Peanut Butter–salty, savory, delicious. White Chocolate–sweet and creamy. This Peanut Butter White Chocolate Babka combines the best of the two flavors–sweet, salty, a bit savory–the filling is swirled into a soft, enriched bread for one absolutely stunning bake.
Yes, I know. Hello, it’s me. Babka addict. However, this time, it’s not combined with a pie (see these babka pies), it is just a good old fashioned swirled and delicious loaf of bread. Can you blame me for being a little bit obsessed with these? They bake up so gorgeous and cutting into them is always a joyous occasion.
Plus–they taste absolutely delicious. Chocolate babka? Mm. Fig, Honey, and Walnut Babka? Yes please. Peanut Butter White Chocolate Babka?! Yeah, this one is a definite must try.
Most of the time, you see babka with a chocolate filling. Because I just feel the need to make about any and every flavor that I can, I decided to veer away from the chocolate and into new territory: peanut butter. It’s almost like eating a slice of bread with peanut butter slathered over it, chunks of peanuts and white chocolate sprinkled on top, and it just works so well.
Melt the peanut butter in the microwave for a little bit before mixing with the brown sugar and vanilla to help it spread a bit easier. You still get that slightly gooey quality that you get with chocolate when you bite into the filling swirled slices, and let’s be honest, those are the most swoon worthy bites.
| Prep Time | 30-35 minutes |
| Cook Time | 45-50 minutes |
| Passive Time | 2-3 hours |
| Servings |
|
Ingredients
Babka Dough
- 165 mL whole milk
- 42 grams honey (2 Tbsp)
- 8 grams active dry yeast (2 tsp)
- 310 grams bread flour
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 egg large, room temp
- 56 grams unsalted butter softened (4 Tbsp)
- 1 egg wash (1 egg + 1 Tbsp water)
Peanut Butter White Chocolate Filling
- 250 grams peanut butter creamy or chunky*
- 100 grams light brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 50 grams peanuts roasted, chopped into small pieces
- 100 grams white chocolate chips or chopped into small chunks
Vanilla Syrup
- 50 grams granulated sugar
- 50 mL water
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Ingredients
Babka Dough
Peanut Butter White Chocolate Filling
Vanilla Syrup
|
|
Instructions
Babka Dough
- In a small saucepan warm the whole milk over a low heat until it reaches a temperature between 105°F and 110°F. Transfer to a measuring cup and whisk in the honey until dissolved. 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 the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a large bowl, stir together 300 grams flour, cinnamon, and salt. Pour in the activated yeast and the milk. Add in the egg and mix on low until the dough begins to come together. Add in the softened butter, a little at a time, waiting until the butter is fully mixed into 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 15-20 minutes until the dough is no longer wet and sticky and is instead smooth and holds its shape. Tuck the sides of the dough underneath on another until you have a ball shape 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, prepare your filling.
Peanut Butter White Chocolate Filling
- In a medium, microwave safe bowl, warm up the peanut butter for 30 seconds at a time until it is melty. Stir in the brown sugar and the vanilla. Set aside.
Peanut Butter White Chocolate Babka
- Grease a 9" x 5" (or 8.5" x 4.5") loaf pan and line with parchment paper. I usually use two strips--one long one to fit the length of the pan so that a couple of inches of paper stick up from the side and one that goes across the pan. Set aside.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, knock it back to remove the air. Lightly oil your work surface. Roll the dough out on the prepared work surface until you have rectangle about 18" by 12" in size. The long side should be closest to you. Using a rubber spatula or a small offset spatula, spread the peanut butter filling evenly over the dough until just about at the edges, leaving no more than 1 cm uncovered. Sprinkle over the chopped peanuts and the white chocolate.
- Gently roll the dough along the long side of the rectangle starting at the end closest to you. You want to get at least five to seven layers/rolls. 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. Slice through the final inch or two of the log that you kept together and twist; pinch the two strands at the end together.
- Lift up the roll and place one end into the prepared loaf pan with the cut side facing up, and wrap around the pan, if you want, tuck the end into the center. You should have two rolls of dough next to each other and two rolls on top of each other. Cover with a lightly greased sheet of plastic wrap and a clean towel and allow to rise for about 30 minutes to 45 minutes, until the dough grows 1.5 times in size.
- Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. While the oven is heating up, whisk together 1 egg with 1 Tbsp water. Once the dough has risen for the second time and has grown to be about 1.5 times its original size, brush the egg wash over the surface of the bread. Bake for 25 minutes then cover with a piece of foil to keep the top from darkening too much. Allow the babka to bake for an additional 20-25 minutes. 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 a bit of peanut butter filling but no dough on it, the bread should be cooked through.
- While the babka is baking, make the sugar syrup. In a small saucepan over medium heat, stir together 50 grams granulated sugar, 50 mL water, and 2 tsp vanilla extract. Heat until the sugar has completely dissolved and the syrup begins to simmer. Remove from the heat.
- Remove the babka from the oven and poke with a large skewer or a toothpick. Brush the sugar syrup over the top of the babka. Try to use as much of it as you can, but you might have a little bit left over at the end.
- Allow the babka to continue cooling for another 10-15 minutes. Then, using the parchment paper hanging off the sides, lift the babka from the pan. Set on a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
Recipe Notes
*If using chunky peanut butter, omit the chopped roasted peanuts.
Share this Recipe