pumpkin & rye babka
rye flour babka with homemade pumpkin butter filling, October 2023
an autumnal bake for a cold and rainy spring day!
ingredients
rye babka dough
200g plain flour
65g rye flour
50g caster sugar
zest of 1 lemon
1 egg
125mL warm water
1 tsp instant yeast
0.25 tsp salt
75g butter, cubed at room temperature
pumpkin butter
this makes two jars (twice as much as is required for the babka) but the leftover jar is fantastic on oats, toast, or crepes!
400g chopped pumpkin
15g caster sugar
70g brown sugar
about 200mL water
0.5 tsp ground ginger
0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
0.5 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp vanilla paste
dash of nutmeg
pinch of salt
simple syrup
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp water
method
rye babka dough
in a large bowl, sift together the plain flour (200g), rye flour (65g), caster sugar (50g), and lemon zest
make a well in the centre, and add the egg (1), warm water (125mL), and yeast (1 tsp) and stir together with a fork to make a shaggy dough
sprinkle over the salt (0.25 tsp) and turn out onto a lightly floured work surface
knead until just coming together, then slowly add the softened butter (75g) a few pieces at a time, kneading between until all the butter is fully incorporated
return the dough ball to the bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight
pumpkin butter
preheat oven to 180°C
toss the pumpkin (400g) with the caster sugar (15g) and lay on a lined baking tray
roast for 20 minutes, or until the pumpkin is soft and caramelised
in a medium saucepan, add the brown sugar (70g), water (~200mL), ground ginger (0.5 tsp), ground cinnamon (0.5 tsp), ground cardamom (0.5 tsp), vanilla paste (0.5 tsp), nutmeg (dash), and a pinch of salt
add in the cooked pumpkin and mash (or blend with an immersion blender) until the mixture is a smooth puree
cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the mixture is thickened and a similar texture to tomato paste (about 20-30 minutes, depending on the water content of your pumpkin)
decant into jars or containers and refrigerate until required
assembly
line a loaf tin with baking paper
remove the dough from the fridge and turn out onto a lightly floured work surface
roll out to a rough rectangle, as if you were making cinnamon rolls
spread a generous amount of the pumpkin butter (one jar, or half the amount as written) over the dough, maintaining a 2cm border on one long edge
roll the dough into a log, finishing with the border edge on the bottom
optional: chill the dough log here for 30 minutes to make it easier to handle
cut the dough in half down the long axis, leaving about 4cm at one end uncut
twist the cut halves so they face upwards, and twist around each other to make a spiral
confused? this is a good photo showing the steps (except I keep one end whole to make it easier to handle)
tuck the ends under the spiral and gently place the babka in the prepared loaf tin
cover lightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for one hour
preheat oven to 180°C
bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out cleanly
while the babka is baking, prepare the simple syrup (1 tbsp each caster sugar and water, in the microwave for 1-2 minutes)
as soon as the babka is removed from the oven, generously brush all over with the sugar syrup
let cool completely (or try to!) before slicing and serving