Pumpkin Challah & Babka

Name: Pumpkin Challah & Babka
Prep time: 2 h 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 3 h 10 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup warm water; 2.25 tsp traditional yeast; 1tsp sugar; 2 eggs; 1 cup pumpkin purée; 1/4 cup honey; 2 tbsp oil; 1 tsp salt; 4-5 cups flour; 1 tsp pumpkin spice, optional

5 steps

Prep:2h 30minCook:40min

This recipe is a fall twist on traditional challah! It is pumpkin purée + spice influxes and oh-so-delicious. It also can be made into a pumpkin spice filled babka.

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 09:45:43 GMT

Ingredients

12 servings

½ cupwater

warm

2 ¼ tspyeast

traditional

1 tspsugar

2eggs

1 cuppumpkin purée

¼ cuphoney

2 Tbspoil

1 tspsalt

4 cupsflour

1 tsppumpkin spice

optional

Instructions

Step 1

Mix warm water, yeast and sugar. Let sit for about 10 minutes until the yeast is nice and foamy on top. In a separate bowl combine, salt, flour and pumpkin spice.

Step 2

In a stand mixer combine the yeast mixture, eggs, honey, oil, and pumpkin purée. Mix on low for about 30 seconds. Slowly add in flour mixture until a dough ball forms. You may need to add up to a cup more of flour. You want to add flour until the dough is no longer sticky to the touch. Then knead on low for about 5 minutes. (Or by hand for about 10 minutes)

Step 3

Place dough in an oiled dish, cover with a damp cloth and sit in a warm area to proof for an hour or until doubled in size.

Step 4

Remove dough from bowl and knead on a floured surface for about a minute, then separate in half. I typically use one half for a braided challah and the other for a pumpkin filled babka. You could make 2 challah instead. For the challah, separate dough into 5 strands, and braid. Then place on a baking dish and let proof for another hour or until doubled in size before baking. For the babka roll out the dough into a 1/4” thick rectangle and spread on a mixture of 1/2 cup softened butter + 1/2 cup brown sugar + 1-2 tsp pumpkin spice (some may be leftover). Roll it up (like you’re making cinnamon rolls), split down the middle lengthwise and braid. Place in a greased loaf pan and proof for an hour or until doubled in size.

Step 5

Preheat oven to 350F. While oven is heating mix together 1 egg and a tbsp of water. Brush egg wash evenly over challah and babka. Then bake. (note: If I have leftover babka filling I melt it down and pour it over the top before baking). Challah will typically take 25-35 minutes while the babka may take closer to 35-45 minutes. If they are browning too fast before they are finished baking you may cover them in foil. Remove from oven, and let cool for about an hour before slicing. Enjoy!