This was SO good! My S.O. inhaled it and said at least five times while we were eating how good it was! I didn’t change a thing. The berry sauce was so good and didn’t need the suggested maple syrup. I love how healthy this is with whole foods and even the sweetness was added from maple syrup and not refined sugar. LOVE THIS!!! It did take me longer than 10 minutes to prep and 30 minutes to make, but I think this is because it was my first time making it.

In reply to Renee.

These are so amazing! Some of the best muffins I have ever eaten. I have a middle earth cookbook and was disappointed that their recipe called for bananas and the twice baked was for biscotti. These are so amazing for when you have high quality honey and just want that flavor to come through

I am in France and made this with Fromage Blanc! It turned out so well that I’m making it again and taking it to a friend’s gathering. My only issue was I made a tart dough and didn’t pre-bake the crust so I will do that this time. Otherwise it was great with the Fromage Blanc! Thank you.

Hi Neil,
Thanks for taking the time to share your experience, and I’m so glad you baked this one with your daughter! You are correct, I did not give the measurement on the pan and I should have. I’ve updated the recipe to indicate that you need a 9″ springform pan, which is the standard size and helps it bake through more evenly.
It’s always best to make sure you’re testing right in the center of the cake and to insert the skewer deep enough to reach the thickest part, since that’s the last area to fully set. An 8″ springform pan would be thicker and would need more time to bake, even if it would look done. Ovens love to keep us guessing sometimes!
I really appreciate your feedback and hope your next bake turns out just the way it should.
Warmly,
Jenni

Hi Leigh,
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment — though I’m sorry to hear your dough didn’t turn out as expected. I know how frustrating that can be when you’re using good ingredients and putting time into a recipe.
This recipe has been thoroughly tested (many, many times), and has also been made successfully by dozens of other bakers. As an experienced baker — and someone who works with sourdough — I’m sure you know how dramatically factors like flour protein content, starter strength, room temperature, and even humidity can impact dough consistency. That’s why I always encourage bakers to use the texture and feel of the dough as their guide, not just the numbers on a scale or clock.
The brioche dough for this babka is meant to be soft and slightly sticky — that’s what gives it its rich, tender crumb. It should never be “soupy,” though, so it sounds like something in your specific setup absorbed liquid differently. That’s not a failure of the recipe, just one of those charming quirks of sourdough baking.
I do stand by the recipe as written — it works beautifully when followed as directed — but I appreciate you sharing your experience so others can keep an eye on texture as they mix. If you make it again, I’d suggest adding your milk slowly and letting the dough knead longer before making adjustments — enriched sourdoughs often feel looser at first and tighten up as the gluten develops. That way you can account for differences in flour absorption or humidity — something I’m sure, as an experienced baker, you’ve had to do before.
Wishing you smoother bakes ahead (and hopefully fewer “soupy” ones).
Warmly,
Jenni

You can use anything you want!