Category: Breakfast

sourdough roll-up pancakes

Sourdough Roll-Up Pancakes

Blend. Pour. Sizzle. Flip. Fill. Sourdough roll-up pancakes are fast, easy and the perfect breakfast for a special occasion, or a school morning when you want that extra protein to tide you over until lunchtime. Use a blender to whip up the batter, pour into a sizzling hot frying pan and bake until bubbly. Then flip the giant pancake to cook on the other side while you gather up the fillings: homemade jam, fresh fruit, syrup, powdered sugar and whipped cream–all delicious options. Spread your filling on the finished pancake and roll it up. Kids love these, and parents do too.

Sourdough Discard in Pancakes

Sourdough discard is excess sourdough that you discard–get rid of–as you maintain a sourdough starter. I don’t like throwing away this mixture (have you seen the price of flour these days?!), and instead find recipes to use it up in. Less food waste, more flavor and the health benefits of sourdough. When you are ready to feed your sourdough starter, discard the majority of the starter into a container and keep it refrigerated. This discard can be used in a whole bunch of delicious recipes. In this recipe, you can also use bubbly sourdough starter, which will have a much more mild sourdough flavor. I use 100% hydration sourdough discard in my discard recipes unless otherwise stated. This means that I feed my sourdough starter equal weights of flour and water. If you feed your starter different amounts, you’ll want to add a little flour or milk depending on how thick the batter is.

sourdough roll-up pancakes
Sourdough Roll-Up Pancakes

Looking for more Sourdough Discard Recipes? Click for: Sourdough Discard White Rolls, Pretzel Bites with Sourdough Discard, Sourdough Discard Zucchini Bread, Crispy Sourdough Waffles and so many more amazing discard recipes!

Blend Up the Ingredients

These sourdough roll-up pancakes couldn’t be easier, because you combine all the ingredients together in a blender and then process until smooth. Talk about quick and easy! I love using a Vitamix to blend, but any high-powered blender will work. If you don’t have a high powdered blender, you could probably use an immersion blender or food processor in a pinch. The blender is needed to blend up the cottage cheese to a creamy consistency, which makes for really decadent roll-up pancakes. These Sourdough Roll-Up Pancakes have 6 large eggs in them (I often double this recipe as the pictures show) and a whole cup of cottage cheese. That’s a lot of protein which makes these roll-up pancakes perfect for a school morning breakfast.

Butter the Pan for Crispy Edges

I love buttering a frying pan with a stick of butter before pouring in the pancake batter. The butter crisps up the edges of the roll-up pancake and tastes buttery and delicious. Once the butter is sizzling, pour the batter in the pan and spin the skillet in a circle to spread out the pancake. It will be thicker than a crepe. When the pancake batter bubbles, flip the pancake over to cook on the other side for about 30 seconds before removing from the pan. Repeat the process, adding more butter to the pan and more roll-up pancake batter.

Roll-Up the Pancakes

Set out a bunch of toppings (ie: fresh fruit, syrup, powdered sugar, butter, jam, whipped cream) or just put out a jar of jam. Either way, the roll-up pancakes will become a new family favorite. Let everyone roll their own or roll a bunch of them up as a quick morning breakfast. I like to put some homemade jam in the center of a pancake and then roll it up. These are delicious served warm. Enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you store leftover sourdough roll-up pancakes?

Store leftover cooled pancakes in a ziplock bag on the counter for 24 hours. After 24 hours, freeze them for up to 3 months. Pull out and thaw to room temperature and/or re-heat as needed.

My sourdough discard is a couple weeks old. I’ve kept it in the refrigerator. Can I still use it?

Pour off any excess hooch. Stir up the discard and smell it. If it smells very strong and you are okay with that flavor in your pancakes, go ahead and use it. I tend to throw away discard that has been sitting in my refrigerator for over 2 weeks because I don’t like the super strong sour flavor in baked goods.

What are the best toppings to use for roll-up pancakes?

We love homemade jam that I make using this low sugar pectin. Fresh fruit and whipped cream is also amazing on these roll-up pancakes.

How are roll-up pancakes different from crepes?

Roll up pancakes are thicker and have more protein than crepes thanks to the cottage cheese and amount of eggs in them. If you want an amazing crepe recipe check out our favorite here.

sourdough roll-up pancakes

Roll-Up Sourdough Pancakes

Sourdough roll-up pancakes are fast, easy and made with 100% sourdough discard. Spread with jam, fruit, syrup, whipped cream or any topping you'd like. Roll-up and enjoy the perfect breakfast!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 12 pancakes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup cottage cheese
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup sourdough discard see recipe notes
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil or any other neutral flavored oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • butter for the bottom of the pan

Instructions
 

  • Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.
  • Heat a 10-12 inch skillet over medium heat. Place a pat of butter in the bottom of the pan and let it melt. Pour about 1/4 cup batter into the pan and spin the skillet around in a circle to spread out the pancake (these will be thicker than a traditional crepe).
  • Cook the pancake until it bubbles up and is golden underneath, then flip with a wide spatula and cook the other side for about 30 more seconds.
  • Slide the pancake onto a plate and repeat with the remaining batter, buttering the pan and making sure the skillet is hot in between pancakes. I like to get two skillets going at once if I have really hungry kids or am in a time crunch.
  • Spread some homemade jam over the pancakes, roll up and enjoy! These pancakes are also delicious with syrup, butter, powdered sugar, fresh fruit, whipped cream, etc…

Notes

Sourdough Discard: This recipe is based on 100% hydration discard. If your discard was fed with a higher ratio of flour to water, you may need a little milk to the batter. If you have less flour in the discard, you’ll need to add a little extra flour.
Keyword beginner sourdough, blender pancakes, easy sourdough, pancakes, roll up, roll up pancakes, sourdough, sourdough discard recipe, sourdough pancakes

Rating: 1 out of 5.

Disclaimer: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a very small amount from qualifying purchases.

Follow me on Instagram @amybakesbread, like Amy Bakes Bread on Facebook or follow me on Pinterest for more baking ideas. Please share this recipe if you enjoyed it! Post a photo and tag me @amybakesbread so I can see your bake.

2 responses to “Sourdough Roll-Up Pancakes”

  1. Kris Avatar
    Kris

    Yummmmm X 💯!! Thanks for sharing your thoughts and recipe! 😍🥞😋

    Reply
  2. Sourdough Roll-Up Pancakes — Amy Bakes Bread | My Meals are on Wheels

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Fresh Strawberry Scones

Sometimes I make a recipe and just know that it needs to be shared. Immediately! Fresh Strawberry Scones are incredibly delicious and with Kentucky’s too short strawberry season I knew this recipe needed to be posted ASAP so you can enjoy some of these delicious scones before the freshly picked strawberries are gone for the season. I’m sure these scones would be delicious with store-bought berries too but there’s just something about picking your own strawberries or grabbing a gallon or two of freshly picked strawberries from a local farm. You just can’t beat those sun-ripened strawberries in the middle of May and the fresh strawberry flavor really comes through in these scones.

Fresh Strawberry Filling

Fresh strawberries are magical. Bursting with beautiful flavor, I love how these scones highlight the fresh flavor of strawberry. After picking your fresh strawberries or grabbing some from your local farm, dice up two cups of strawberries and put them in a liquid measuring cup. Using a potato masher or fork/spoon, smash the strawberries in the liquid measuring cup. The goal here is to release the juices from the berries until the liquid measuring cup has reduced to 1 1/2 cups of smushed strawberries. Too much liquid in scones can make the scones taste “bready” and not flaky. Place a fine mesh strainer on top of a bowl. Pour the juicy, 1 1/2 cups of strawberries into the fine mesh strainer and push the strawberry mixture back and forth to strain out about 1/2 cup of juice. Dump the strawberries in the strainer back into the liquid measuring cup. Set the strawberry liquid to the side to use in the glaze. Add 1/3 cup powdered sugar and 3 Tablespoons of flour to the strawberries in the liquid measuring cup and mix it up. Set aside while you make the strawberry scones.

Preheat the Oven

I used to be the kind of baker who would forget to preheat my oven. ALL. THE. TIME. As a busy mom, I never thought I had the time to wait for my oven to fully preheat. While that might work for some recipes (I’ll often put loaves of bread into a preheating oven to finish the rise while the oven comes to temperature), it does not work well for others. These scones really benefit from a properly preheated oven. Baking scones at a high heat activates the baking powder for a beautiful rise and turns the chilled butter into steamy air pockets which make for a light and airy scone. Basically, for this recipe, you won’t want to cut corners. Preheat the oven as you’re pulling the ingredients out for these fresh strawberry scones and you won’t regret it!

Grate the Butter

One of my favorite tips when working with pastry, scones or biscuits is to grate the butter into the flour mixture. Start with butter straight from the freezer or refrigerator. Grate it into a pile and add the small bits of grated butter to the flour mixture. This grated butter is the perfect size for most recipes calling to “cut in” butter. You can also use a pastry cutter (affiliate link) to get pea-sized pieces of butter sprinkled throughout the flour mixture.

Scone Dough: Keep Ingredients Chilled

Scone dough comes together fast. Use an all purpose or low protein content (8-10%) flour, whisked with the sugar, baking powder and salt. Grate in the cold butter and toss it together before adding in the chilled liquid ingredients (egg, milk and cream). The colder the ingredients, the better the scones (ie: flaky, higher rise, better texture). After mixing together the scone dough, spreading the filling on top and pinching them closed, I’ll stick the cut scones into the freezer to chill for a few minutes before baking. Pre-made scones can also be frozen and then baked at your convenience. Just add a couple minutes of baking time.

Use a Light Hand and Laminate the Dough

Scone dough is very similar to biscuits or pie crust. If the dough is overworked, the gluten starts to develop, which results in tough, not tender scones. To achieve a tender scone, do your best to use a light hand when working the dough. I use a fork to mix the dough together until it has just barely come together. Then turn the dough out on the countertop and separate it into two pieces of dough and pat each piece into a square. To “laminate” the dough, fold the square in half and then in half again. Laminating creates more tender and flaky layers of scone dough. That’s about all you’ll want to “work” this dough.

Assembling the Scones

Typically, scone dough is rolled out, cut and baked. This recipe differs because you actually cut the dough in half. I based these fresh strawberry scones off of our favorite King Cake Scones which are also delicious. Roll out both halves of the dough into equal eight inch circles. Then add sweet strawberry filling on top of one of the circles of scone dough. Smooth it around, leaving a little bit of space at the edge of the circle of dough. Then sandwich the other piece of dough on top. You get a nice thick layer of strawberry filling in the middle of the scone. Pinch the edges of the scone dough closed together, moving around the edges of the dough. Initially I thought the scones would be oozing out filling but the filling holds pretty well when baked. A little strawberry mixture will ooze out a bit, but it is easily removed from the scone after the scone cools if desired. At this point the scones can be baked immediately or chilled a little longer in the freezer before baking.

Bake and Top the Scones with Glaze

Once you put the scones into the oven, it’s time to use the strawberry juice you set to the side after making the strawberry filling. This juice is full of sweet strawberry flavor. It will also have a beautiful pink hue without using any food coloring. Add 1 cup of powdered sugar to about 1/4 cup of reserved strawberry juice. Whisk together while the scones bake, and drizzle the scones with this beautiful glaze once they have baked and cooled about 5-10 minutes. Enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to use fresh strawberries in these scones? Can I use strawberry jam instead?

These scones taste best with freshly picked strawberries. If fresh strawberries are not in season, choose strawberries that have good flavor. You can also try substituting about 1/2 cup strawberry jam mixed with a Tablespoon of flour for the strawberry filling if you’re in a bind.

Why should I bake scones at a high temperature?

The high temperature activates the baking powder to give a beautiful rise to the scone. It also turns the butter into steamy pockets of air without leaving butter oozing on the baking sheet.

How do I store leftover strawberry scones?

Scones can be left at room temperature for up to 24 hours. After 24 hours, place in a ziplock bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

Looking for Other Favorite Fresh Strawberry Recipes?

Try our favorite strawberry buttermilk cake, the best strawberry shortcake, delicious strawberry fruit pizza or these strawberry orange muffins.

Fresh Strawberry Scones

Delicious scones made with freshly picked, ripe strawberries and drizzled with sweet strawberry glaze. These are the perfect scones to make for a weekend brunch or after going strawberry picking!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Course Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 8 scones

Ingredients
  

Fresh Strawberry Scones

  • 2 3/4 cup all purpose flour see recipe notes
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter chilled or frozen
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1/3 cup milk

Strawberry Scone Filling

  • 2 cups diced strawberries freshly picked is best
  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons flour

Scone Glaze

  • 1/4 cup reserved strawberry juice
  • 1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions
 

Strawberry Scone Filling

  • Put two cups of diced strawberries in a liquid measuring cup. Smush the strawberries, extracting some of the juices from the berries until the strawberries reduce a bit and the liquid measuring cup shows 1 1/2 cups.
  • Place a fine mesh strainer on top of a bowl. Pour the juicy, 1 1/2 cups of strawberries into the fine mesh strainer and push the strawberry mixture back and forth to strain out about 1/2 cup of juice.
  • Dump the strawberries in the strainer back into the liquid measuring cup. Set the strawberry liquid to the side to use in the glaze. Add 1/3 cup powdered sugar and 3 Tablespoons of flour to the strawberries in the liquid measuring cup and mix it up. Set aside while you make the strawberry scones.

Strawberry Scone Dough

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  • Grate the entire stick of cold butter into small pieces. Add the butter to the flour mixture and mix until little pieces of butter are evenly distributed throughout. Alternatively you can "cut" the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter into pea sized shapes.
  • Mix together the eggs, heavy cream and milk in a liquid measuring cup. Pour into the butter/flour mixture and mix together until it is just combined and forms a ball.
  • Turn the dough out onto a countertop or pastry mat and knead two or three times. Cut the dough into two equal sections.
  • Lightly flour both balls of dough. Roll both balls out into equal sized 8 inch circles. Spread the strawberry filling on top of one of the circles, leaving a little gap on the edges.
  • Place the other 8 inch circle of dough on top of the strawberry filling, sandwiching the scone dough together. Pinch the seams closed.
  • Cut the dough into 8 triangular sections and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
  • Bake scones for 14-16 minutes until baked through and a little brown on top.
  • While the scones bake, mix up the glaze. Whisk together 1/4 cup of the reserved strawberry juice with 1 cup powdered sugar. After the scones have cooled a bit, top each scone with glaze. Enjoy!

Notes

Flour: This recipe works great with all purpose flour. If you happen to have a soft flour (protein content of 8.5-10%), that will work the best for a softer, melt-in-your-mouth scone. I buy my flour from Weisenberger Mills.
Strawberry Filling: I prefer this recipe with fresh strawberries. If you don’t have fresh strawberries on hand, you can use your favorite strawberry jam in place of the fresh strawberry filling. Use 1/2 cup of your favorite strawberry jam and mix 1 Tablespoon of flour with the jam before spreading on the scone dough.
Keyword fresh strawberries, Scones, strawberry scone

Rating: 1 out of 5.

Disclaimer: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a very small amount from qualifying purchases.

Follow me on Instagram @amybakesbread, like Amy Bakes Bread on Facebook or follow me on Pinterest for more baking ideas. Please share this recipe if you enjoyed it! Post a photo and tag me @amybakesbread so I can see your bake.

Amy2 Comments

Sweet Peach Bread

Have you ever had fresh Georgia peaches? Twice a summer the peach truck stops in our little town bringing fresh Georgia peaches to all who want a 25 pound box. Twenty five pounds is a lot of peaches. I had dreams of all the baking I would do with these beauties which were quickly dashed as my son ate 12 peaches on that first day! Slow down kiddos! I couldn’t really blame them though. Ripe peaches are what summer dreams are made of. Sweet, juicy and if you’re lucky you can save a few of them to make this absolutely perfect peach bread. What more could you ask for?

Are the Peaches Ready?

Part of the beauty of this peach bread is how the peaches just melt into the bread giving a beautiful moist texture and delicious flavor. To get this texture and flavor, it’s important to use very ripe and soft peaches. I often let my peaches ripen on the countertop for a few days until they are very soft and even start to wrinkle. Then I chop them up to use in the bread. These slightly over-ripe peaches seem to have the best peach flavor and texture for the perfect peach bread. I’ve only ever used fresh, ripe, peaches, though I think that canned peaches would work as long as they are well drained.

Jump to Sweet Peach Bread Recipe

Peeled or Un-Peeled?

Do you have a preference? We love eating peaches with the skins on and I truthfully don’t mind the peach skin on peaches in my peach cobbler, but for this perfect peach bread, I prefer the texture using peeled peaches. I know you can throw the peaches into some boiling water to help remove the skins, but I don’t ever do that. I use very ripe peaches that pucker a bit on the skin. Then I will gently cut the peach into quarters and peel the skin back, using a paring knife and my fingers to separate the peach from the skin. Dice the peaches into chunks until you have two cups worth of ripe peaches for this recipe. 

Coat Peaches in Flour Mixture

This peach bread can be made all in one bowl and a liquid measuring cup (my favorites linked, affiliate link). I whisk together the dry ingredients first. Then add the diced peaches to the flour mixture and coat the peaches in the flour mixture. This flour coating helps suspend the peaches throughout the bread and keeps them from all sinking to the bottom. Definitely don’t skip this step! I’ve found this method works great for blueberry breads or anytime you are adding a mix in to a quick bread. Giving it a quick toss in the dry mixture before adding the liquid ingredients helps make the perfect loaf. After coating the peach chunks in the flour mixture, whisk the liquid ingredients together in a liquid measuring cup, pour on top and stir until just combined.

Crumb Topping

Basically, any quick bread is better with a crumb topping. It gives a little extra sweetness and sets this bread apart from a more traditional loaf. Mix together the butter, brown sugar, flour and spices with a fork or your fingers and sprinkle over the top of the loaf. If you want to omit this step, you can. I like a little extra sweetness to the top of my bread.

Parchment Paper

Line your pan with parchment paper and thank me later. The first time I made this peach bread the flavor was delicious but we were scooping it out of the pan because it stuck to the edges. I love my nonstick USA pans, but whenever I make something sticky like this swirled brioche or this cinnamon chip bread, I always line my pan with parchment paper. It’s a small step but you will be happy when you can pull the whole loaf out of the pan to cool and it looks perfect! One other note about this recipe, it works best in a 9 by 5 pan which is slightly bigger than my trusty USA bread pans. Check out this pan (affiliate link) if you’re looking for another good option.

We love peach season at our house and this peach bread has made its way into our yearly rotation. It is moist, flavorful and really the perfect peach bread. 

Sweet Peach Bread

Amy
A delicious loaf of bread dotted with sweet peaches and topped with a crumb topping. This bread is delicious with fresh peaches and makes the perfect breakfast or snack on a summer day.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 1 hr 10 mins
Course Bread, Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 1 loaf

Ingredients
  

Fresh Peach Bread

  • 2 cups fresh, ripe peaches peeled & chopped (13.5 oz)
  • 2 cups all purpose flour (11 oz)
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar (6 oz)
  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract optional, but delicious

Crumb Topping

  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened
  • 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • pinch of nutmeg
  • pinch of salt

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Choose peaches that are very soft, ripe and feel like the skin will come off easily when cut open. Peel and chop the peaches until you have 2 cups worth. I like using a liquid measuring cup (affiliate link) to measure the chopped peaches and later to whisk my liquid ingredients together.
  • To a mixing bowl, add the flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk together to combine.
  • Pour the peaches on top of this flour mixture and lightly coat the peaches in the flour mixture until dispersed throughout.
  • To a liquid measuring cup (affiliate link), add the oil, milk, egg, vanilla and almond. Use a fork or whisk to mix it all together.
  • Add the liquid ingredients to the peach/flour mixture and stir gently to combine until a thick batter is formed.
  • Make the crumb topping by mixing together with a spoon or your fingers, the softened butter, brown sugar, flour and spices. Set aside.
  • Line a 9 by 5 loaf pan with parchment paper. This recipe is perfect for a 9 by 5 pan. If you use a smaller bread pan it may be a little too much batter and you'll want to leave some out or have an overflowing pan.
  • Pour the batter into the parchment-lined pan. Top with chunks of the crumb topping.
  • Bake for about 60-70 minutes until a toothpick is inserted in the middle and comes out clean. Let rest for 5 minutes in the pan and then pull out and cool on a cooling rack. Let the bread cool to room temperature. Slice and enjoy!

Notes

Canned Peaches: I haven’t tried this recipe with canned peaches, though I think it would work well. To substitute them, drain as much juice as possible, chop and use in the recipe.
Keyword peach, peach bread

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Amy8 Comments

Sourdough Cinnamon Sugar Babka

This Babka bread is decadent. It is filled with buttery cinnamon sugar. It is light, soft, tender and uses 100% sourdough to make a really delicious loaf of sweet bread. The sourdough has a bit of a learning curve that includes making a sweet leaven, but when you open the oven door and see two beautifully risen loaves of Babka, all the time is completely worth it. If you’ve never made a Babka before, this advanced sourdough cinnamon sugar babka recipe should make your list.

Jump to Sourdough Cinnamon Sugar Babka Recipe

What is Babka?

Babka originated in Eastern Europe and is an enriched bread dough that is usually swirled with a sweet chocolate or cinnamon sugar filling. If you’re looking for a chocolate filling, try out this one I’ve used for a swirled brioche before. It would be delicious with this recipe. Pronounced “bahb-kah,” this bread has become very popular at bakeries and in home kitchens this past year with the beautiful swirl braids and outstanding flavor. I love that this recipe gives two loaves of Babka. If I’m going to trouble with a three day sourdough recipe, I always like to share a loaf or freeze one for later (or who am I kidding…eat the day after we eat the first loaf).

Sample Sourdough Cinnamon Sugar Babka Schedule

I find it personally helpful to see a sample schedule when making sourdough because it does take longer than a traditional dough using commercial yeast. This dough is enriched with a lot of eggs, butter and sugar which takes even a bit longer to rise. 

Day 1 (Make Sweet Leaven)
  • 8 AM: Mix sweet leaven, let rise and bubble
  • 8 PM: Take 120 grams of the sweet leaven and feed it again with the measurements in the recipe. Cover and let it rise and bubble until morning.
Day 2 (Mix Babka Dough, First Rise)
  • 8 AM: Mix together Babka dough ingredients (except salt and butter), rest. Add salt, mix, rest. Add butter a Tablespoon at a time and mix using stand mixer for 10 minutes.
  • 11 AM: First set of Coil Fold
  • 1 PM: Second set of Coil Folds
  • 2 PM: Cover dough and rest in refrigerator overnight (12-24 hours)
Day 3 (Assemble and Bake)
  • 8 AM: Roll out and shape Babka
  • 8:30-3PM: Let Babka rise (the rise time will vary depending on the warmth of your kitchen, but allow for at least 6-8 hours)
  • 3-4PM: Bake Babka

Sweet Leaven

One of the unique things about this sourdough recipe is making a sweet leaven before actually making the bread. Typically with sourdough, the longer the bread rises, the more tang you will taste from sourdough. I love the tang in this recipe in my Basic Country Artisan Loaf or my no-knead sourdough loaf but in a sweet babka, I don’t want to taste the tang. Making a sweet leaven helps temper the tang and mellows the flavors, letting the sweet cinnamon be the overpowering flavor. The addition of sugar to the leaven also helps temper the sour flavor. The taste of the Babka is sweet, light and delicious when using a sweet leaven. You can create this leaven directly from your current sourdough starter and through a series of power feeds (feeding it twice in a 24 hour period before using it), have it ready to mix your Babka in just 24 hours. Sweet leaven is also fairly stiff compared to a regular 100% hydration leaven. Due to the low water content, this stiff leaven ferments slowly and helps the bread keep its texture and maintain the gluten structure. This helps the bread rise slowly to keep the sweet flavor expected from a Babka.

Enriched Dough

Babka is made with an enriched dough. Lots of milk, butter, eggs and sugar go into this beautiful loaf. One of the keys to making a great Babka is the process of incorporating the butter. Once the leaven, flour, milk, eggs, sugar and salt have been mixed together to form a dough, it is time to add the butter. This takes a somewhat thick dough and turns it into a silky, smooth and a little bit sticky enriched dough. Cut the softened butter into chunks and add it to the center of the dough hook as the dough is mixing. Plan to knead the dough for about 10 minutes. I like to set a timer and let my dough get to work developing the gluten and incorporating the butter. I highly recommend using a stand mixer for this process. It can get very sticky and is difficult to knead for the length of time required with cold hands (so the butter doesn’t melt and leak everywhere). 

Coil Fold

The coil fold is a technique of picking up the dough from the middle and letting the dough fall down onto and under itself, resulting in a coil. Wet your hands with water. Place your hands under the middle of the dough and pull up. The dough will stretch up (but should not tear) and release from the bottom of the bowl. Once the dough releases, let the dough fall back under itself. Repeat the process for both sides of dough. Then turn the container and repeat the coil fold. This process of folding the dough increases tension and strengthens the strands of gluten in the dough. If you skip this step, the dough can bake up flat because it lacks structure. Watch the coil fold process below to help visualize the process.

Refrigeration

Refrigerating the sourdough cinnamon sugar babka dough overnight or 12-24 hours (not much longer than that) chills the butter, enhances the sweet Babka flavor and makes the dough easy to work with when you pull it out in the morning to shape your Babka. The dough will not double in size and may not even look like it did much rising. Don’t worry! Once it comes back to room temperature it will rise again. When you pull the dough out of the refrigerator to roll out, it will be a little stiff and hard because it is cold. This chill actually makes it easier to work with the Babka dough. Add a little bit of flour on the bottom and on top of the Babka to help roll it out. 

Babka Filling

Babka can be filled with any kind of sweet (or sometimes savory) filling. When mixing the filling, use softened, room temperature butter to mix with the dough. If the butter is too cold, it will not incorporate fully into a paste. If it is melted, it will leak all over the dough and make the Babka difficult to shape. I also love the addition of a bit of flour to the filling. This keeps the filling sticking to the dough and not falling all over your pastry mat. Mix the ingredients together to form a thick paste and set it aside. I have also made this Babka into a strawberry flavored version, using white sugar and crushed up freeze dried strawberries, that was insanely delicious. Check the recipe notes for the full substitution.

Strawberry Babka filling recipe is in the recipe notes.

How to Shape Babka

Flour a countertop or pastry mat and roll out the dough into a large rectangle, about 14 by 18 inches. Spread half of the cinnamon sugar mixture on the dough and roll up cinnamon-roll style. Take a sharp knife and slice the Babka in half, length-wise. This will leave you with two long, open-faced pieces. Pinch together the ends and twist the dough around each other to form a swirled and braided loaf. Place into a parchment-lined loaf pan and let rise.

A Long Final Rise

I have made the mistake before with this recipe of being a bit impatient and baking the Babka too quickly. This results in a dense, gummy bread that is just not good. It can be hard to be patient with sourdough, but I promise the results are worth it. Wait until the bread has puffed up and mostly filled out the loaf tin which will take 6-8 hours. You can also lightly press the top of the Babka dough and watch as the dough springs back. If it springs back without any indentation, it needs to rise longer. If it springs back just a little and has been at least six hours, then you should be good to bake. The time will vary based on the warmth of your kitchen so it could rise faster or slower. My experience has been six to eight hours generally.

After shaping and after rising. Notice how the dough fills the pan and has puffed up and risen.

Simple Syrup

What better way to finish off a decadent bread than with some simple syrup, am I right?! To help keep the Babka fresh and moist, whip up this simple syrup while the Babka is baking. I make mine in the microwave, but you could use a pot on the stovetop as well. Mix together the sugar and water. Microwave on high in 1 minute increments until the sugar is dissolved and liquid is boiling. Stir together and let sit while waiting for the Babka to bake. The mixture will thicken as it cools. Pull the Babka out of the oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes in the pan. Then remove to a baking rack and brush the simple syrup over the top of the Babka. Use all of the simple syrup, even if it looks like it doesn’t need more.

It is hard to let the Babka cool and truthfully, I don’t always wait because it is so tempting! This Babka does slice best when it has cooled and even makes great french toast a day or two later if it lasts that long. Sourdough cinnamon sugar Babka is a showstopper recipe and it tastes even better than it looks! Enjoy!

Sourdough Cinnamon Sugar Babka

A rich and delicious cinnamon sugar babka bread made completely with sourdough
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 hr
Cook Time 55 mins
Rise Time 1 d
Course Bread
Cuisine American, Polish, Ukrainian
Servings 2 loaves

Ingredients
  

Sweet Leaven (feed at least twice before making the Babka dough)

  • 120 grams sourdough starter 100% hydration see recipe notes
  • 100 grams all purpose flour
  • 25 grams granulated sugar
  • 40 grams water

Babka Dough

  • all of the leaven about 300 grams
  • 620 grams all purpose flour
  • 200 grams whole milk see recipe notes
  • 4 large eggs about 200 grams
  • 50 grams granulated sugar
  • 16 grams salt
  • 200 grams unsalted butter, softened about 14 Tablespoons

Babka Filing

  • 160 grams unsalted butter, softened 3/4 cup
  • 2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • 160 grams brown sugar 2/3 cup
  • 2 teaspoons all purpose flour

Egg Wash

  • 1 teaspoon water

Simple Syrup for Babka

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup water

Instructions
 

Sweet Leaven (24 hours)

  • Mix together ripe sourdough starter, flour, granulated sugar and water. Cover and let sit for about 8-12 hours.
  • Take 120 grams of this new leaven and feed it with flour, sugar and water. Cover and let sit for 8-12 hours until bubbly, about doubled in size and passes the float test.

Babka Dough Day 1

  • Set the bowl of a stand mixer on a kitchen scale. Tare the scale and add all of the sweet leaven, flour, whole milk, sugar and eggs. Mix together with a spoon or dough whisk. Let rest for 10 minutes.
  • Add the dough hook to the bowl, sprinkle in the salt and mix for 6 minutes. Let the dough rest for 10-20 minutes.
  • Cut the butter into Tablespoon sized chunks. With the dough hook running, add the butter to the center of the dough. The butter will begin to incorporate into the dough. Continue adding chunks of butter until all the butter is added.
  • Knead for a total of ten minutes until the dough is smooth, sticky and silky.
  • Turn the dough out into a rectangular container (I use this 9 by 13 pan, affiliate link). The dough will be sticky. It can help to wet your hands before turning the dough out if it sticks to your fingers. Cover the dough and let rest at room temperature for 2 hours.
  • After 2 hours, wet your hands and perform one set of coil folds on the dough by lifting up in the middle of the dough and letting the sides pull up and fall under the dough. Repeat from the other direction. This is one set of coil folds. See video for how to perform a coil fold. Cover and let rest.
  • After another 2 hours, perform a second set of coil folds on the dough. Cover and let rest another hour.
  • Transfer the dough to a container, cover tightly and set in the fridge to chill overnight or 12-24 hours.

Babka Dough Day 2

  • Prepare two 9 by 5 loaf pans (affiliate link) with parchment paper.
  • The next morning, make the Babka filling. Mix together the softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and flour to make a thick paste. Set aside. See recipe notes for strawberry version.
  • Pull the dough out of the refrigerator. Lightly flour a pastry mat or silpat liner (affiliate link). Turn the dough out onto the mat and cut in half.
  • Lightly flour one piece of dough and roll into a 14 by 18 inch rectangle.
  • Divide the Babka paste in two. Use your fingers to spread half the cinnamon sugar mixture over the rectangle of dough. Once the dough is covered, roll the dough up cinnamon-roll style.
  • Using a sharp knife, cut the roll in half; straight down the middle of the roll the long way. This will leave two long ropes of dough. Beginning on one end, squish the ends of the dough together and then twist the dough around each other forming the Babka loaf. Push the ends of the dough together and place the Babka in the prepared loaf pan. Repeat this process with the second loaf.
  • Cover the loaves and let rise 6-8 hours, depending on the warmth of your kitchen. This bread is made with 100% sourdough and will take much longer than a traditional loaf of bread to rise. Let it rise until it has mostly filled the loaf pan and gets light and puffy.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Whisk together the egg and a teaspoon of water. Lightly brush the egg wash on top of the bread until covered.
  • Bake Babka for 50-55 minutes until baked all the way through.
  • While the Babka is baking, prepare the simple syrup for the top of the Babka. Mix together the granulated sugar and water in a microwave safe liquid measuring cup. Microwave on high a minute at a time until boiling and all the sugar is dissolved. Mix together with a spoon and let cool until the Babka is out of the oven. The simple syrup can also be made on the stovetop. Boil the sugar and water together for about 1 minute until the sugar is completely dissolved. Cool a bit while the Babka bakes.
  • Pull Babka out of the oven and let rest in the pan for about 5-10 minutes. Remove the loaves from the pans using the parchment paper and place on a cooling rack. Pour half of the simple syrup on one loaf and half on the other loaf, using a pastry brush as needed. Let it soak into the warm bread.
  • Let the bread cool before slicing and enjoy!

Notes

Sweet Leaven: I make this leaven with 100% hydration sourdough starter. If you don’t have 100% hydration starter, take a Tablespoon of sourdough starter and add equal weights of water and flour to it. Let it rise and then use it in the recipe for sweet leaven.
Whole Milk: If you don’t have whole milk, you can substitute 180 grams 2% milk and 20 grams heavy cream.
Strawberry Babka:  To make a strawberry filling, replace the brown sugar with white granulated sugar. Replace the cinnamon with 2 Tablespoons of crushed up freeze-dried strawberries. Combine white sugar, softened butter, crushed up freeze-dried strawberries and flour. Mix together into a paste and use in place of the cinnamon-sugar filling for a delicious strawberry flavored Babka.
Keyword babka, Cinnamon sugar

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Best Basic Banana Bread

You know how some recipes just seem elusive? I felt that way for a long time about cookies. I could make a good cookie, but the best? That was hard to find. Now I help my kids run a cookie business and after much trial and error we’ve baked our way into some pretty amazing cookies. I feel the same way about banana bread. I’ve always had good banana bread. Even very good banana bread, but I just keep trying recipes because I couldn’t find a recipe that I really loved. After tinkering around for years, I’ve finally come up with a recipe that I will be making again and again.

Jump to Best Basic Banana Bread Recipe

My Perfect Banana Bread

My perfect recipe makes a great loaf but could also be used for 24 muffins. It tastes of banana but not overpowering. It is light, tender and can hold up to some mini chocolate chips thrown in. I like a banana bread recipe best if I can use one bowl for easier cleanup and I especially love a recipe that all of my kids like. This banana bread hits all of those notes. Even my daughter who is not typically a fan has been begging me to make this recipe again…and again! It is delicious 

Combining Butter and Oil for the Perfect Bread

A lot of quick bread recipes call for just butter or just oil. I love using a combination of the two in this recipe. Both oil and butter bring different properties to banana bread. Butter brings a rich flavor and oil helps with a tender, moist and delicious crumb. I find a combination of the two results in the best loaf of bread.

Brown, Over-Ripe Bananas for the Best Flavor

Banana bread has the most flavor when the bananas are really brown…disgustingly brown…even black. The “riper” the banana, the more flavor your bread will have. If you want a milder flavor, use a more brown/yellow banana. I often keep bananas on my counter and whenever I have one that has gotten overripe and no one in my family will eat it, I’ll let it sit a little bit longer until the peel is pretty dark. Then I’ll make a batch of banana bread if I have enough of them, or I’ll peel the banana and pop it in the freezer until I’m ready to use it. To use frozen bananas, let the bananas thaw and then drain a little bit of the excess water before using.

Brown Sugar and Yogurt Makes Moist Banana Bread

I used to always use white sugar in my banana bread. Never again! Brown sugar adds the perfect moistness, sweetness and flavor. The yogurt in this recipe also helps increase the moistness in this bread. If you want to substitute Greek yogurt, you can. The batter will be a little bit thicker than a regular plain yogurt.

Banana Bread Mix-Ins

My kids love this recipe plain, but they really love it when I add some mini chocolate chips into the batter. In my younger years I used to put almost as many chocolate chips as cups of flour into the banana bread for a resulting baked good that tasted more like chocolate bread with a bit of banana. Over the years I’ve cut back, and I love the addition of little mini chocolate chips. They give the perfect pop of chocolate with the sweetness and compliment the banana bread flavor instead of trying to hide it. You could also add some chopped nuts instead of mini chips, or leave them out all together.

A Few Tips

This recipe works perfectly in one bowl. You can mix the dry ingredients together first, but more often that not I pour the flour on top of the liquid ingredients and then the salt and baking soda on top of that. Lightly combine the dry ingredients and then mix the whole thing together carefully. This results in fewer dishes for me and seriously yummy banana bread. Another trick to get a nice high domed top is to bake the bread at a high heat for the first few minutes. The high heat reacts with the baking soda in the recipe and give the tall, domed loaf that you would find at a bakery. I’ve used this technique with great results in these amazing chocolate chip muffins, this sourdough zucchini bread and our favorite applesauce bread.

Bread, Muffins and Mini Muffins

I love this recipe so much because it makes one loaf of bread or twenty-four regular-sized muffins. These muffin tins (affiliate link), are my favorite because they don’t need to be greased. If i’m being honest, we make banana bread muffins far more often than actual banana bread because they are so helpful for a quick breakfast or to stick in school lunches. I also love that this recipe makes perfect mini muffins for when you don’t want to eat an entire muffin. It’s just an all around perfect banana bread! If you’re looking for a stellar sourdough discard banana bread, check out my other favorite banana bread recipe that uses sourdough discard. You can’t go wrong with either one of these recipes. Enjoy!

Best Basic Banana Bread

The best basic banana bread recipe. Tender, full of banana flavor and easy to whip up. This recipe makes one loaf of banana bread or two dozen muffins.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 1 hr 5 mins
Course Bread, Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 1 loaf

Ingredients
  

  • 3 brown/black bananas mashed, about 1 1/2 cups
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil or other neutral flavored oil
  • 1/3 cup plain yogurt see recipe notes
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips or other mix-in optional

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • To a liquid measuring cup, mash the brown bananas until you have about 1 1/2 cups of mashed banana. It's okay if you have a few little chunks of banana. Set aside.
  • To a medium-sized bowl, whip the softened butter with a hand mixer until creamy.
  • Add the brown sugar and mix again until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and mix again until completely incorporated.
  • Drizzle in the vegetable oil while mixing and add the yogurt and vanilla extract. Add the mashed banana and mix together.
  • Put the hand mixer away and pull out a wooden or large spoon. Add the flour to the bowl. Add the salt and baking soda right on top of the flour and carefully mix (not letting any of the baking soda or salt leave the bowl as you mix). Mix just until the flour is just incorporated and only a few dry streaks remain.
  • Add mini chocolate chips, chopped nuts or dried fruit and lightly mix.
  • Lightly grease or line with parchment paper a 9 by 5 pan, affiliate link (see recipe note for muffin instructions). Pour the mixture into the pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
  • Bake for 10 minutes at 425 degrees. After ten minutes, lower the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 45-55 minutes until baked all the way through. Stick a sharp knife or toothpick into the center of the banana bread. If it comes out clean (with no batter sticking to it), it is ready to pull out of the oven.

Notes

Plain Yogurt: If you don’t have plain yogurt, you can substitute sour cream. Greek yogurt will make the batter a little thicker, but you can also substitute it for the plain yogurt if you don’t have anything else on hand.
Banana Muffins: Recipe makes about 24 muffins. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bake muffins for 5 minutes. Then lower the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 15-16 minutes until baked all the way through.
Mini Banana Muffins: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bake mini muffins for 4 minutes. Then lower the temperature to 350 degrees and bake another 8-10 minutes until baked through.
Keyword banana, banana bread

Follow me on Instagram @amybakesbread, like Amy Bakes Bread on Facebook or follow me on Pinterest for more baking ideas.

Please share this recipe if you enjoyed it! Post a photo and tag me @amybakesbread so I can see your bake.

Amy2 Comments
King Cake Scones

King Cake Scones

A year ago, when starting this blog, I wrote one of my first ever posts about a kid-sized king cake that I enjoy making with my kids during Mardi Gras season. We had so much fun making a traditional king cake into a smaller version to enjoy as a family. This year, Fat Tuesday, the last day of the Mardi Gras season falls a few days after Valentines Day and with all our celebrations and cookie baking, I needed something quick and easy to make this year. These king cake scones take about 30-40 minutes…start to finish! No rise time. No kneading dough. Basically, the perfect sweet treat I was looking for to give us the Mardi Gras feel after a busy weekend of celebrating.

Jump to King Cake Scones Recipe

Cinnamon Flavor

These King Cake Scones are based on the flavors in my kid-sized king cake recipe. Traditionally, king cake is flavored with cinnamon, though you may find other flavors now as well: vanilla, cream cheese, etc… I based the scone recipe off of these chocolate chip scones which we love. The scones themselves are not super sweet with only ⅓ cup of sugar in the dough. The cinnamon sugar filling and the glaze on top really give these king cake scones their sweetness and the balance between the two is perfect.

Grating Butter

One of my favorite tips when working with pastry, scones or biscuits is to grate the butter into the flour mixture. Start with butter straight from the freezer or refrigerator. Grate it into a pile and add the small bits of grated butter to the flour mixture. This grated butter is the perfect size for most recipes calling to “cut in” butter. You can also use a pastry cutter (affiliate link) to get pea-sized pieces of butter sprinkled throughout the flour mixture.

Preheat Oven

I used to be the kind of baker who would forget to preheat my oven. ALL. THE. TIME. As a busy mom, I never thought I had the time to wait for my oven to fully preheat. While that might work for some recipes (I’ll often put loaves of bread into a preheating oven to finish the rise while the oven comes to temperature), it does not work well for others. These scones really benefit from a properly preheated oven. They don’t bake very long and the high heat reacts with the baking powder giving them a beautiful rise. Basically, for this recipe, you won’t want to cut corners. Preheat the oven before baking these king cake scones.

Light Hand

Scone dough is very similar to biscuits or pie crust. If the dough is overworked, the gluten starts to develop, which results in tough, not tender scones. To achieve a tender scone, do your best to use a light hand when working the dough. I use a fork to mix the dough together until it has just barely come together. Then turn the dough out on the countertop and fold it over in a kneading motion two-three times. And that’s about all you’ll want to “work” this dough.