Take Me Out To The Babka Game

Summer is the time for baseball! My fondest memories of the summers growin up in Chicago are going to Cubs games.

There is nothing like walking up the stairs behind home plate and seeing the whole field rise above you. the energy is electric, the fans are loyal, and the smell of hotdogs fills the air. You look around and see the sea of Cubby blue shirts, hear the organ play and sit down in your seat.

Before the game even starts, you hear the Hot Dog vendor come by "Hot Dogs here! Get your Hot Dogs here!"

There is no better food than a Chicago style Hot Dog eaten within the friendly confines of Wrigley Field.

This babka is an homage to those wonderful summer days spent at the ballpark!

For those unfamiliar with the Chicago Hot Dog, it is a an all beef Hot Dog in a poppyseed bun topped with celery salt, fresh tomato, a dill pickle spear, neon green relish, chopped raw onion, sport peppers, and yellow mustard.

Dough

½ Cup almond milk, warmed (if you don't keep kosher, I recommend using regular milk)

2 ½ Teaspoons instant yeast

1 Egg

1 Egg yolk

¼ Cup sugar

½ Teaspoon kosher salt

2 Cups flour

7 Tablespoons margarine at room temperature (if you don't keep kosher, I recommend using butter)

Filling

3 All beef Hot Dogs, cubed and cooked

2-3 Dill pickles

1 Tomato

4 Tablespoons yellow mustard

1 White onion

1 Teaspoon celery salt

Topping

2 Teaspoons poppy seeds

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

Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix in the flour until almost fully mixed. Add margarine (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.

While the dough is rising, chop the Hot Dogs into small cubes and fry in a pan until crispy. Chop all other vegetables (onion, tomato, and pickle).

Once the dough is done proving, 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.

Once the dough is rolled out, spread the mustard over the dough. Sprinkle the chopped vegetables on top of the mustard and the Hot Dogs on top of the vegetables. Sprinkle the celery salt on top of the Hot Dogs and vegetables.

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.

Fold in half 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. Sprinkle poppyseeds over the top of the loaf.

Bake for 45-55 minutes.

NOTE: If the top begins to brown too quickly, you can cover with tin foil an continue baking.