Yes, babka is usually sweet: chocolate and cinnamon are the most traditional flavors, as we learned many years ago from “Seinfeld” and Elaine.
But babka dough is delicious and versatile, and actually quicker to mix up than challah dough. By adding less sugar, you can make a dough that is the perfect vessel for copious amounts of garlic butter and cheese. Instead of the traditional twisted shape, this version will have you cutting small squares, brushing with garlic butter, and stuffing with cheese. Fold squares and then layer on top of each other to create irresistible pull-apart layers that are perfect for dipping in, say, some store-bought marinara sauce.
If making this babka seems like a daunting task, let me share a few shortcuts:
- Don’t worry about “scalding” the milk while making the dough; you can just add straight from the fridge.
- Buy a bag of pre-shredded mozzarella cheese or Italian cheese mix.
- Buy Italian herb seasoning in the spice aisle.
- Use pre-minced garlic you buy in the jar instead of peeling and mincing yourself.