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As an almost religious viewer of “Seinfeld” in the ’90s, one specific food-related episode stands out among my favorites. It’s a show that largely centers around the braided bread babka, the characters’ inability to secure a chocolate babka, and the discovery of new-to-them cinnamon babka.
Without that Seinfeld episode, it might have taken me much longer to discover babka, which originated in eastern European Jewish communities, including Ukraine and Poland. In my humble opinion, babka is more bread than cake, but regardless, this sweet treat can make for a perfect dessert, afternoon snack or even breakfast.
The version I’ve developed is a Montana huckleberry babka. The yeasted, almost brioche-like bread and its buttery notes combine so well with the king of berries and a dalliance with orange. It’s a babka fit for Big Sky Country.
It’s that time of year again when Montana’s most special berry is ripe for picking among our secluded mountainsides. Several times I’ve had the pleasure of picking them on a quiet slope in Sanders County, and I’ve been the grateful beneficiary of fresh huckleberry gifts from Lewis and Clark and Flathead counties. You’ll see them pop up at farmers markets around the state as well, though you’ll pay a pretty premium for the convenience of purchasing someone else’s pickings.
There’s no shortage of ways to use huckleberries, but I hope you’ll consider adding this baked babka to your arsenal. It uses frozen huckleberries, so you can make this recipe any time of year as long as you have a huckleberry stash in your freezer.
The orange makes for such an amazing partner with huckleberries. The juice and zest find their way into each element of the bread, with one fresh orange sufficient to provide all the flavor you need. This babka dough recipe, minus the orange zest, can also serve as the starting point for a number of other babka varieties, including chocolate, chocolate-peanut butter, cinnamon, pistachio and more.
HUCKLEBERRY BABKA RECIPE:
Dough Ingredients
2 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup warm whole milk
1/4 cup water
1 egg
4 tbsp softened butter
3 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp yeast
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp orange zest
1/2 tsp salt
Filling Ingredients
2 cups frozen huckleberries
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp orange juice
1/4 tsp corn starch
pinch of salt
Glaze Ingredients
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp orange juice
2 tbsp water
To make the dough, activate the yeast in 1/4 cup of lukewarm water with a bit of the sugar. When it’s active, combine the yeast with the flour, warm milk, egg, vanilla, salt, orange zest and the rest of the sugar in a stand mixer with a dough hook. Once the mixture comes together, and with the mixer running on medium speed, add the softened butter a little at a time. Let the dough mix for 6 to 8 minutes. It will be sticky. Scrape all the dough out of the bowl and off the hook and shape it into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least two hours, or up to 24 hours.
To make the huckleberry filling, place all the filling ingredients into a small saucepan and heat until boiling. Turn down the heat to medium-low and allow to simmer for 10 to 12 minutes until it’s jammy and much of the liquid is thickened. Allow it to cool until room temperature and then place in the fridge.
After at least 2 hours, take the dough out of the fridge and remove the plastic wrap. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and dust the top with a bit of flour. Roll the disc into a rectangle about 10” x 15” with the long edge facing you. Spread the cooled filling evenly on the dough, spreading it close to the edge on all sides except the long edge furthest from you, where you should leave 1 1/2 inches of dough bare.
Starting with the long edge closest to you, roll the dough into a spiral using both hands. Make sure the filling is getting rolled inside as you go and not just pushed along until you get to the end. When you get to the end, pinch the edge up against the roll to seal it. Place it on a sheet pan and put it back in the fridge for a half-hour.
After it’s chilled, take it out and use a serrated knife to cut down the center of the roll lengthwise with a sawing motion, carefully keeping the filling inside. Place one of the halves across the center of the other to form an X. Braid the halves tightly, keeping the huckleberry swirl side facing up. Put the braided babka in a buttered 9”x5” bread pan and cover with a damp towel. Allow the loaf to proof for 1-2 hours, until it doubles in size. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Bake the babka for about 40 minutes.
While it’s baking, place the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Allow the glaze to cook for 1-2 minutes, then turn off the heat. As it cools, it will thicken. Liberally brush the glaze on top of the babka when it is done baking. Allow to cool for at least a half-hour in the pan on a wire rack before you remove it.
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