Chai Pumpkin Spice Babka

Not your average pumpkin loaf. Plus a super simple and delicious pumpkin butter recipe.

I too was intimidated by babka until I realized it’s perfection is in it’s imperfections. For most, perfection when it comes to a braided and stuffed bread is difficult. Do not let that discourage you from trying something new.

Pumpkin butter is surprisingly simple to make an master. While I love Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Butter, it can be easily made with only 3 ingredients.

Chai spiced how? This recipe incorporates real chai tea via chai milk tea. It’s a simple way to get all of the chai flavor while not watering the dough down.

Chai Pumpkin Spice Babka

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of whole milk
  • 3-4 tea bags worth of chai tea
  • 1 packet of activated yeast
  • 1/2 cup of light brown sugar
  • 5 cups of flour
  • 1 TSP of salt
  • 1 TSP of pumpkin spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice, ginger)
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 stick of butter
  • 1/2 can of pumpkin purée
  • 1/4 cup of brown sugar
  • 1 TSP of pumpkin spice

Dough:

  1. Heat milk in pan on medium heat until lightly bubbling.
  2. Place in heat safe container.
  3. Place chai tea bags in warmed milk and allow to steep for 10 minutes (the longer you steep the stronger the flavor)
  4. Remove tea bags.
  5. Once chai milk mixture is mildly warm (but not scalding) add active yeast.
  6. Allow yeast to incorporate into milk for approximately 5 minutes. While it is not necessary to ‘activate’ active yeast, it ensures that is not expired prior to baking aka will not waste precious ingredients prior to baking.
  7. Combine chai yeast milk mixture, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, and eggs.
  8. In separate bowl, combine flour, salt, and pumpkin spice.
  9. Slowly fold in flour mixture to wet ingredients mixture.
  10. With your hands, slowly knead in cubes of softened butter one by one until glossy dough forms.
  11. Shape into ball and place into floured bowl.
  12. Allow dough to rise until it has at least doubled in size in a warm and damp environment. I like to heat my oven to 200, open the door to allow excess heat to exit, and place a baking tin of bowling water inside.

Pumpkin Butter:

  1. While dough is rising, combine pumpkin purée, brown sugar and pumpkin spice until fully incorporated.
  2. Yes it’s that simple.

Assembly & Baking:

  1. Once dough has risen, place of floured surface and roll out a rectangle.
  2. Smear pumpkin butter until fully coated.
  3. Roll the dough along the long end (aka the end running vertically). Tightly roll until it reaches the end.
  4. Place the seam, or the place where the wrapping of dough ends down on the cutting board.
  5. Cut the dough along the top, on the middle of the rolled dough. This should expose layers of the filling.
  6. Cut each individual cut dough piece in half.
  7. Braid the pieces of dough, filing side up.
  8. Place in a bread tin for baking.
  9. Coat the top of the bread with egg wash and sugar.
  10. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until golden brown.
  11. Serve and enjoy!