Irresistible Pepperoni Pizza Babka: The Ultimate Savory Braided Bread Recipe
Imagine combining the comforting flavors of a classic pepperoni pizza with the artful beauty of a braided babka loaf. This Mozzarella and Pepperoni Pizza Babka Loaf masterfully brings together two beloved culinary creations: the rich, buttery, and visually stunning babka dough, and the irresistible, cheesy deliciousness of pizza! This innovative savory bread begins with a traditional babka dough, known for its incredible richness and tender crumb. Each layer is generously adorned with spoonfuls of vibrant marinara sauce, an abundance of melt-in-your-mouth pizza mozzarella, and savory chopped pepperoni. The filled dough is then meticulously rolled, expertly sliced, and gracefully braided into a truly eye-pleasing loaf, delivering a delightful explosion of cheesy, pizza-filled goodness in every slice. It’s an extraordinary fusion that promises to elevate your bread-baking experience and impress anyone who tries it.
What Exactly is Babka? A Brief History of This Beloved Bread
Babka is a delightful, yeasted bread with deep Jewish origins, particularly prevalent in Eastern European Jewish communities. It is characteristically made from an enriched dough, meaning it contains higher amounts of fat (like butter), eggs, and sugar, which contribute to its tender texture and rich flavor. Traditionally, babka is filled with a variety of ingredients, with sweet fillings being the most common. Chocolate babka, often swirled with rich cocoa or chocolate paste, remains the most popular and iconic variation. However, other sweet fillings like cinnamon, fruit preserves, or poppy seeds are also cherished.
The defining characteristic of babka, beyond its delectable taste, is its distinctive appearance. The filled dough is typically rolled into a log, then sliced lengthwise and braided, revealing beautiful, mesmerizing swirls of filling throughout the bread. This intricate braiding not only makes babka visually stunning but also ensures that every bite is packed with flavor.
Interestingly, babka’s origins are rooted in resourcefulness. Jewish grandmothers would ingeniously utilize leftover scraps from making challah bread – another enriched Jewish bread – to create something new and delicious. These scraps would be twisted together with simple fillings like nuts or seeds, giving rise to the early forms of babka. This heritage explains why babka dough is quite similar in composition to challah, or even other classic enriched European doughs like brioche, sharing their buttery, soft, and slightly sweet characteristics. This rich history makes our savory pizza babka a fun, modern twist on a truly classic and traditional bread.
Crafting Your Own Mozzarella and Pepperoni Pizza Babka Loaf
Making homemade bread can seem daunting, but with the right tools and techniques, it becomes a truly rewarding experience. My absolute favorite method for preparing any enriched bread dough, including this fabulous Pizza Babka, is undoubtedly with a stand mixer equipped with a dough hook. This invaluable kitchen appliance takes the laborious work out of kneading, making the process significantly easier and more enjoyable. To embark on your Pizza Babka journey, begin by gently warming your whole milk to about 105°F (40°C) – this temperature is crucial for activating the yeast without killing it. Add the active dry yeast to the warm milk and stir briefly. Allow this mixture to sit for approximately 5-10 minutes until it becomes frothy, indicating that the yeast is active and ready to work its magic.
Once your yeast is bloomed, pour the frothy milk and yeast mixture into the bowl of your stand mixer. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, kosher salt, and granulated sugar until they are thoroughly combined. Add this egg mixture along with the all-purpose flour to the stand mixer bowl. Using a sturdy wooden spoon, mix all the ingredients by hand until a very shaggy, somewhat cohesive dough forms. This initial mixing helps bring everything together before the machine takes over. Now, attach the dough hook to your stand mixer and begin beating the dough on a medium speed. Continue mixing until the dough comes together, starting to look uniform and pulling away from the sides of the bowl.
Once the dough has formed a rough ball, it’s time to incorporate the butter. This step is critical for achieving that signature rich, tender babka texture. Begin adding the very soft, slightly warmer than room temperature unsalted butter, one tablespoon at a time. It’s essential to wait until each tablespoon of butter is fully incorporated into the dough before adding the next. This gradual addition ensures the butter emulsifies properly with the dough, leading to a smooth, elastic result. After all the butter has been added, continue beating the dough for another 5 to 8 minutes. You’re looking for a dough that is smooth, highly elastic, and feels slightly tacky to the touch but no longer dry or sticky on the sides of the bowl. It should cling to the bottom of the bowl while mixing, but easily release from your fingers.
If you find the butter resisting incorporation during the mixing process, a helpful tip is to temporarily stop the mixer and knead the butter in manually with your hands for a minute or two. The warmth from your hands can help it integrate. Alternatively, you can add a small amount of extra flour, but do so very slowly – a single tablespoon at a time – until the butter begins to come together with the dough. The ideal dough consistency will be quite tacky, smooth, and wonderfully elastic. It should stick slightly to the bottom of the mixing bowl but should easily detach from the sides. This entire kneading process typically takes around 10-15 minutes.
Once your dough reaches this perfect consistency, transfer it to a large, lightly greased bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming, and place it in a warm environment to rise. This first rise, or bulk fermentation, should take approximately one hour, or until the dough has impressively doubled in size. This initial rise develops the flavors and creates the airy structure of your babka. After this crucial first rise, your dough is ready for the exciting steps of rolling, topping, slicing, and braiding. Following a second, shorter rise, your beautifully shaped babka will be ready to bake to golden perfection!
Assembling, Slicing, and Braiding Your Pizza Babka for a Stunning Finish
Assembling and braiding babka, while appearing intricate, is actually much simpler than it looks and is truly a joy to create. Start by gently turning your once-proofed dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, carefully roll the dough into a substantial 15-inch by 15-inch square. Aim for an even thickness across the entire surface to ensure consistent baking and beautiful swirls. Next, evenly spread your marinara or pizza sauce over the rolled-out dough, making sure to leave an approximate 1-inch strip empty along one of the top edges. This bare strip will help seal the dough when you roll it.
Now for the exciting part – the filling! Generously sprinkle the shredded pizza mozzarella, finely grated Parmesan, and chopped pepperoni over the marinara sauce. Ensure the toppings are distributed as evenly as possible for a flavorful bite every time. Lightly brush a bit of water onto that bare 1-inch strip of dough you left earlier. This acts as a ‘glue’ to help seal the log. Then, starting from the edge opposite the bare strip, tightly roll the dough away from you into a compact log shape. This technique is similar to how you would roll cinnamon buns. As you roll, use your hands to gently shape and compress the dough, striving to maintain an even thickness throughout the log. A uniform log will result in more consistent slices and a more aesthetically pleasing final braid. (Pro tip: For a cleaner, sharper slice, you can carefully transfer the rolled log to a baking sheet and freeze it for about 15-30 minutes. This firms up the dough and the filling, preventing squishing when cut.)
With your perfectly rolled log ready, it’s time to reveal those beautiful layers. Using a sharp serrated knife, carefully slice the log down its entire length, creating two long halves. Now you’re ready to braid! Place the two sliced halves side by side, with the cut, exposed edges facing upwards to showcase the vibrant filling. Arrange the two strips into an ‘X’ formation. Starting from the center and working your way outwards, begin to interweave the two strips. Fold one strip over the other, then the next, alternating back and forth in a simple two-strand braid. The exposed layers of marinara, cheese, and pepperoni will create a stunning visual pattern as you braid. Once you reach the end of one half, gently pinch the ends together to seal them. Repeat this braiding process on the other half of the ‘X’. Carefully transfer this beautifully braided dough into your prepared 9″x5″ loaf pan. The loaf pan should be greased and lined with parchment paper for easy removal. Lightly cover the pan with plastic wrap once more and place it in a warm spot for its final rise, which should also take approximately another hour, or until the dough has doubled in size. This second proofing allows the bread to become light and airy before baking, leading to an incredibly tender and flavorful Pizza Babka loaf.
Get the Recipe:
Pepperoni Pizza Babka Loaf
15 minutes
35 minutes
2 hours
2 hours
50 minutes
1
Loaf
Pin
Rate
Ingredients
Pizza Babka Dough
-
½
cup
Whole Milk, warmed to 105°F -
2¼
tsp
Active Dry Yeast -
2
Large Eggs -
1¾
tsp
Kosher Salt -
1
tsp
Sugar -
2½
cups
All Purpose Flour,, plus more if needed, measured correctly † -
7
tbsp
Unsalted Butter, cut into small pieces, at slightly warmer than room temperature (should be very soft) -
½
tsp
Dried Oregano -
½
tsp
Coarse Sea Salt -
1
tbsp
of Melted Salted Butter,, for brushing
Pizza Filling
-
1/2
cup
Marinara Sauce or Pizza Sauce -
1 ¼
cup
Shredded Pizza Mozzarella -
1/2
cup
Finely Grated Parmesan -
3/4
cup
Chopped Pizza Pepperoni
Equipment
-
Stand mixer
Instructions
Making the Babka Dough
-
In a measuring cup add warm milk and yeast together. Stir together to combine, then allow to sit until it becomes foamy, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, add eggs, salt, and sugar. Whisk together to combine.
-
Add egg mixture, foamy yeast-milk, and flour to stand mixer. Using a large wooden spoon, mix together the dough until a shaggy dough forms. Place the dough hook onto the stand mixer and turn the stand mixer onto medium. Beat the dough until it has come together and looks uniform.
-
While still beating the dough, begin adding in the butter 1 tbsp at a time, ensuring that each addition is incorporated before adding the next. After all the butter has been added, continue to beat for another 5-8 minutes, or until the dough is smooth, elastic, and tacky.
-
Transfer dough to a greased large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, then place in a warm area to rise for about an hour, or until the dough is doubled in size.
Shaping and Braiding the Babka
-
Prepare a 9”x5” loaf pan with grease and parchment paper. Turn the dough out onto a lightly flour work surface, and roll the dough out into a 15”x15” square.
-
Spread marinara over top of the dough, leaving about a 1” strip along the top. Sprinkle the mozzarella, parmesan, and pepperoni evenly on top of the marinara. Brush the bare 1” strip with a bit of water. Roll the dough away from you into a log (try to maintain even thickness throughout).
-
Using a serrated knife, slice the log in half lengthwise. Place the sliced halves face up and side by side each other. Form an ‘X’ formation with the two strips. Working from center out, interweave the two strips by folding them over one another alternating back and forth. When at the end, pinch the ends together. Repeat on the other half.
-
Transfer the braided dough into the prepared loaf pan, cover lightly with plastic wrap, and place into a warm place to rise for another hour, or until doubled in size.
Baking the Babka
-
Preheat oven to 375°F. After the dough has doubled in size. Sprinkle with oregano and coarse sea salt. Place into the oven and bake for about 35 minutes (internal temperature of 200°F). When done, brush with melted butter and allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before cutting into it.
Notes
American
Baking
Tried this recipe?
Rate the recipe and leave a comment!
Source: Dough recipe adapted from Bon Appetit
Delightful Baked Goods and Pizza Creations to Explore
If you’ve enjoyed the process of creating this unique Pepperoni Pizza Babka and are eager to explore more of my baking adventures, be sure to check out some of my other popular baked goods. For a comforting and rich treat, try my BROWNED BUTTER BOURBON BANANA BREAD, which features a moist texture and deep, complex flavors. If you’re in the mood for something a bit more delicate and elegant, my CREAM PUFFS W/ VANILLA BEAN CRÈME DIPLOMAT offer a delightful experience with their airy pastry and luscious vanilla filling. And of course, if this savory babka has sparked your pizza cravings even further, don’t miss out on my PROSCIUTTO AND GOAT CHEESE PAN PIZZA, a gourmet take on homemade pizza that’s bursting with sophisticated flavors.
