Hello lovelies,
a Sunday morning without Zopf, our Swiss braided bread, is almost unthinkable in our house. In autumn, though, it can be a little more than the classic butter braid: my apple almond babka with cinnamon has a moist filling of grated apples, almonds and cinnamon that runs through the whole loaf in beautiful layers once it is twisted. Brushed with honey while still warm, it makes the whole apartment smell of apple cake.
You may already know the technique from my babka with carrot filling for Easter: roll out the dough, fill it, roll it up, halve it lengthwise and twist the two strands. It looks elaborate, but it is easier than a classic plaited braid, because the loaf pan holds everything in shape.
The dough and the filling
Besides flour, the yeast dough contains ground almonds, which make it especially tender and moist. It needs no eggs, just milk and softened butter. Just like with my vegan raspberry curd yeast rolls, it pays to knead the dough long enough until it is smooth and elastic.
For the filling I coarsely grate the apples and mix them with almonds, sugar, cinnamon, a splash of lemon juice and a few raisins. If you want to bake the babka vegan, simply swap the milk and butter. I have summed up which plant-based fats work best in my guide to baking without butter.
After shaping, the babka gets another 30 minutes of rest, then it goes into the oven at 180°C (355°F) for 30 to 35 minutes. As soon as it comes out, I brush it with honey, which soaks into the hot crust and makes the almonds shine.
If you still have apples left, bake my vegan Swiss apple quiche with them, the Swiss classic for an afternoon snack.
And when the Advent Sundays come around in December, I love baking my cranberry orange yeast bun for the holidays, which is filled too. I wish you lots of fun baking and a cozy Sunday.
