Recipes and Cooking Pumpkin Babka Be the first to rate & review! This tender, rich yeast loaf filled with a pumpkin-pecan filling is based on a traditional eastern European bread. Serve it for breakfast or dessert. By Colleen Weeden Colleen Weeden As a food expert, Colleen Weeden has written extensively for Better Homes & Gardens. From airfryer tips to advice on how to poach an egg, she shares her passion for food with practical, easy-to-follow tips. She has also contributed to Midwest Living magazine. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Published on September 21, 2021 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Jason Donnelly Hands On Time: 25 mins Rise Time: 1 hrs 45 mins Bake Time: 35 mins Stand Time: 5 mins Total Time: 2 hrs 50 mins Servings: 16 Yield: 2 loaves (8 slices each) Jump to Nutrition Facts Ingredients 4 ½ - 5 cup all-purpose flour 1 pkg. active dry yeast 1 ¼ cup canned pumpkin ⅔ cup milk ¼ cup butter, cut up 3 tablespoon granulated sugar 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice 1 teaspoon salt 2 eggs 3 tablespoon butter, softened ½ cup packed brown sugar ¾ cup finely chopped toasted pecans 1 tablespoon heavy cream Directions In a large bowl stir together 2 cups of the flour and the yeast. In a saucepan heat and stir 1 cup of the pumpkin, the milk, 1/4 cup butter, the granulated sugar, 2 tsp. of the pumpkin pie spice and the salt until warm (120°F to 130°F) and butter almost melts. Stir pumpkin mixture and 1 egg into flour mixture. Stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough that is smooth and elastic (about 3 minutes). Shape dough into a ball. Place in a lightly greased bowl, turning to grease surface of dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place until nearly double in size (1 hour). Punch dough down. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and divide in half. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Meanwhile, grease two 9x5-inch loaf pans. For filling, in a bowl combine softened butter, brown sugar, remaining 1/4 cup pumpkin, and remaining 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice. Roll one portion of dough into a 12x10-inch rectangle. Spread half of the filling over dough, leaving a 1-inch border on one of the long sides. Sprinkle with half of the nuts. Roll up rectangle, starting from the filled long side, and seal seam with fingertips. Using a serrated knife, cut roll in half lengthwise; turn cut sides up. Form an "X" with the pieces and twist the two strands of dough over each other, keeping cut sides up. Pinch ends together. Place dough twist in one of the prepared loaf pans. Repeat with remaining dough portion, pumpkin filling, and nuts. Cover and let rise in a warm place until nearly double in size (45 to 60 minutes). Preheat oven to 375°F. Whisk together remaining egg and the cream. Brush over loaves. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and a thermometer registers 180°F to 190°F. Remove loaves from pans; cool on a wire rack. Make-Ahead Babka After shaping and placing in pans, cover and chill dough 24 hours. Let stand at room temperature 2 hours or until nearly double in size. Brush and bake as directed. Rate it Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 270 Calories 10g Fat 39g Carbs 6g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 16 Calories 270 % Daily Value * Total Fat 10g 13% Saturated Fat 4g 20% Cholesterol 38mg 13% Sodium 203mg 9% Total Carbohydrate 39g 14% Total Sugars 11g Protein 6g Vitamin C 1mg 5% Calcium 40mg 3% Iron 2.3mg 13% Potassium 140mg 3% Folate, total 84.7mcg Vitamin B-12 0.1mcg Vitamin B-6 0.1mg *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.