Sprinkle babka loaf
Nadiya’s take on a traditional Dutch treat: a slice of white bread, buttered and generously topped with chocolate sprinkles. This sprinkle babka loaf is an all-in-one version: a bread dough with butter and sprinkles swirled through, then plaited and baked.
Ingredients
For the dough
- 275²µ/9¾´Ç³ú plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 5g/â…›oz fast-action yeast
- 20²µ/¾´Ç³ú caster sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 free-range eggs, beaten
- 50ml/2fl oz whole milk
- 80g/2¾oz unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
For the sprinkle butter
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú unsalted butter, softened
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú caster sugar
- 140g/5oz sprinkles, plus 20²µ/¾´Ç³ú extra for the top (see recipe tip)
For the glaze
- 3 tbsp golden syrup
- 1 tbsp hot water
Method
Grease a 900g/2lb loaf tin and line with baking paper.
To make the dough, place the flour in the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl if you are making it by hand. Add the yeast and sugar to one side of the flour and the salt to the other. Give it a quick mix, then make a well in the centre. Add the beaten eggs and milk and mix until the dough starts to come together. If you’re using a stand mixer, attach a dough hook and use it to bring the dough together.
Start adding the butter, a small piece at a time, until it has all been incorporated. Knead on a high speed for 6 minutes. If you are kneading by hand, use as little flour as possible and knead for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth, shiny and stretchy. Lightly flour a work surface and roll out the dough to a 20x30cm/8x12in rectangle.
Make the sprinkle butter by mixing the butter with the sugar and half the sprinkles.
With one of the long edges of the dough rectangle closest to you, spread the sprinkle butter over the dough, leaving a 1cm/½in border all the way around. Scatter over the remaining sprinkles evenly, pushing them into the dough.
Starting at the long edge, roll up the dough tightly, like a Swiss roll. Place the roll seam-side down. Using a sharp knife, cut it in half lengthwise.
Turn the two long pieces of dough so you can see stripes of dough and sprinkle butter, then place one piece on top of the other to make a large cross. Crisscross the dough like a two-strand plait, then gently lift the plaited dough into the prepared tin, tucking the ends under. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave in a warm place until doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 190C/180C Fan/Gas 5. Bake the loaf for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 160C/150C Fan/Gas 3 and bake for a further 25 minutes. Leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the glaze by mixing the golden syrup and water.
Remove the loaf from the tin and brush all over with the glaze before finishing with the extra sprinkles. Leave on a wire rack to cool completely. Once the loaf has cooled, slice and serve. Nobody is stopping you from adding more butter and sprinkles, if you wish.
Recipe Tips
Nadiya uses rainbow sprinkles in the dough. If you would like to do the same, they should be bake-fast sprinkles (available online and from specialist baking shops) as the colours will run otherwise. We used chocolate sprinkles in the dough and regular rainbow sprinkles to decorate.
