Pumpkin Pie Babka

Over the years, I’ve come to find my sweet spot in the Jewish baking world - the cozy corner where traditional recipes meet modern American flavors. It’s where challah mingles with cinnamon rolls, rugelach flirts with s’mores, and babka gets dressed up for the season.

This Pumpkin Pie Babka is exactly that: a love letter to my favorite time of year, when the air turns crisp, we start to give thanks, and our kitchens fill with the scent of spice and sugar. It’s part babka, part pumpkin pie, and entirely the kind of bake meant to be sliced, shared, and savored with the people you love most.

Dough

½ Cup milk, warmed

2 ½ Teaspoons instant yeast

1 Egg

1 Egg yolk

¼ Cup sugar

½ Teaspoon kosher salt

2 Cups all purpose flour

1 Teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 Teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 Teaspoon ground cloves

7 Tablespoons butter at room temperature

Filling

6 Tablespoons pumpkin puree

1 Egg white

2 Teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 Teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 Teaspoon ground cloves

1 Teaspoon vanilla extract

3 Tablespoons all purpose flour

Whisk egg, egg yolk, sugar, and salt in a large bowl until smooth and slightly pale in color. Whisk in warmed milk and yeast until combined.

Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix in the flour, cinnamon, and chili powder until almost fully mixed. Add butter about 1 tablespoon at a time (make sure it’s at room temperature!) and mix until incorporated. The dough should be smooth and slightly sticky.

Turn out the dough and knead for just a few minutes until very smooth. Transfer to a greased bowl and let rise for 1 ½ - 2 hours until doubled.

Prepare the filling by whisking all ingredients together.

Once the dough is done proofing, place on a floured surface and roll into a large rectangle. The dough should be as thin as you can get it. This ensures the most swirls inside the bread.

Using an offset spatula spread the filling over the dough in a thin layer. Starting on the edge closest to you begin to tightly roll the dough away from you until you run out of dough and are left with a log of dough. Pinch the ends together to ensure no filling leaks out while baking.

Using a serrated knife, slice down fully through the log, down the middle. Twist together to form a rope. Then, fold in half again and twist together to form a log.

Place the twisted babka in a loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Allow to rise for another half an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Bake for 40-45 minutes. Let cool completely before slicing.