This honey pistachio babka is sweet, buttery and nutty thanks to the filling. The butter and honey literally melt together during baking, which makes this babka so delicious. The pistachios are a perfect flavor match and add a nice crunch to the babka.
The base is a soft, brioche-like dough enriched with butter and eggs. The filling is spread evenly onto the rolled out dough, then the dough is rolled up, cut lengthwise, the strands are placed crosswise over each other, then placed in the pan and baked after proofing. Finally, the top of the babka is brushed with syrup.
You can easily double this recipe and make two loaves, freeze one after cooling. Once thawed, shortly reheat the babka in the oven, then it tastes like freshly baked. Delicious.
Tools & Equipment
- 23cmx13cm / 9×5-inch loaf pan
- Cutting board
- Large baking sheet
- Large bowl
- Offset spatula
- Parchment paper
- Pastry brush
- Plastic wrap
- Rolling pin
- Sharp knife
- Silicone spatula
- Small saucepan
- Stand mixer fitted with the dough hook
- Whisk
- Wire rack
Recipe Tips
Temperature of the Ingredients: Remove the butter and eggs from the fridge 1 hour before you want to start, to bring them to room temperature. Heat the milk in the microwave to 30°C/85°F for about 30 seconds.
Butter: You add the butter on low speed, so it is not perfectly incorporated and the dough still looks a little lumpy. Do not worry about this, at this point it is fine.
The Dough: If the dough is too soft after kneading and keeps sticking to the sides of the bowl, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides. Place the dough in the fridge overnight if you have the time. Anyway, you can proceed immediately with the recipe if you do not want to wait. This will work, but it’s easier to handle the dough when it is chilled.
Ingredients for Honey Pistachio Babka
Directions – How to Make Honey Pistachio Babka
Make the Dough
Place flour, yeast, salt and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk briefly. Add milk and eggs and attach the dough hook to the stand mixer. Knead on medium for about 10 minutes until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl.
Add the butter on low speed and mix until incorporated, for about 5 minutes. Continue kneading on medium until the dough is elastic and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl, for about 15-20 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic. Place in the fridge overnight.
Make the Honey Pistachio Filling
Chop the pistachios and place them on a baking sheet. Roast pistachios at 150°C/300°F for about 10-15 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the pistachios cool completely.
Finish the Babka
Grease a 23cm/9-inch loaf pan and line with parchment, keeping an overhang on each side of the pan. Remove your dough from the fridge and on a lightly floured work surface, roll it out into a rectangle about 30x40cm/12×16-inch.
Spread the softened butter over the dough. Then pour the honey on top of the butter and spread it evenly as well. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and the spread pistachios over the butter and honey layer. Roll the dough up the long side into a tight spiral.
Cut in half to divide the dough into two long pieces. Fold one piece of dough over the second to form an “X”, then braid the two pieces of dough together.
Place the babka in the loaf pan and cover with plastic. Let it rise in a warm place until the dough has roughly doubled in size, for about 60-90 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Bake until golden brown on top, for about 30-35 minutes.
Make the Syrup
Place water and sugar in a small pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Let it boil for 4 minutes and skim off any foam that rises. Remove syrup from the heat and let it cool to room temperature before brushing it over the babka.
Take the babka out of the oven and place on a wire rack. Brush generously with the syrup and then let the babka cool in the pan. Use the overhang of the parchment to lift the babka out of the pan.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
Storage: Wrap leftover honey pistachio babka in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Freezing Instructions: You can freeze this babka for up to 2 months. It is best to wrap it in two layers of plastic and one layer of aluminum foil or place in an airtight container before freezing. To thaw, let the babka sit at room temperature for a couple of hours while still wrapped. This way, the condensation that forms during thawing remains on the outside of the babka and does not affect its quality.
My Summary for Honey Pistachio Babka
Difficulty: Intermediate.
Taste & Texture: This honey pistachio babka tastes sweet, buttery and nutty. The texture is light and fluffy. You can enjoy it plain or just spread some butter on it. The top is sweet because of the syrup and the pistachios add a nice crunch to it.
Time: It takes about 90 minutes to make the dough, syrup and roast the pistachios. I suggest, to make the dough the night before if you have the time, and chill it in the fridge overnight. In my opinion, the dough is much easier to handle then. The shaped babka needs to rise in the loaf pan for another 60-90 minutes. Baking time is 30-35 minutes.
More BABKA Recipes
- Blueberry Cream Cheese Babka
- Chocolate Babka
- Chocolate Pistachio Babka
- Pistachio Babka
- Speculoos Babka