bake for 25-30 minutes until the dough is fully cooked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the babka. If the toothpick comes out with dough on it, continue to bake until it comes out clean. (If it comes out with just chocolate on it and no dough, it should be baked).
- While the babka pie is baking, stir together 100 grams of granulated sugar and 100 mL of water in a small saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
- Remove the pie from the oven. Using a toothpick, large skewer, or a knife, poke holes into the top of the babka. Brush the sugar syrup over the top of the babka. Try to use as much of it as you can--you want to use all of it if possible.
- Allow the pie to cool completely before slicing.