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–+ servings
Pumpkin Poppy Filled Babka

Pumpkin Poppy Filled Babka

Perfect with a cup of coffee, this pumpkin sweet bread filled with poppy seed filling is going to be your new favorite recipe for breakfast, lunch & dessert!
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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Resting Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Servings 10

Ingredients
  

For the Pumpkin Dough

  • ¾ cup Plant Milk (177ml)
  • 2 Tbs Vegan Butter softened (28g)
  • 2 Tbs Granulated Sugar (28g)
  • 1½ teaspoon Instant Yeast
  • ½ cup Canned Pumpkin (130g)
  • 3 cup All Purpose Flour (375g)
  • ½ teaspoon Cardamom *optional
  • ½ teaspoon Salt

For the Poppy Filling

  • ½ cup Plant Milk (118ml)
  • 2 Tbs Vegan Butter (28g)
  • ⅓ cup Granulated Sugar (67g)
  • ½ Tbs Cornstarch (4g)
  • pinch salt
  • ¾ cup Ground Poppy Seeds (113g)

Instructions
 

  • Grease a large loaf pan & add a parchment paper liner in the bottom
  • Make the Pumpkin Dough by combining all the dry ingredients together in the work bowl of your electric mixer *If you are not using Instant Yeast you will add the yeast to a small bowl with some of the warm (110℉) plant milk & let stand 5 minutes
  • Add the plant milk & pumpkin to all the dry ingredients in the bowl & mix with the dough hook ~ you may need to help it along with a spatula until it forms a soft mass, then let it knead for 5 minutes on medium speed
  • Add the softened vegan butter & mix just until it is all incorporated (total mix time is about 8 minutes)
  • Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl covered & let rise to double in size in a warm spot (approx 1 hour)
  • Meanwhile prepare the poppy filling: First grind the poppy seeds in a spice grinder & set aside. This step is important to allow for the ingredients to blend to a paste rather than a gritty mixture & it also releases the flavor from the seeds
  • Now combine the plant milk with the sugar, cornstarch & pinch of salt in a medium sauce pot over medium to high heat whisking often to avoid scorching the bottom
  • Once the custard starts to bubble remove it from the heat & add the vegan butter, stir until it is melted then add the poppy seeds. Refrigerate the filling to cold
  • Once the dough has risen & the poppy filling is cold roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to approximately 10" x 10"
  • Spread the poppy filling over the entire dough then roll it up jelly roll style
    Cut a slit down the center but keeping the ends intact then twist it and place it into the prepared loaf pan *see video linked above for visual
  • Cover & let rise again approximately 40 minutes then preheat the oven to 350℉
  • Brush the top of the bread with your favorite wash & bake for 35-40 minutes then turn the oven down to 325℉ & bake for another 20 minutes or when an instant read thermometer is at 200℉
  • Cool the bread in the pan until you can safely touch it then turn it out onto a cooling rack to cool the rest of the way

Notes

Be sure to read all the notes for success above the recipe
Storage Like any yeast bread Pumpkin Poppy Babka will stay fresh for about 2-3 days at room temperature in an airtight container. The bread will start to stale before it actually "goes bad" but it will be good for up to 1 week in the refrigerator. Freeze wrapped well for up to 1 month 
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